Circumplex Culture Scan (CCS)
Culture has many layers—values, beliefs, assumptions, artifacts. But the most observable, measurable, and changeable aspect of culture is interpersonal behavioural norms: how people actually interact and communicate with each other.
WHAT IS THE CIRCUMPLEX CULTURE SCAN (CCS)
Measuring the Behavioral Reality of Your Culture
The behavioral norms in your team or organisation are the true manifestation of your culture.
They reveal what’s really valued, what’s really tolerated, and what actually drives behaviour, regardless of what’s written on your walls or in your values statements.
The Circumplex Culture Scan (CCS) is a scientifically validated tool that measures organisational behavioural norms across 8 distinct culture styles: Courageous & Confident; Timid & Hesitant; Engaged & Open; Evasive & Guarded; Respectful & Modest; Rude & Combative; Competitive & Pushy and Yielding & Cautious.
The CCS doesn’t just tell you how people feel about your culture (like engagement surveys do). It tells you how people actually behave—and how that compares to the culture you need.
We measure both:
- Current Culture: How people actually behave today.
- Ideal Culture: How people need to behave to support your strategy and values.
The gap between current and ideal becomes your culture change roadmap.
THE 8 ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE STYLES
Courageous & Confident
Members act boldly, decisively, and fearlessly. They’re comfortable being assertive and taking charge.
Engaged & Open
Members welcome opportunities to interact and communicate. They’re involved and eager to share perspectives.
Respectful & Modest
Members support and care for each other. They’re mindful not to behave in ways others might consider boastful or annoying.
Yielding & Cautious
Members are very conflict-avoidant. They’re careful not to say or do anything that might provoke controversy or negative attention.
Timid & Hesitant
Evasive & Guarded
Members tend to ignore or avoid each other. They may avoid contributing because they doubt their contributions would be positively received.
Rude & Combative
Members forcefully struggle among themselves for power and dominance. They sometimes undercut, belittle, and bully each other.
Competitive & Pushy
Members compete with each other for attention and prestige. They strive for opportunities to distinguish themselves and advance their careers.
Signs your organisation might benefit from the Circumplex Culture Scan(CCS)?
| You're launching culture transformation | Before you can change culture, you need to know exactly what you're changing from and to. The Circumplex Culture Scan CCS provides your baseline and target. |
| Your strategy requires different behaviors | Your strategy has shifted (innovation focus, customer-centricity, digital transformation) but you don't know if your culture supports it. |
| You suspect culture is blocking performance | Teams aren't collaborating. Innovation is stifled. Change isn't sticking. You suspect culture is the problem but need data to prove it. |
| You need to measure culture change progress | You've been working on culture and need to know if it's actually changing—not just whether people are happier, but whether behaviour is shifting. |
| Post-merger culture integration | You need to understand the behavioural norms of both organisations so you can intentionally design the integrated culture. |
| You're addressing specific culture issues | Toxic behaviour, psychological safety concerns, compliance risks—you need to measure the behavioural patterns creating these issues. |
| Leadership needs objective culture data | Anecdotes and opinions aren't enough. You need quantified, benchmarked data on your culture to make informed decisions. |
| You want to prevent culture drift | You've built a strong culture and want to track it over time to catch drift before it becomes a problem. |
How It Works
The Circumplex Culture Scan (CCS) Process
1. Define the Scope and Objectives
We work with you to determine:
- What you’re measuring and why.
- Are we assessing the entire organisation or specific divisions or departments.
- What decisions will this data inform.
THE CHALLENGE
Before you can change your culture, you need to know which behaviours to target
WHAT YOU'LL MASTER
- Map reality vs values with the Circumplex Culture Scan (CCS).
- Identify unspoken behavioural norms.
- Surface behaviours blocking the desired culture.
- Understand why cultural inertia persists.
- Build a data-driven culture shift strategy.
2. Customise the Survey
- We configure the CCS for your context:
- Define the organisational units to measure (whole company, divisions, departments, teams)
- Determine ideal culture based on your strategy and values
- Set up comparison groups if needed (e.g., comparing departments or pre/post intervention)
THE CHALLENGE
Before you can change your culture, you need to know which behaviours to target
WHAT YOU'LL MASTER
- Map reality vs values with the Circumplex Culture Scan (CCS).
- Identify unspoken behavioural norms.
- Surface behaviours blocking the desired culture.
- Understand why cultural inertia persists.
- Build a data-driven culture shift strategy.
3. Deploy the Survey
We have two deployment options:
Option A: Real-Time Workshop Collection
- Participants complete the survey during a Culture Workshop using smartphones, tablets, or laptops
- Takes 20 minutes to complete both current and ideal culture surveys
- Results are available immediately for real-time debriefing and action planning
- Creates immediate engagement and ownership
Option B: Online Collection
- Email notifications sent to individual respondents
- Participants complete within survey timeframe (typically 2-3 weeks)
- Allows for broader participation across locations and schedules
- Results compiled after collection period closes
The Survey:
- 64 items measuring behavioral norms
- Assesses 8 culture styles across a circumplex model
- Measures 12 culture outcomes (e.g., quality, adaptability, goal achievement)
- Takes 10 minutes to complete each survey (there is a current and an ideal culture surveys)
- Benchmarked against Australian organisational norms
THE CHALLENGE
Before you can change your culture, you need to know which behaviours to target
WHAT YOU'LL MASTER
- Map reality vs values with the Circumplex Culture Scan (CCS).
