Hi Reader,

​​One day, while sifting through our company emails, I noticed a pattern — there was an endless amount of faffing going on.

You know the kind: One person would float an idea, someone else would chime in with an enthusiastic "Oh, good idea!" A third would add their thoughts, and the thread would grow longer.

But beneath all this apparent engagement, nobody was actually committing to anything. Ideas hung in the air, and no one was moving things forward.

What struck me wasn't just the waste of time, but the sheer volume of energy being consumed by this elaborate dance of non-commitment. Each response took time to craft, time to read, time to process — all leading nowhere.

Rather than tackle this through meetings or training sessions, I decided to experiment with a simpler solution. We implemented a single, mandatory line at the bottom of communication — “Action Needed” followed by a specific person’s name.

This tiny tweak produced extraordinary results. Almost overnight, the meandering discussions and noncommittal responses evaporated.

When every message required explicit clarity about who needed to do what, people began thinking differently about why they were sending emails in the first place. We eliminated nearly 85% of our inefficient email exchanges without a single meeting, memo, or committee.

And most importantly, it empowered everyone in the organization: Anyone, regardless of their position, could assign an action to anyone else. This simple line helped turn every team member into a catalyst for progress.

How to Change Culture Without Anybody Noticing

There are two fundamental approaches to changing culture.

The first is through direct intervention – the traditional toolbox of leadership that includes hiring and firing decisions, implementing KPIs, conducting coaching sessions, and holding one-on-one meetings.

It's the equivalent of standing in front of your organization and declaring, "This is how things need to be now." While these methods have their place, they often trigger an instinctive resistance. As the old saying goes, "Force always meets resistance."

The second approach is the structural method. It is far more subtle and far more powerful. It's about shaping the environment that shapes behavior.

Think of it as organizational architecture: the rhythm of your meetings, the layout of your spaces, the principles on your walls, even the messages in your bathroom stalls. These seemingly minor elements create the invisible infrastructure of culture.

When we implemented the “Action Needed” line at the bottom of our emails, we weren't directly telling anyone to be more accountable or efficient. Instead, we modified the structure of communication itself. The change was frictionless because it didn't feel like change at all – it was just a new feature of the environment.

Big Love,

Joe

P.S. I'm hosting a public Rapid Coaching and Q&A session this Tuesday. Join us by reserving your seat below.