Steve Simpson

Steve Simpson helps organisations worldwide unlock performance by transforming workplace cultures through his UGRs methodology.

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I must say I was thinking of skipping your session, because I have not always had good experiences with this type of talk – they are often not relevant, although admittedly usually entertaining. I must say that your talk was both relevant and entertaining, and I found your modest style quite refreshing. As an ex behavioural scientist I found the kind of live ethology you are doing very interesting – but on a scientific level it does of course raise lots of questions! I certainly found it very interesting and well presented, and think that applied to all the others present. I would certainly highly recommend you as a speaker, and hope to hear/meet you again. Once again thanks for the stimulating talk.

Rob Cook

BA,PhD, Manager Information Technology, East Gippsland Shire Council

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Why book Steve Simpson for your next event

Discover how Steve’s UGRs framework transforms hidden workplace habits into powerful cultural strengths.
Gain practical insights from an expert trusted by global brands like McLaren, SAP, and Toyota.
Inspire your team with a speaker who blends research, experience, and humour to drive real results.

Non-binding request for Steve Simpson

Creator of UGRs and award-winning culture expert helping teams thrive globally.

Steve Simpson is an international authority on workplace culture and performance. As the creator of the UGRs (unwritten ground rules) concept, he has spent more than three decades helping organisations across the globe uncover the hidden forces shaping their success. His unique approach has guided renowned companies including McLaren Automotive, SAP, and Toyota Australia. With a Masters from the University of Alberta and numerous accolades from Professional Speakers Australia, Steve brings both academic depth and practical expertise to every keynote. His sessions challenge thinking, inspire action, and drive meaningful cultural change.

Transforming Workplace Culture

Steve Simpson is widely recognised for his pioneering work in transforming workplace cultures to boost productivity and engagement. For over 30 years, he has partnered with organisations worldwide, helping leaders uncover and reshape the unwritten ground rules that define how people really behave at work. These “UGRs” often determine whether strategies succeed or fail and Steve’s insights enable leaders to consciously shift those ground rules to align with organisational goals.

Through his engaging keynotes and workshops, Steve reveals the invisible cultural forces that influence performance more than formal policies or strategies ever could. He offers practical tools for identifying and changing these forces, creating workplaces where innovation, accountability, and collaboration thrive.

The Creator of UGRs

The UGRs (unwritten ground rules) concept, developed by Steve Simpson, has become a groundbreaking framework in understanding workplace behaviour. By examining the informal rules that dictate “how things are really done around here,” Steve provides leaders with a clear roadmap for creating positive, high-performing cultures. His model has been adopted by major organisations such as McLaren Automotive and Next in the UK, Kmart in Australia and New Zealand, SAP globally, and Toyota Australia.

Through his consultancy and speaking work, Steve helps leadership teams articulate their desired culture, assess current realities, and build practical strategies to close the gap between the two. His message resonates across industries because it addresses the human side of performance, the beliefs, norms, and assumptions that drive everyday actions.

Trusted by Global Brands

Steve’s expertise has made him a trusted advisor and keynote speaker for leading organisations worldwide. From global corporates to government departments and education providers, his insights consistently deliver measurable improvements in performance and engagement. Whether working with teams in Europe, Australasia, or North America, Steve’s approach is grounded in evidence, experience, and authenticity.

His client list reads like a who’s who of respected brands, McLaren Automotive, Next, Kmart, SAP, and Toyota, all of whom have benefited from his practical frameworks and engaging delivery. His presentations blend humour, clarity, and actionable takeaways that leave audiences inspired to act immediately.

Author, Academic, and Thought Leader

As the author of UGRs: Cracking the Corporate Culture Code and co-author of several other influential works, including A Culture Turned (with Stef du Plessis), Steve has become one of the most respected voices in organisational culture. His books explore how small shifts in thinking and behaviour can trigger profound change in workplaces.

Steve’s academic background complements his professional achievements. He holds a Masters Degree from the University of Alberta and has collaborated with some of the world’s most respected scholars, including Harvard Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, with whom he co-presented on an Australian lecture tour.

