Dharmesh Shah
For folks looking to get started [creating a culture code] [begin] with this prompt: Who are the kinds of people that we think we want to work with? These can’t be platitudes that everyone would say yes to. Like, we want to hire smart people. Intelligence can’t be a core cultural value because no one would say they want to hire stupid people. You have … [ Read more ]
Content: Quotation | Author: Dharmesh Shah | Source: “First Round Review” | Subjects: Culture, Hiring, Human Resources, Organizational Behavior
Michael Beer
Culture is how a group does the things it does. It changes because people start doing things differently or start doing different things. The causality doesn’t go the other way.
So, in a company, you first need to change how the company is organized, managed, and led in light of its strategic goals. The goals themselves may need to change. A new culture then emerges as … [ Read more ]
Content: Quotation | Author: Michael Beer | Source: “Harvard Business School (HBS) Working Knowledge” | Subjects: Culture, Organizational Behavior
An Innovation Culture That Gets Results
This article presents some practical guidelines for executives seeking to design a high-impact innovation culture. It also outlines four areas of focus that offer a clear path for change, drawing on examples from leading innovators.
Content: Article | Authors: David Blanchard, Deborah Lovich, Hannah Lu Schmitt, Johann D. Harnoss, Justin Manly, Robert Werner | Source: “Boston Consulting Group (BCG)” | Subjects: Culture, Innovation, Organizational Behavior
Follow the Leader: How a CEO’s Personality Is Reflected in Their Company’s Culture
There’s no ideal personality type for executives — but businesses need the right one for success.
Content: Article | Authors: Audrey Kim, Charles O’Reilly, Donald Sull, Xubo Cao | Source: “Stanford University” | Subjects: Corporate Governance, Culture, Organizational Behavior
James Heskett
One useful way to think about the relationship between culture and strategy is that an effective culture can provide a competitive advantage for a very long time, often much longer than any strategy. This is a particular advantage in a world in which some claim that strategy today confers only short-term competitive advantage.
Content: Quotation | Author: James L. Heskett | Source: “Harvard Business School (HBS) Working Knowledge” | Subjects: Culture, Organizational Behavior, Strategy
Alexander Roos, James Tucker, Fabrice Roghé, Marc Rodt, Sebastian Stange
A company’s culture is frequently at the heart of mismanaged planning, with management often rewarding the wrong behavior. Because financial incentives are still frequently tied to the achievement of short-term plans, employees can feel pressured to negotiate financial goals and to sandbag. Consequently, planning begins to feel like a bazaar instead of the organized, top-down process it should be. Employees may be motivated to reach … [ Read more ]
Content: Quotation | Authors: Alexander Roos, Fabrice Roghé, James Tucker, Marc Rodt, Sebastian Stange | Source: “Boston Consulting Group (BCG)” | Subjects: Culture, Management, Organizational Behavior
DeAnne Aguirre, Varya Davidson, Carolin Oelschlegel
Too often, leaders […] create a laundry list of the traits and characteristics they aspire to see in their company, and then try to retrofit how people work to fit those goals. But that isn’t how people behave, nor is it how cultures evolve. Some elements in a culture will support a specific strategic play, and others will undermine it.
Content: Quotation | Authors: Carolin Oelschlegel, DeAnne Aguirre, Varya Davidson | Source: “strategy+business” | Subjects: Culture, Organizational Behavior
Intellectual Honesty Is Critical for Innovation
Here’s how to balance psychological safety and intellectual honesty for better team performance.
Content: Article | Author: Nathan Furr | Source: “INSEAD Knowledge” | Subjects: Culture, Innovation, Organizational Behavior
Does your culture fit your strategy?
A big culture–strategy disconnect can be catastrophic. Only a formal assessment based on objective data can tell you if your organization is ready to transform.
