“You Can Pretend to Care, But You Can’t Pretend to Show Up” – Tommie Jo Brode on Culture & HR

In this episode of the BPM360 Podcast, Caspar and Russell “cover another angle” of process entirely: the human one. While Russell checks in from Frankfurt between company meetups and Business Flows releases, the conversation quickly shifts from process content to a much deeper question: how does it actually feel to work inside an organization?

Their guest, Tommi Jo Brode – attorney, workplace culture expert, and consultant at Venice Solutions Group – brings a people-first lens to what many leaders still treat as “soft stuff.” She explains why most culture problems aren’t about salary or perks, but about respect, fairness, time with family, and whether people feel seen, heard, and included. “Little things” like how you react when someone asks for time off, or who gets invited to lunch, often sit behind big issues like turnover, complaints, and disengagement.

Together they unpack the gap between policy and practice, why people usually leave managers rather than companies, how HR can shift from “the department you fear” to a genuine people partner, and why leadership needs more unfiltered input from the front line. From “undercover boss” moments to practical habits for remote check-ins, Tommie shows that good culture is less about posters on the wall and more about showing up consistently as a human being.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Most culture problems aren’t about money.

Turnover, complaints, and disengagement are usually rooted in respect, workload, fairness, and inclusion – not in base pay alone

2. Policy is what’s written; culture is what actually happens.

A company may “allow” flexible time or easy time-off in policy, but if managers roll their eyes, guilt-trip, or quietly punish people for using it, the real rule is very different.

3. Employees experience the company through their manager.

For most people, “the company” is their direct supervisor. If the manager is supportive and fair, the company feels good. If not, no amount of glossy mission statements will fix it.

4. HR should enable, not intimidate.

HR can be a powerful ally by training managers in real conversations, listening skills, and prevention – instead of only appearing when something has gone wrong.

5. You build trust by showing up, consistently.

Walking the floor, joining a night shift once, or scheduling regular 1:1 check-ins in remote teams sends a clear message: I see you, I’m interested, and how you’re doing matters — and that’s the foundation of sustainable performance and process excellence.

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