Award-Winning Speaker

Professional Speakers Australia has twice recognised Steve Simpson’s outstanding contribution to the speaking profession, honouring him with two Hall of Fame Awards. His sessions are known for their authenticity, clarity, and energy. Audiences consistently describe Steve as engaging, insightful, and refreshingly practical.

Book Steve Simpson for Your Event

If your organisation is ready to take a serious look at the cultural forces driving performance, Steve Simpson is the ideal speaker for your next event. Whether you want to inspire your leadership team, engage employees, or spark cultural transformation, Steve offers the tools, stories, and strategies to make it happen. His deep understanding of workplace dynamics and his proven UGRs framework make him a powerful catalyst for lasting change.

With Steve on stage, audiences walk away with a renewed sense of clarity, motivation, and direction, ready to build cultures where people love to work and performance naturally follows.

Customer Reviews

Rob Cook BA,PhD, Manager Information Technology, East Gippsland Shire Council

I found Steve’s presentation to be highly engaging, informative and useful and look forward to discussing the application of the issues raised in our workplace.

Paul Fendley Manager, Information Management, Pine Rivers Shire Council

Steve is an excellent speaker who presented a fascinating insight into the ground rules in society. The content of the presentation was very useful in understanding the culture in organizations, albeit common sense, sometimes it is important to have a reality check on the thinking and behaviour of organizations and their staff.

David Gaven Business Systems Administrator, Information Systems & Technology, Tweed Shire Council

I had the great pleasure of hearing you address the DataWorks Conference in Queensland last week. Your presentation on UGRs provided a dynamic, thought-provoking start to the three day conference. Your insight into organisational culture is remarkable; the impressive content was matched only by your outstanding delivery.

Paul Thompson Communications Manager, North Shore City Council, New Zealand

Your presentation was brilliant, it captivated not only myself but the entire audience. Even on Friday after a gruelling 3 days at the conference people were still talking about UGRs. Hopefully I’ll be able to attend another of you presentations again in the future.

James Scullen Supervisor, IT Services, Johnstone Shire Council

I attended a seminar recently where one of the presenters, Steve Simpson, delivered a presentation on customer service. Having been an employee of large organisations for many years I have had numerous opportunities to attend customer service presentations and I must admit that I was expecting the ‘same old, same old’. I was surprised to find that Steve brought to this age-old topic a high level of knowledge, understanding and enthusiasm. My attention was kept throughout the whole presentation as I was continually learning. Steve made the presentation interactive allowing the audience to contribute. Steve is very obviously passionate about his topic and I was disappointed when the session closed as I am convinced that I could have expanded my knowledge further had more time been allocated.

Debbie Lancaster Project Manager, National Australia Bank Limited Financial Planning

I speak for myself and my colleagues, who also attended the Institute of Customer Service Conference, when I say that your presentation was indeed one of the best. A cracking presentation: engaging, insightful, inspirational, thought-provoking, FUN and how accurate! Everyone should conduct a UGR “audit” and then work together to encourage and retain the good UGRs.

Carmen Lester Customer Service Manager, CIBA Vision UK

Annual Conference for the Institute of Customer Service Steve Simpson’s contribution to the ICS Conference was first-class: a stimulating, persuasive, convincing and valuably provocative overview of the unwritten ground rules which actually underpin the reality of corporate life.

Dr Ted Johns Chairman, Institute of Customer Service

Rarely has a speaker lived up to his billing, but you certainly did and your easy presentation style made the learning that much better. The Member feedback was very positive and they certainly felt the workshop was one of the best we have had over the past three years. Well done, a very valuable workshop.

Colin Perry and Jay Hale Joint Chairmen, Midlands Leadership Group, UK

While at my conference it was recommended I attend Steve’s seminar because of his dynamic presentation as well as his insight into why business runs the way it does. I must say the time was extremely well spent with a great presentation that provided me a wealth of information that I could use to make my operations better for my company. Thanks Steve. Next stop, your book…..

