Workplace norms

Welcome, everyone. Today, we'll explore the crucial topic of workplace norms, shared expectations and unwritten rules that shape how we behave, interact, and perform in professional environments. Norms include how we communicate, dress, collaborate, and our attitudes about punctuality and inclusion. These standards, whether stated or assumed guide our daily interactions. Informal rules and lived experience often define a company's true culture and help us build trust and create effective, inclusive teams. Let's examine how workplace norms are established. While HR handbooks and policies set the baseline, much of what guides daily behavior is learned through observation and participation. New employees quickly notice if casual conversation before meetings is welcome or if punctuality is strictly observed. Leaders play a key role as employees watch not only what managers say, but also what they do. Positive norms support collaboration and well being, while negative or unspoken norms can undermine morale. Recognizing and discussing norms allows organizations to shape a culture where both people and businesses thrive. Workplace norms are never one size fits all. They are shaped by cultural, sectoral, and national differences. Actions routine in one culture may be unusual or frowned upon in another. Approaches to hierarchy, communication style, or flexible working differ dramatically between, for example, the US and UK, or