👊🏻🇺🇸 🔥: Symbol Warfare, Workplace Edition

Ever worked somewhere that felt flat? Like a bottle of soda left open overnight—technically still there, but missing all the magic? Yeah. We’re not about that.

Welcome to The Fizz—where we shake up workplace culture, pop the lid on what’s working (and what’s definitely not), and keep things a little weird, because let’s be honest—so is work.

Symbol Warfare, Workplace Edition

Symbols have always carried weight.

But in today’s world, they’re carrying culture wars, power dynamics, and generational tension right into our Slack threads and boardrooms.

We’ve all seen it—the 🔥👊🏻🇺🇸 emoji trifecta being dropped like a mic in comments, group chats, or social posts. It looks like energy. And whether you read it as patriotism or the threat of violence, let's make no mistake: it’s not neutral.

It’s signaling something.

And if you're not fluent in the language of symbols, you're already losing the culture war.

In Organizations, Symbols Are Your Culture’s Loudest Language

As Edgar Schein (the father of modern organizational culture) said, artifacts and symbols are the most visible, but the most misunderstood, part of culture.

It’s the free snacks that say “We care,” but the locked PTO approval flow that says “We don’t trust you.”

It’s the branded values poster in the breakroom… next to a broken hand sanitizer dispenser.

It’s the sales gong. The ping-pong table. The empty DEI office.

It’s the CEO who drops 🇺🇸 emojis in public memos but can’t remember the name of the office admin who makes the place run.

Symbols Are NEVER Neutral

When symbols are left unchecked, they breed misalignment.

Especially now, when every gesture, design choice, and phrase is read through a cultural lens.

You say “we’re like a family.” Your layoffs say otherwise.

You say “we’re inclusive.” But your team photo says otherwise.

You say “this is just an emoji.” But everyone knows it means something more.

What To Do About It?

If you’re serious about aligning your brand and culture, you need a symbol audit.

Ask yourself:

• What are the dominant symbols in our org?

• What story do they tell—intentionally or not?

• Are we reinforcing the values we claim, or undercutting them?

• Are our employees being asked to work in contradiction to what we say we believe?

Because in 2025, culture is visual. It's viral. It's symbolic.

And if you don’t take control of your symbols, someone else will weaponize them.

🧨 TL;DR:

Your culture is speaking— through your logos, rituals, meeting rooms, Slack channels, emojis, and vibes.

And if those symbols aren’t aligned with your intent?

They’ll become your brand whether you like it or not.

👊🏻🔥🇺🇸 Be careful what you really stand for.