Nancy Nusser UICI

Your sessions was one of the most interesting I attended. I can honestly say that I used the information as soon as I got back into the office. It was interesting to explore the underlying culture and sentiment amongst some key people on our team, by using UGRs. I definitely recommend this information to anyone who is running a service organization.

Hayyal Ighneim Global Operations Rockwell Automation

Steve, your UGRs presentation is something every organization should have the opportunity to experience and learn from. The material was delivered in an entertaining enlightening way that included audience participation which allowed the attendees to climb aboard the UGR bus. Those UGRs are everywhere, but it’s not until they get the spotlight they deserve will they be addressed. Your presentation has heightened my senses and the detective work is already underway to uncover UGRs and address them. Thanks for an enlightening presentation. I look forward to reading your newsletters.

James Shypitka City of British Columbia

You are such an energetic, enthusiastic and dynamic speaker that I didn’t want your workshop to end. Thank you so much for teaching me the concept of “discretionary service” and how UGRs impact/dictate other people’s behavior. I’m looking forward to reading your book I loved your session!!

Martha Ruiz City of Los Angeles

At this year’s Help Desk Institute Conference, I had the opportunity to attend Steve Simpson’s workshop on “Unwritten Ground Rules.” His presentation was a highlight of the conference. Steve’s sense of humor, credibility, and subject matter gave me pages of notes to use in my own consulting and training. I would recommend Steve to anyone who needs to better understand the complicated, vital, and often-misunderstood world of corporate culture.

Jeff Selby Customer Relations Director Kuni BMW-Cadillac-Saab

Steve was a very engaging and interesting speaker with some real ‘gems’ to share about the unspoken rules that are rife in our workplace cultures

Kate Gillan Chief Executive Officer, Lorne Community Hospital

Steve Simpson is one of those rare presenters who is able to convey a powerful message simply. In an engaging and entertaining presentation, he was able to clearly explain the importance of ‘Unwritten Ground Rules’ as drivers of organisational culture. Quite simply, he hits the nail on the head when he says UGRs are arguably the most important aspect of any workplace culture. People are yearning for positive experiences at work, and Steve provided practical strategies for leaders to help shape those experiences.

Karen Foster Director, o2 Media

How refreshing to have a conference presentation that was not only engaging and entertaining but which provided immediate, tangible actions that can be applied in any organisation including at Board level to address issues of culture and hidden behaviours.

Frank O’Connor Director on a number of NFP Boards

Steve is a breath of fresh air as a presenter. He captivated and engaged the whole group at the recent VHA Governance Conference in Melbourne. His approach to talking about and approaching the unwritten ground rules (UGRs) in organisations was both refreshing and genuine. I would recommend him as a true expert on this very touchy subject

Veronica Jamison Chief Executive Officer at Bass Coast Health

Steve You are a legend. Like a fine wine you are getting better with age though I did not think that was possible. You know I have now heard your UGRs presentation on a number of occasions but I never walk away without feeling more invigorated and determined to make sure I do better within my team and organisation. On behalf of the Queensland Supply Chain and Logistics Conference I just wanted to pass on my personal thanks for being a keynote speaker at the conference and setting the “benchmark” for the rest of the conference. Because of your efforts it was again a highly successful event. The feedback on your presentation has been sensational and people walked away with a much better appreciation on UGRs and the power of harnessing them. A number of my team commented on the power of such a “simple concept”, and are very hopeful of applying some of the learnings from your high quality presentation. Again I would like to say thankyou for helping make the conference so successful and look forward to seeing you next time that you are in town. Warmest regards

Vince Aisthorpe Chairman, Queensland Chain and Logistics Conference

Thank you again and I hope to work with again soon

Viola Jacobs Events and Operations Manager, Local Government Managers Australia (WA)

Keynotes

Keynote by Steve Simpson:

Cracking the Corporate Culture Code

Unwritten ground rules or ‘UGRs’ are people's perceptions of this is the way we do things around here. Examples of UGRs include:

At our meetings it isn't worth complaining as we know nothing will get done
The only time anyone had spoken to by the boss is when something is wrong
We go through the motions with our bosses, once they've gone we do what we want

The incredible thing about UGRs is that they drive people's behaviour yet they are seldom talked about openly.

