If you aren't sure what a culture code is, one of the first was created by Netflix back in 2009 — the Netflix Culture Code. At the time it was so new and inspirational that in 2013, Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg said it "may well be the most important document ever to come out of the Valley."
A culture code may not be the only reason why Netflix has been so successful, but if you believe culture eats strategy for breakfast — as I do — then it plays a big part.
So What Is a Culture Code?
A company adopting a culture code takes a very different perspective of culture than companies traditionally would. They don't perceive culture to be the random confluence of different values, beliefs, and actions of their people. Instead, it is something that can be shaped and directed.
At its core, it is just the expected cultural norms of the company put down in written format. When executed well it helps guide the behaviours of a company by setting clear expectations for its current and future employees — as well as providing a platform in which everyone is given a voice to call out and address bad behaviours in a safe, constructive way.
Unlike a traditional set of company values, a culture code goes into clear examples of behaviours that are consistent with the given values. It helps you clearly state that Excellence in a digital team means building products that customers love, while at a quarry site Excellence means making sure everyone goes home safely every day.
Creating Your Culture Code
Through the use of a solution-focused coaching approach, we can break the perception gap and build a culture code based on the actions your leaders believe reflect the culture they want. The structure flows as below:
- Organise the Workshop — pick the attendees
- The Miracle Question — create key stories around the actions your leaders expect to see in their perfect end state
- Brainstorming — idea generation of a broader range of actions
- Affinity Mapping — alignment of actions into core behaviours
- Alignment of behaviours into values (optional) — if company values exist, map detailed behaviours into these values
- Draft a Culture Code Deck — drafting the behaviours, actions, and stories into a cohesive deck
1. Organise the Workshop
Organise a one-hour workshop and pick the attendees based on the importance of seeking their input and gaining their commitment to driving towards a new target culture. Select the most senior leaders possible for credibility, but also key influential leaders who will be executing and reinforcing the cultural shift.
2. The Miracle Question
Start the workshop with the miracle question — a solution-focused coaching approach which assists attendees to imagine what the actions of a desired end state look like, without having to first align on what the problem is.
Ask attendees to close their eyes and read out the following:
After work today, you will each go home and do whatever you need to do for the rest of the day…
It will be time to go to bed… Everybody in your household is quiet, and you are sleeping in peace…
In the middle of the night, a miracle happens and the company has reached its perfect state…
But because this happened while you were sleeping, you have no way of knowing that there was an overnight miracle.
So, when you wake up tomorrow morning and you come into work, what do you notice during the day or the week that your teams are doing that makes you say to yourself — "Wow, something must have happened — these teams have reached a perfect state"?
Give each individual 10–15 minutes to craft and write down their story. Then ask each individual to share their story with the other attendees.
3. Brainstorming
Using post-it notes, ask all attendees to spend 5 minutes writing down all the actions and behaviours they expect to see in their perfect end state. Have all attendees post these items onto a wall.
4. Affinity Mapping
Ask the team to cluster similar post-it notes together to create a common set of behaviours. Ask the team to label the behaviour that a cluster of actions represents.
5. Alignment of Behaviours into Values (Optional)
If your company already has a set of values, ask the attendees to map the different behaviours into the value they align with.
6. Draft a Culture Code Deck
Using the stories, behaviours, and actions generated through the course of the workshop, draft a culture code deck. The deck should focus on culture but may also cover the broad operating principles your company respects. Anchor fundamental beliefs with key phrases so that every individual can use the words of your culture code in everyday work.
Using these six easy steps, building and aligning your leadership team around a culture code doesn't need to be difficult — and it can help drive rapid culture change when done well.
The hardest part is getting buy-in from your leaders that it is worth spending the time together to create one. Assuming you've got that sorted, I highly encourage you to try this approach.
Good Luck!
Create your Culture Code Workshop — Miro Template
Check out these culture codes to get inspired.