Room Notes: The Culture Room newsletter
October 2026
Kia ora Good People, Welcome to the first Room Notes: a short, regular note on building effective culture, from The Culture Room. It’s a quick read, with ideas, links and resources to dip into whenever you have a spare few minutes.
The idea: The Culture Room Framework
I’ve been working on a new framework, and it’s now live on the website. The idea is simple: culture is built room by room, starting with you. Culture is the people: how we think, behave and perform, on our own and together. The framework works across four rooms: Reflection, Connection, Belonging and Community. The process is an inside out journey focused on - Myself, My Colleagues, My Team and My People. Underneath the rooms sits six foundations that shape any culture: Purpose and vision, beliefs and values, safety and belonging, storytelling, rituals and habits, standards. To read more click here: The Culture Room Framework
The listen: Culture 360, Ep 11. Belonging by Design (Part Two)
How does a school build belonging on purpose, rather than hope it happens by accident? Duncan Morrison (UK Assistant Head Teacher) and James Nelson (NZ Consultant and Therapist) join me to talk about putting it into practice. The lessons reach well beyond the school gate, to any team, organisation or workplace that wants people to feel they belong. For more, click here: Belonging by Design
The read: The Chimp Paradox
In The Chimp Paradox, Dr Steve Peters, his mind management system, explains the emotional part of our brains as the “Chimp”, the rational part as the “Human” and our memory as the 'Computer". It’s a useful lens for self-management, leadership and how a culture plays out. I look at what it means for the self, colleagues, workplaces and teams in this 360-blog post. For more, click here: The Chimp Paradox
The question: Ask your team this question
Every student asks three silent questions at the school gate, and so does every person at work: Am I safe here? Am I known here? Do I matter here? Ask your team which of those they could answer “yes” to today. (Taken from Culture 360, Ep 11 (Part One): The School Wasn’t Built for Me.)
The thought...
What makes you feel a sense of belonging in any group or team?
The action
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