It's the UGRs in an organisation that constitute its culture.

Created by Steve Simpson, the UGRs concept has been developed to a point where organisations can use UGRs as a powerful tool for culture change.

In this presentation, Steve shares world-first research into UGRs, shows how UGRs drive people’s behaviours, how they are created, and most importantly, what can be done to shift counter-productive UGRs to create a culture in sync with the organisation’s strategic direction

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Keynote by Steve Simpson:

Unwritten, Unspoken, Unmissable: The Role of UGRs in Creating Psychologically Safe Workplaces

Workplace culture isn't defined by what’s written in policies, it’s shaped by the unwritten ground rules (UGRs) that guide everyday behaviour.

These invisible norms can either foster a sense of psychological safety or quietly undermine it. Remarkably, in the legislative and compliance literature on psychosocial safety, culture is largely ignored. It shouldn't be.

In this session, Steve Simpson will unpack the hidden power of UGRs, revealing how they influence trust, communication, and employee well-being.

Through practical insights and real-world examples, attendees will learn how to identify, address, and shift UGRs to build a culture where people feel safe to speak up, contribute, and thrive.

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Keynote by Steve Simpson:

In the Driver's Seat - Leading Culture Change

There is a school of thought that the single most important responsibility of leaders in an organisation is to create the right culture.

This presentation explores the role of leaders in creating and sustaining a great culture. It begins by Steve showing startling results gained from his research across a range of organisations into improvements that would be realised by improving the culture.

After introducing his concept of unwritten ground rules (UGRs) Steve shows how to unearth the prevailing UGRs linked to those aspects of the culture most critical to the organisation’s future success.

Most importantly Steve shares with leaders specific actions they can take to shift the culture (and UGRs) to drive the organisation’s strategic direction.

Steve draws on his practical experiences with clients including McLaren Automotive in the UK, Kmart Australia and NZ, and Toyota Australia.

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Keynote by Steve Simpson:

Creating a Culture of Service

So many companies promise to deliver great service but fail to do this.

This presentation by Steve Simpson can change all that.

Steve provides insights into the impact of less-than-ordinary service and how this impacts the bottom line.

Steve then shows how culture drives service and how to identify the prevailing UGRs (unwritten ground rules) that impact service.

Finally, Steve provides insights into what leaders can do to shift less-then-productive UGRs that impact on service, to get to a point where the organisation can differentiate itself based on outstanding customer service.

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Keynote by Steve Simpson:

Creating a Safety Culture

One of the problems in industries where safety is an issue relates to sustaining people’s focus on being safe.

In this presentation by Steve, he shows how despite the best intended safety training initiatives, the culture of the company counts most. Unless the culture is right, safety is compromised.

If you want a completely new angle on safety, and practical tips on what can be done to garner ownership and lock-in a safety culture, then this is a presentation you need to hear.

The concept of unwritten ground rule (UGRs) has enormous application in organisations where safety is an issue – yet remarkably has been focused on by very few organisations.

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Keynote by Steve Simpson:

UGRs and Change Management

How many of us have heard someone say something like “hold your breath for long enough and the moves for change will fade away"? People verbalising this are actually articulating an unwritten ground rule (UGR) associated with change.

In essence, what people are saying here is that there have been attempts in the past to implement change, but little eventuated. So people's recollection of events from the past creates UGRs that lock-in, and will make change more difficult into the future.

It's in this context that Steve creates a new angle on change management in his presentation. Often people pay lip service to the idea that the culture must be right for change to occur. They pay lip service to this because they are unsure about how to change the prevailing culture.

That's where Steve helps create clarity. He introduce the UGRs concept, shows how UGRs prevent change, and gives practical guidance on what leaders can do shift the UGRs, and the culture to be more receptive to change.

This angle is guaranteed to be new and different!

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