Demystifying Company Culture and Getting Real About Better Workplaces Episode #5

In this series of episodes on Our Agile Tales, we’re getting radically honest about company culture with Lizzie Benton—culture coach, founder of Liberty Mind, and one of the most refreshingly candid voices in the world of modern work.

Let’s face it: “culture” has become a buzzword. It’s often pitched as a magic bullet for success, but most organizations still struggle to define it—let alone get it right. In this series, Lizzie helps us move beyond the platitudes. She unpacks what culture actually is, why so many transformations fall flat, and what it really takes to build a workplace where both people and business can thrive.

We’ll explore the tools and mindsets that matter, and dig into the uncomfortable truths that often get overlooked.

In this episode:

In this episode of Our Agile Tales, we continue our conversation with Lizzie Benton, where she provides deep insights into the challenges and successes of self-management models, decentralizing decision-making, and rethinking roles and responsibilities within organizations. We explore practical frameworks like advice-based decision making, and discuss how even non-executive employees can catalyze cultural changes. Lizzie shares her expertise on the importance of starting small, experimenting with new practices, and the pivotal role of leadership in cultivating trust and vulnerability. In this episode we discuss diagnostic tools for assessing company culture, the significance of cultural fit in hiring, and how to integrate employee wellbeing into organizational practices. The conversation delves into common obstacles faced during culture change and the role of leadership in fostering an inclusive and vibrant workplace.

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:11 Assessment Tools for Culture Change
• 04:51 Spreading Successful Experiments
• 06:52 Overcoming Obstacles in Culture Change
• 09:54 The Role of Leaders in Shaping Culture
• 16:00 Measuring Company Culture
• 18:39 Hiring for Cultural Fit
• 20:55 Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
• 25:36 Impact of Culture on Wellbeing
• 29:03 Conclusion

About Lizzie Benton:

Lizzie is a culture coach and the founder of Liberty Mind. She helps companies evolve beyond bureaucratic structures toward more human-centered, purpose-driven workplaces. She’s worked across industries—from tech to charities to construction—always with a focus on unlocking human potential and helping teams co-create meaningful change.

Her approach blends depth and practicality, rooted in progressive practices like self-management, Liberating Structures, and Teal principles. Lizzie is a certified Holacracy Practitioner, Semco Style Expert, and TuffLeadership coach. She’s been named one of the top 30 millennials changing the world of work and has been featured in Forbes, The Metro, and The Financial Times.

Visit us at https://www.ouragiletales.com/about