When Culture Becomes a Punchline: Protecting Your ISP’s Values Through Growth

When you're in the early days of building an ISP, culture isn’t always top of mind. You’re focused on solving a connectivity gap, expanding your network, and putting out the daily fires of operations. But what happens when the values that once guided your team quietly erode into wall art—still visible, but no longer meaningful?

That’s not a hypothetical. It’s a reality many ISPs face as they scale—and one we unpacked recently on Bandwidth, Sonar Software’s podcast for internet service providers building sustainable, people-first businesses.

Start with Values—But Don’t Stop There

As Rick, Larry, and I discussed on the episode, defining your mission and values early is critical. Whether you’re serving ten subscribers or ten thousand, everyone on your team needs to know what they’re rowing toward. One of our customers even posts their core values in the bathroom—because everyone sees them there. It’s smart placement, not decoration.

But here’s the catch: values aren’t about what looks good on a poster or sounds catchy in an acronym. If your team sees leadership failing to model those values, it doesn’t matter how polished your list is. Your core principles can quickly become internal punchlines—and that’s when culture starts to crumble.

Culture Is Built From Both Ends

There’s a temptation to see company culture as a top-down initiative—something set by leadership and absorbed by frontline staff. But culture is a system. It’s shaped by every interaction, from the C-suite to customer support.

We like to use “The Boys in the Boat” as a leadership metaphor at Sonar. Your team can’t move forward if one person is rowing with all their might while another naps in the back. Even if you’re slow, rowing together beats going in circles.

That means leaders must lead by example—but they also need to listen. Culture isn’t built in a vacuum. It’s co-created. Employees should have a voice in how they’re recognized, supported, and celebrated. Maybe that’s through annual surveys or a rotating council that brings staff insights to the leadership table. Whatever the method, the key is consistency and humility.

Growth Without Culture is a Risk

As someone who’s seen both sides—building a company and helping others do the same—I can tell you: culture crises don’t announce themselves. They creep in quietly. One day, you're focused on infrastructure and expansion. The next, you’re watching engagement dip and turnover rise.

We’ve lived through that chapter. And the recovery didn’t come from a new poster or all-hands meeting. It came from ownership, transparency, and a willingness to rebuild—one conversation at a time.

It also meant making difficult calls. Sometimes that includes recognizing when a top performer—your “best tech,” your most efficient CSR—is undermining morale. Technical excellence is not a free pass for toxic behavior. Left unchecked, one bad fit can drain an entire team. Address it early, directly, and with fairness—but don’t let it linger.

Culture Is a Daily Practice

Your culture is only as strong as your commitment to it. It’s not a one-time document or an onboarding module. It’s what you model, celebrate, and reinforce every single day.

So ask yourself: Are you building a company you’d want to work for? Are your values clear, lived, and understood? Are you willing to adjust them as your team grows and your business evolves?

At Sonar, we believe that aligning your operations with your values isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s essential for long-term success. The ISPs that thrive aren’t just solving connectivity gaps. They’re building resilient, values-led teams that connect and empower their communities.

Let’s build those kinds of companies—together.

Missed the Episode?

Catch the full conversation on Bandwidth, Sonar Software’s podcast for leaders shaping the future of connectivity.

Want to strengthen your ISP’s culture as you scale?

Learn how Sonar brings clarity and structure to your operations—so your team can stay aligned, focused, and motivated. Explore Sonar

Listen to the Full Episode

Catch my full conversation on the Bandwidth podcast. Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the Bandwidth YouTube Channel.