At the beginning of September, ATD hosted a Twitter chat (#ATDTNChat) with speakers from the upcoming ATD TalentNext conference.

We asked our speakers and you, our audience, to chime in around different topics: What is workplace culture? What is the soft skills gap, and why are soft skills so important? Why is employee engagement important for companies and organizations?

The first question posed about workplace culture brought in some great insights:

A1) 2/The question is, do you have a culture by default or a culture by design. If you don’t design your culture, then you have a culture by default. #ATDTNChat

— Bruce Tulgan (@BruceTulgan) September 6, 2018

A1:The character and personality of your organization.

A1: values+traditions+beliefs+interactions+behaviors+mindset

#atdtnchat

— Laura Goodrich (@LauraGoodrich) September 6, 2018

A1: Values and behaviors that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization. #atdtnchat https://t.co/4p5jP0mn2G

— Eliza Blanchard (@atdhumancap) September 6, 2018

A1: In sales, success is so easily measured in quota attainment. Promoting a healthy culture means looking beyond the rankings and finding, reinforcing and celebrating the “intangible” qualities that make your employees successful. #ATDTNChat

— Jenna Cronin (@atdSalesEnable) September 6, 2018

Workplace culture: The character and personality of your organization. RT your answers to @atd for our Twitter Chat #ATDTNChat https://t.co/d7B8u2C8Mq

— Lisa Spinelli (@atdcareerdev) September 6, 2018

A1 - the mortar that holds the team together and helps us identify as group.

This includes thoughts, motivation, drives, ideals, objectives, impact, approach, etc.#Atdtnchat

— Mike Simmons (@simmons\_m) September 6, 2018

Mike's phrase, "The mortar that holds the team together," resonates with many of us in talent development. When we think of the tangible benefits of this industry, increased employee engagement is one of them—and shaping workplace culture is one way to get there. With disengagement rates rising, the loneliness epidemic, and a societal focus on what is appropriate and not in the workplace, culture makes a difference for all employees.

At ATD's TalentNext conference, you will have these types of critical conversations with your peers and our incredible speakers. Learn how to create a competitive advantage through workplace culture in Seattle with us, and read the rest of the Twitter chat using #ATDTNChat.