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• Survey your team on what feels off or outdated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 high-energy leadership keynote speaker and workplace culture strategist who equips organizations across corporate, franchise, association, non-profit, and government sectors to develop high-achievers, high-impact leaders and high-purpose cultures. Through her national workplace research and DNA Activation Framework, she delivers data-backed, high-interaction keynote presentations and workshops that strengthen performance, leadership, and retention. Betsy is also the founder of Destination Workplace™, an award-winning leadership training company in Dallas, trusted by some of the world's most elite brands nationwide.