Recently, my organization held a party to celebrate the staff’s hard work, complete with a DJ and karaoke. We crooned along with Neil Diamond and grooved to the Cupid Shuffle, and as every hour passed, more staff shuffled home. By the time the DJ called out, “Last song,” there was only one team left — the Marketing team.  

If all the members of one team close down the dance floor, you might have a microculture.

A microculture is a group within your organization that has a distinct personality. These groups might form naturally based on shared interests or backgrounds, or they might be formal work teams that develop their own norms and dynamics.

Team microcultures often emerge from the leader’s style, the team’s individual personalities or the nature of the work itself — like the freewheeling creativity of a Marketing team versus the measured professionalism of an HR department.

Team microcultures can look a lot of different ways. They might be:

• Relationship-oriented versus task-oriented  

• Experimental versus stability-focused  

• Humor-driven versus earnest  

• Competitive versus collaborative  

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According to Deloitte, “microcultures reflect the subtle variations in how work gets done in different teams.”

Are microcultures good for your organization — or risky?

According to a 2025 study by Gallup, only two in 10 people strongly agree that they feel connected to their company's culture. Yet those who do feel strongly connected are more than four times as likely to be engaged at work and 62% less likely to burn out.  

It would be easy to blame the rise of remote work for that lack of connection. But Gallup found no difference in cultural connectedness between remote and on-site employees.  

With the majority of employees struggling to feel connected, microcultures could be the bridge.

Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends research found that nearly three-quarters of the 14,000 leaders surveyed believe that individual teams and workgroups are the best places to cultivate culture.  And a third of employees said that the unique culture of their immediate team matters most to their experience at work.

What's more, organizations that embrace microcultures are:  

• 1.8 times more likely to achieve positive human outcomes and  

• 1.6 times more likely to achieve desired business outcomes.

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In short, microcultures aren’t a threat — they can be the key to engagement. But you must shape them with intention.  

How to leverage microcultures in your organization

Microcultures are inevitable. To ensure they stay healthy and productive, follow these steps:

1. Align microcultures with organizational values.

As microcultures evolve, make sure they're consistent with your company’s core values, such as excellence and integrity. Set clear boundaries around those values — then allow variation in expression, not in principle.  

For example, a Creative Agency team might live out the value of excellence by allowing designers who work best at 9 p.m. to flex their hours. A Customer Service team, on the other hand, might express that same value through tightly defined hours to ensure excellent service. Both embody excellence, just differently.  

To ensure your team’s microculture is keeping on track, periodically ask:  

• Is our team embodying all the organization’s values?  

• Are we developing a “shadow culture” pulling us away from those values?  

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2. Balance microcultures with team function.

Not every culture fits every team. On a Sales team, healthy competition can drive motivation and outcomes. But that same competitive culture might stifle collaboration on a Product Design team where sharing knowledge is crucial.  

Likewise, some teams, like Customer Service, benefit from daily check-ins to ensure consistency, while others, like R&D, might need longer stretches for uninterrupted focus.  

Evaluate your team’s culture by what fits its purpose and people.

Ask:

• What norms or rituals help our team do its best work?

• Which ones might be holding us back?

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3. Use strong microcultures to mentor others.

Some teams will naturally excel at certain cultural strengths, such as having hard conversations or celebrating wins, while others will struggle in those areas. Notice where teams are thriving and invite them to mentor others.

Ask:  

• Which teams have stronger retention or morale?

• Which teams consistently hit goals without burnout?

• How can we share their habits across the organization?

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4. Avoid silos through open relationships.  

As team personalities develop, it’s easy for frustration to creep in between groups, especially when work styles differ. Maybe your Innovation team drives your Finance team crazy. Encourage open dialogue and curiosity between teams to prevent us-versus-them thinking.  

Ask:  

• Are we sharing knowledge with other teams or guarding it?  

• Are we collaborating across differences, or settling into silos?

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5. Continually evaluate and adjust.

As your team’s culture naturally evolves, engage in regular reflection.

Ask:  

• Are certain organizational values being overlooked?  

• Are we rewarding the right behaviors — and addressing the wrong ones?

• Are we still connected to the organization as a whole?  

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The bottom line

Team microcultures don’t need to be feared or controlled. Instead notice them, assess them and align them with your organization’s mission and values. When you nurture microcultures with intention, you don’t just strengthen teams — you multiply engagement across your organization.

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