Fall Cleanup: It’s Time To Declutter Toxicity & Uncover Culture Gaps
Quick quiz: What do toxic coworkers, unclear values, and zombie leaders have in common?
They’re all cluttering up your culture.
And just like your garage full of summer sports gear, your workplace culture probably needs a good Fall cleanup before Q4. According to the 2025 National Workplace Trends Study, 29% of workers wouldn’t even recommend their current employer. That’s nearly 1 in 3 employees walking around thinking, "I wouldn't wish this place on my worst enemy."
Here are 3 culture "cobwebs" you should clear out this season:
1. The Mission is Invisible
Half of employees say their company does not live out its mission. The other half doesn’t even know what your mission is. If your employees can’t articulate your mission, they’re not going to align their daily work with it.
Fall Fix: Launch a "Purpose Refresh Week". Each team member ties one company value to a customer win or team success story.
Bonus: Turn it into a leaderboard challenge.
2. Recognition is Void
42% of employees say recognition is a top driver of retention. Yet many leaders operate like praise is a limited resource.
Fall Fix: Replace stale "employee of the month" programs with weekly micro-recognition moments. Call out a win in every team meeting.
Bonus: Create a Slack channel called #ThanksToYou.
3. Lack of Feedback
Only
36% of workers say they get honest and helpful feedback. Without it, they’re guessing at their performance and silently disengaging.
Fall Fix: Block off a Feedback Friday. Host short coaching huddles with each direct report.
Bonus: Ask, "What’s one thing I can do better as your leader?"
Your Fall Culture Cleanup Checklist:
- Audit how your core values are being lived (or ignored)
- Survey your team on what feels off or outdated
- Host a fall-themed Culture & Coffee session: no slides, just conversations
- Reinforce your top 3 leadership behaviors (yes, every week)
Your Challenge This Week:
Pick one culture cobweb from above. Clear it. Replace it with something intentional.
When you treat your culture like a strategic asset, you don’t just clean house. You clear a path to retention, engagement, and results.
Need a culture audit that goes deeper than your HR survey? Visit https://destinationworkplace.com.
Or to book Betsy to speak at your next conference:
https://betsyallenmanning.com
About Betsy: Featured on FOX, CBS, NBC, and ABC, Betsy Allen-Manning is a leadership keynote speaker, workplace culture expert, and best-selling author who helps executives and HR leaders strengthen employee engagement, improve retention, and prepare for the future of work. Betsy’s thought leadership and original research in the National Workplace Trends Study and the Destination Workplace™ framework equips organizations with data-driven strategies to build cultures where people apply, engage, contribute, and stay. She is also the founder of an award-winning company known for providing top leadership training in Dallas, and is recognized for advancing leadership excellence and driving workplace culture transformations worldwide.
