How Great Work Systems Teach People What Really Matters
Most people do not learn what matters at work from values statements, strategy decks or all hands meetings. They learn it from the systems they interact with every day. The way work is organised, rewarded and responded to teaches people far more powerfully than anything written down.
Work systems are always teaching. The question is whether they are teaching the lessons you intend.
How people really learn what matters at work
In practice, people learn through experience. They pay close attention to patterns.
- They notice what gets rewarded.
- They notice what gets ignored.
- They notice what creates friction.
- They notice what makes their job easier or harder.
Over time, these signals become instructions. People adapt their behaviour to succeed within the system they are in. This is not resistance or cynicism. It is a rational response to the environment.
What counts as a work system
When people hear the word “system”, they often think of software or formal processes. In reality, systems are everywhere.
Work systems include:
- Processes and workflows
- HR policies and tools
- Meeting structures
- Feedback and recognition rhythms
- Promotion and progression criteria
- Communication channels
- Decision making norms
Each of these sends a message about priorities, expectations and success.
What systems often teach, unintentionally
Many systems teach lessons leaders never meant to teach.
Time and urgency
If everything is urgent and meetings fill every gap, the system teaches speed over quality and reaction over reflection.
Visibility and recognition
If only loud, visible work is recognised, the system teaches performance and busyness rather than judgement and impact.
Feedback patterns
If feedback only arrives when something goes wrong, the system teaches caution, fear and risk avoidance.
Decision making
If decisions are always escalated, the system teaches dependency instead of ownership.
Wellbeing
If boundaries are regularly ignored or praised when broken, the system teaches overwork, regardless of wellbeing statements.
These lessons are absorbed quietly and consistently.
Why values fail when systems contradict them
This is where many organisations feel stuck. Values say one thing, but behaviour suggests another.
The problem is not that people do not care about values. The problem is that systems reward different behaviour. When values and systems conflict, systems win.
- If collaboration is a value but incentives reward individual heroics, people will compete.
- If trust is a value but approvals are tight, people will wait.
- If wellbeing is a value but availability is unlimited, people will burn out.
People follow the path that helps them succeed.
The hidden curriculum of your organisation
Every workplace has a hidden curriculum. It is not written down, but everyone learns it quickly.
It teaches:
- What behaviour leads to success
- What behaviour gets noticed
- What behaviour is safest
- What behaviour causes problems
New starters often learn this curriculum faster than leaders realise. It is passed on through observation, not instruction.
How leaders can redesign systems to teach the right lessons
If behaviour is shaped by systems, then changing behaviour starts with redesign.
Step one: observe behaviour, not compliance
Look at what people actually do to get results, not what the policy says.
Step two: identify the lesson the system is teaching
Ask what behaviour is being reinforced by current processes and rhythms.
Step three: adjust the system, not the person
Instead of telling people to change, change the structure around them.
Step four: make the right behaviour easier than the wrong one
Reduce friction for good judgement. Increase friction for behaviour you want less of.
Small changes in systems can lead to large changes in behaviour.
The role of HR systems in teaching priorities
HR systems are some of the most influential teachers in any organisation.
They shape:
- What new starters learn on day one during onboarding
- What behaviour is recognised
- How feedback is delivered
- What standards are reinforced
- How decisions are guided
- How much clarity people have
When HR systems are clear, consistent and values led, they quietly teach people what really matters.
Examples of systems teaching the right lessons
- A team rewards thoughtful decision making, not just fast delivery, teaching quality and judgement.
- A charity builds wellbeing check ins into busy periods, teaching care and sustainability.
- A small business sets clear decision boundaries, teaching ownership and trust.
In each case, the system does the teaching, not a speech.
Conclusion
People do not behave based on what leaders say matters. They behave based on what systems teach them matters. If leaders want behaviour to change, systems must change first.
When work systems consistently reinforce the right lessons, culture improves naturally. Expectations become clear. Trust grows. And values stop being aspirations and start becoming lived experience.
If you want different behaviour, start by redesigning what your systems are teaching every day.