- Identify unspoken behavioural norms.
- Surface behaviours blocking the desired culture.
- Understand why cultural inertia persists.
- Build a data-driven culture shift strategy.
4. Analyse the Data
- We analyse your results to identify:
- Current Culture Profile: The behavioral norms that define how your organization operates today
- Ideal Culture Profile: The behavioral norms your people believe are needed for success
- Culture Gap Analysis: The specific behavioral shifts required to close the gap
- Culture Outcomes: How your current culture impacts quality, innovation, morale, and performance
- Comparison Analysis: How different departments, divisions, or groups compare
- Benchmark Comparison: How your culture compares to other Australian organizations
THE CHALLENGE
Before you can change your culture, you need to know which behaviours to target
WHAT YOU'LL MASTER
- Map reality vs values with the Circumplex Culture Scan (CCS).
- Identify unspoken behavioural norms.
- Surface behaviours blocking the desired culture.
- Understand why cultural inertia persists.
- Build a data-driven culture shift strategy.
5. Debrief and Action Planning
We present findings and facilitate action planning:
Option A: Real-Time Workshop Debrief
- Immediate display of results during the Culture Workshop
- Facilitated discussion of what the data means
- Real-time action planning based on findings
- High engagement and immediate momentum
Option B: Cascade Communication
- Comprehensive debrief presentation to leadership team
- Detailed culture feedback reports (organisation, division, department level)
- Facilitated action planning sessions
- Communication cascade to broader organization
THE CHALLENGE
Before you can change your culture, you need to know which behaviours to target
WHAT YOU'LL MASTER
- Map reality vs values with the Circumplex Culture Scan (CCS).
- Identify unspoken behavioural norms.
- Surface behaviours blocking the desired culture.
- Understand why cultural inertia persists.
- Build a data-driven culture shift strategy.
6. Create Culture Change Roadmap
- Based on the gap analysis, we help you:
- Prioritise which behavioural shifts will have the most impact
- Identify root causes of current behavioural norms (systems, leadership, consequences)
- Design interventions to shift behaviour (not just awareness campaigns)
- Define success metrics and measurement approach
- Create timeline and accountability structure
THE CHALLENGE
Before you can change your culture, you need to know which behaviours to target
WHAT YOU'LL MASTER
- Map reality vs values with the Circumplex Culture Scan (CCS).
- Identify unspoken behavioural norms.
- Surface behaviours blocking the desired culture.
- Understand why cultural inertia persists.
- Build a data-driven culture shift strategy.
What's Included
Comprehensive Culture Data
Quantified assessment of your organisational behavioral norms across 8 culture styles and 12 culture outcomes.
Current Culture Profile
Visual circumplex map showing how people actually behave in your organisation today.
Ideal Culture Profile
Visual circumplex map showing the behavioural norms needed to support your strategy and values.
Culture Gap Analysis
Detailed analysis of the specific behavioural shifts required, ranked by priority and impact.
Culture Outcomes Assessment
Data on how your current culture impacts quality, productivity, adaptability, innovation, morale, and goal achievement.
Comparison Analysis
If measuring multiple groups: comparison of culture profiles across departments, divisions, or organisational units.
Benchmark Data
Comparison of your culture against Australian organisational norms.
Culture Feedback Reports
Professional reports at organisation, division, and department levels.
Debrief and Interpretation
Facilitated session where we explain what the data means and what it implies for your organisation.
Action Planning Session
Facilitated session to translate insights into specific culture change initiatives.
Culture Change Roadmap
Prioritised plan for shifting behavioural norms, with specific interventions and success metrics.
What Makes the Circumplex Culture Scan(CCS) Different
| Behavioural Focus, Not Sentiment | The CCS measures how people actually behave, not how they feel. This makes it actionable, you can actually change behaviour. |
| Current AND Ideal Culture | Most tools only measure current state. The CCS measures both current and ideal, giving you a clear change target. |
| Scientifically Validated | The circumplex model is based on decades of organisational psychology research and validated against Australian organisations. |
| Benchmarked | Your results are compared against Australian organisational norms, giving you context for interpretation. |
| Fast and Engaging | 10 minutes to complete each survey. Can be done real-time in workshops for immediate engagement and action planning. |
| Visual and Intuitive | The circumplex visual makes complex culture data easy to understand and discuss. |
| Outcome-Linked | The CCS measures 12 culture outcomes, showing how behavioural norms impact performance, quality, innovation, and morale. |
| Actionable | The gap analysis directly translates into culture change priorities. You know exactly what behaviours need to shift. |
How This Integrates with Our Programs
The Culture Shift Sprint
We use the CCS at the start to establish baseline and target, then again at the end to measure progress.
Custom Culture Programs
The CCS data informs program design. We address the specific behavioural gaps revealed in your audit.
Ongoing Culture Partnerships
We conduct CCS assessments annually to track culture evolution over time.
Post-Merger Integration
We assess both organisations’ cultures pre-merger, then track integration progress post-merger.
A Standalone Snapshot
If you just need culture data to inform your own initiatives, we can conduct the CCS and provide comprehensive reporting and interpretation without ongoing engagement.
