Culture 200: Name the Always/Never

Imperative Explained

Name the Always/Never means defining the non-negotiable behaviors that uphold culture and execution quality. Instead of burying expectations in implication, leaders say them out loud. They clarify what the team always does and what it never does—simple, durable edges that shape daily work.
This approach strengthens consistency. When expectations are explicit, teams rely less on interpretation and more on shared truth. That reduces friction, accelerates adoption, and creates a stable operating environment.

Five Behaviors

• State the non-negotiables — Make standards explicit.
  
  
• Define the boundaries — Clarify what’s out of bounds.
  
  
• Give examples — Show how standards appear in practice.
  
  
• Repeat often — Keep expectations fresh.
  
  
• Hold the line — Protect the standards you set.
  
  

If You Don’t

Ambiguity grows. Teams guess at expectations and drift into misalignment. Change rollouts become inconsistent, adoption slows, and resistance increases because people don’t understand the boundaries.

If You Do

Rollouts become smoother and more predictable. Adoption stabilizes. KPIs improve: friction drops, cycle times shorten, and consistency strengthens as people internalize the standards.

Mini-Case

A leader noticed her team executing the same process three different ways. She named a set of Always/Never expectations that clarified what was acceptable. Within a week, variation dropped, resistance softened, and the rollout stabilized.

Try It This Week

1. Identify one Always and one Never.
   
   
2. Explain why each matters.
   
   
3. Share examples in context.
   
   
4. Reinforce the pair daily for one week.
   
   
5. Hold the line when tested.
   
   

Learn More

Explore Integrity 300: Say It Plain for sharper communication, Alignment 200: Reward the Reach to reinforce behavior cues, and Strategy 200: Look to Subtract for removing habits that weaken standards.