We often treat culture like something soft—good to have, hard to define. But the truth is: culture is measurable, improvable, and directly tied to performance. You can’t manage what you can’t measure, which is exactly why we built an evidence-based model leaders can use to see what’s really happening on their teams and act with confidence.
Every part of your culture is connected. Strengthen one area and the others rise with it. That’s the power of a performance system rooted in the 5Cs.
The 5Cs in brief
Connection
The level of trust, care, and wellbeing people feel with each other. Our research shows Connection is the most predictive individual element of job satisfaction—and it strengthens every other part of the model.
Candid Communication
Truth told with care. Open, straightforward dialogue that builds psychological safety and accelerates execution. It’s the strongest predictor of performance.
Clarity
Clear roles, goals, and ways of working so people know what matters and how to deliver it together.
Collaboration
Mutual support, fair accountability, and a shared drive for excellence—so the team lifts together.
Contribution
Work aligned to purpose and values, where impact is visible and people feel their effort truly matters.
Taken together, the 5Cs explain roughly half of what drives job satisfaction and nearly 80% of satisfaction with organizational culture—proof that culture isn’t an intangible, it’s a performance system you can build.
Why the 5Cs matter now
Engagement alone isn’t enough. It tells you an outcome, not the root causes. The 5Cs identify the drivers that actually move engagement, performance, and retention—so leaders can act on what matters most.
A practical first step: Get a 5Cs snapshot
The fastest way to turn insight into action is to measure your team against the 5Cs, then focus where it will have the greatest impact. The Principles 5Cs Assessment is scientifically backed and psychometrically validated, providing reliable, actionable insights for teams and organizations of any size.
Not ready to start with a measurement? Begin from the inside out: build Connection first, then practice Candid Communication. But if you want momentum quickly and a clear map for change, measure what matters and use your results to target next steps. The model is both mirror and map—showing you where you are, what to prioritize, and how to move forward.