Content: Article | Authors: Alice Zhou, Christopher Hannegan, Mara Kelly | Source: “strategy+business” | Subjects: Culture, Organizational Behavior
When Authenticity Means Conflict: Towards a Truly Inclusive Organisation
Rightfully celebrated, authenticity in the workplace may have some limitations.
Content: Article | Author: Natalia Karelaia | Source: “INSEAD Knowledge” | Subjects: Culture, Organizational Behavior, Personality / Behavior, Teamwork
Mary Meaney
In today’s world, strategy is relatively easy to replicate and capital is relatively easy to access. What gives you a real source of competitive advantage is your talent and culture.
Content: Quotation | Author: Mary Meaney | Source: “McKinsey Quarterly” | Subjects: Culture, Human Resources, Organizational Behavior
Jessmina Archbold
Most folks aren’t honest with their feelings because they get unsolicited advice or intrusive questions — you can try to stop that cycle on your team with the culture you create and the micro-actions you take.
Content: Quotation | Author: Jessmina Archbold | Source: “First Round Review” | Subjects: Culture, Organizational Behavior
Rituals at Work: Teams That Play Together Stay Together
Rituals—even seemingly silly ones—help employees bond and add meaning to their work.
Content: Article | Authors: Francesca Gino, Kristen Senz, Michael I. Norton | Source: “Harvard Business School (HBS) Working Knowledge” | Subjects: Culture, Organizational Behavior, Teamwork
Chris Gagnon
If I were to lay out the requirements for a great leader, having a clear cultural aspiration and a plan to drive it through the organization would be really near the top of my list.
Content: Quotation | Author: Chris Gagnon | Source: “McKinsey Quarterly” | Subjects: Culture, Leadership, Organizational Behavior
Chris Gagnon
The success of hallmark cultures is that they read one of these groups of [business] books that hung together with a consistent philosophy, and they really, really stuck with it. A little bit of best practice here, a little bit of best practice there will get you killed.
Content: Quotation | Author: Chris Gagnon | Source: “McKinsey Quarterly” | Subjects: Best Practices, Culture, Organizational Behavior
Run This Diagnostic to Thoughtfully Build (and Evaluate) Your Startup’s Culture
Most founders tend to remain high-level when the topic of culture comes up. For starters, there are tons of reads on why culture matters, but strikingly few on how to actually architect it. We all understand what it means to some extent, but it’s rarely defined or broken down. There are frameworks for product/market fit or founder-led sales, but when it comes to culture, the … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Author: Laura Del Beccaro | Source: “First Round Review” | Subjects: Culture, Entrepreneurship, Organizational Behavior
Marco Zappacosta
The cultural attributes and values of an organization are really a reflection of who joins early on — the shared values that bring the early team together. Building the culture starts with who you hire, and it’s nothing more than that. It’s a mistake to be too explicit about the culture and values upfront in the earliest days of a startup. You don’t know yet … [ Read more ]
Content: Quotation | Author: Marco Zappacosta | Source: “First Round Review” | Subjects: Culture, Entrepreneurship, Organizational Behavior
The HubSpot Culture Code
This is a slide deck created by HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah to sketch out the company’s culture. For background information, read the related First Round Review article.
Content: Online Resource | Author: Dharmesh Shah | Subjects: Culture, Organizational Behavior
Jake Herway
Organizational culture is created through both institutional moments—the experiences that employees have with the corporation—and interpersonal moments—the everyday interactions employees have with each other.
Content: Quotation | Author: Jake Herway | Source: “Gallup Management Journal” | Subjects: Culture, Organizational Behavior
Culture Wins by Attracting the Top 20% of Candidates
A culture that doesn’t just exist but that wins for your organization is one you must intentionally create. Strong organizations understand their unique culture, use multiple methods to continuously monitor the state of their culture and align the culture they want with business performance priorities — like attracting top talent.
Content: Article | Authors: Nate Dvorak, Ryan Pendell | Source: “Gallup Management Journal” | Subjects: Culture, Hiring, Human Resources, Organizational Behavior