Measuring what matters in Culture Analytics
Culture is often talked about as something intangible. Felt rather than measured. Understood instinctively but rarely examined closely. Culture Analytics by Hani Nabeel challenges that assumption.
From the outset, the book makes a clear case that culture leaves traces. In behaviour. In language. In patterns of decision-making and interaction. The question is not whether culture can be analysed, but whether we are paying attention to the right signals.
Reading it, I was reminded of how often culture is discussed only when something goes wrong. Nabeel offers an alternative, encouraging leaders to look earlier and more carefully at the data that already exists inside their organisations.
What works particularly well is the balance between rigour and realism. This is not a call to reduce people to metrics, but to use evidence thoughtfully to inform understanding. Numbers here are a starting point for curiosity, not a replacement for judgement.
The book invites a shift in mindset. Culture is not a mystery to be decoded after the fact, but a living system that can be observed and influenced deliberately. That perspective feels especially relevant for organisations trying to move beyond values statements and towards meaningful change.
Culture Analytics is a useful read for leaders who want to take culture seriously, without stripping it of its human complexity.
