We’re Too Busy with Operations!

Leaders often say: “We’re too busy with operations to focus on culture.” or “it will slow down production.”

On the surface, it feels like pragmatism. When production deadlines loom or service delivery is under strain, culture seems like something you’ll “get to later.” Yet this mindset carries a hidden cost.

The Real Challenge

The belief underneath this excuse is that culture is separate from productivity. In reality, culture is the invisible operating system of your organization. It determines whether your people share knowledge or hoard it, whether they problem-solve under pressure or crumble, and whether they innovate or play it safe.

The Consequence

Ignoring culture doesn’t protect operations—it undermines them. 

McLean & Company’s HR Trends 2025 Report found that organizations underinvesting in leadership and culture see decreased performance across cost optimization, revenue growth, and adaptability (McLean & Company, 2025).

McKinsey’s manufacturing workforce study shows productivity gaps between high and low performers can widen up to 800% in complex roles (McKinsey, Investing in the Manufacturing Workforce to Accelerate Productivity, 2025). These gaps aren’t only about technical skills, they’re driven by whether your culture enables mentoring, collaboration, and psychological safety.

Meanwhile, HR Monitor 2025 revealed that only 12% of US organizations conduct strategic workforce planning with a three-year horizon, leaving most caught in reactive cycles that prioritize short-term staffing over long-term resilience (McKinsey, HR Monitor 2025). When operations dominate the agenda, organizations are perpetually reactive, and vulnerable.

The Reframe

Instead of saying, “We’re too busy with operations,” try reframing it as: “Because we’re busy, I’ll prioritize culture to ensure resilience when things get tough.”

This shift isn’t about adding more to an already full plate, it’s about integrating culture into the work you already do. Small, intentional, consistent steps in the direction of culture change will produce long-term impacts more effectively than a one day training ever could.

A Practical Step

Take one existing operational meeting this week and add a five-minute culture check-in. Ask: “What’s helping us work well under pressure, and what’s making it harder?” That small intervention can surface immediate improvements and demonstrate that culture is not optional, it is foundational. Want three more questions to kickstart a focus on culture, try asking yourself these questions:

1. Where am I holding on to an excuse because it feels safer than facing change in myself?

2. Which hidden costs am I ignoring by postponing culture work? (Our Culture Cost Calculator can help with this.)

3. How would my team’s experience of me shift if I modeled the culture I expect from them?

The truth is, if we are too busy to work on culture, then it simply isn’t a priority, and the long term will tell the story of decline. We can do better, indeed we must do better.