The Culture Code

Recommended by PM Lotte, on open and transparent culture in a company. Worth reading for a softer view; I am glad she recommended it. I like the idea.

Nice little book. Short, compact, with stories of tight-knit teams and a couple of interesting tips on how to communicate to achieve good results. Nothing exceptional.

Build Safety. Share Vulnerability. Establish Purpose. Show that people are safe, show vulnerability, use a mantra to give a clear objective.

Notes

• We tend to focus on individual skills, the visible stuff. But that is not what drives results. Teamwork does.
• Kindergarten vs MBA example: the MBA students spent too much time organizing priorities and setting rules about who is in control. The kindergartners felt safe and communicated quickly.
• There are people who radiate calm and safety, who know how to listen. Be one of them.
• Hearing something does not always lead to action. Seeing someone do it and show confidence does.
• When you feel part of a group, your brain’s amygdala no longer feels in danger and you can finally focus. That is why the main focus should be to build safety first.
• A place with strong group dynamics is not just a happy place. It is a place where opinions are sincere and honest, even direct, and said to help others. That is why candid feedback is so useful for creating safety.
• “High communicators” help create the best groups. People who listen, then connect. Like Allen at Bell Labs.
• More on sitting close and communicating, working together (like at Pixar, creatives next to directors).
• On vulnerability: communicate your feelings. Show when you have felt worry or fear.
• Overcommunicate your listening. Show that you listen: open eyes, head tilted, uh-huhs of approval, DO NOT INTERRUPT.
• Still on vulnerability: show you are open to critique. Like “What did I not understand?” “What am I missing?”
• Say thank you. A lot. Always.
• Negative feedback: in private, through dialogue. Ask if you can give feedback, and say it candidly and calmly, focusing on how we can improve.
• Short-burst communication. See our debug thread. That is how an efficient team communicates (and kids or pilots, for example).
• Vulnerability loop. If you send a signal and the other sends one back, OK, you are in. It is contagious.
• Soldier plan B story. OK, a superior does not listen and you must obey? Still plan a plan B.
• Establish Purpose: like a mantra. Take a slogan, a set of rules (like the Johnson & Johnson Credo), and stick to it. Set priorities.
• Keep a simple set of rules (like customer first, then us) to follow in every decision.
• It is also important to have a story, be proud of it, and reinforce it as you go.
• Questions to ask yourself according to the IDEO leader
  • What am I doing that you would like me to keep doing?
  • What am I not doing enough?
  • What can I do to make you more effective?
• Be very precise in repeating your ideas. Leaders think everyone has understood, but they have not. Repeat, repeat, repeat, especially the purpose.