Why do some groups perform at a level beyond the sum of their individual parts while others perform below that? The answer lies in their culture. In this book, Daniel Coyle demystifies how a great culture is formed. In this free version of The Culture Code summary, you’ll learn the 3 core skills required to create and sustain a great culture.
The Culture Code: An Introduction
Groups of business school students and kindergartners were challenged to build the tallest possible structure using uncooked spaghetti, tape, string and marshmallow. The business students discussed ideas and options, decided on a strategy and divided their tasks systematically. The kindergarten kids stood closely in a circle, started on the task without any strategy, and spontaneously exchanged ideas along the way. Surprisingly, the kindergartners built structures that were on average twice the height of the business students’. It turns out that group performance depends more on how people interact with one another than on their individual skills.
Does this apply universally for successful groups and cultures? How are great cultures built and sustained? To answer these questions, Coyle spent 4 years researching exceptionally-successful groups and comparing them with less successful ones. He found that these cultures stood out not because of the intelligence or skills of individual members, but because of their relationships. These in turn were built on 3 critical skills: (i) building safety, (ii) sharing vulnerability, and (iii) establishing purpose.
In this Culture Code summary, we’ll give a brief overview of these 3 vital skills. For more details, including empirical background and ideas for nurturing the skills in your groups, do get a copy of our full 14-page summary for more details.
The Culture Code: Overview of the 3 Core Skills
Great cultures are built on 3 fundamental skills:
SKILL 1: BUILD SAFETY
In great teams, members constantly send signals of connection that say “you’re safe”. Safety is like the glue that bonds people together, creating a sense of belonging and the foundation for risk-sharing, open debate/communication and learning. Humans are biologically wired to scan our environment for danger. When we feel safe and connected, we move away from danger-lookout mode into a social mode to forge closer ties with our group. In fact social subtle cues often determine our responses and decisions much more than the actual content being communicated.
In the complete version of The Culture Code summary, we zoom in on research and real-life examples to explain (i) why safety matters, (ii) how safety and “belonging cues” deliver a range of outcomes like connection and staff-retention in groups like WIPRO and the San Antonio Spurs, (iii) key traits in strong groups and (iv) specific ideas for building safety and connection (e.g. communication tips, how to design spaces and systems to send belonging cues, using “threshold moments” etc.)
SKILL 2: SHARE VULNERABILITY
In strong teams, members show their weaknesses, share honest feedback, embrace uncomfortable truths and share risks. This creates a foundation for trust and cooperation.
Vulnerability is about sending a clear signal that you need help. It can build trust and cooperation so long as the receiving party detects the signal and returns a vulnerability signal (rather than pretend to have no weakness). When this happens, a vulnerability loop is created and there’s a sense of mutual-need. Group members feel safe to share risks and give open/honest feedback, so they form a shared mental model over time and can operate like a single organism.
In the complete 14-page summary we take a closer look at examples and insights from groups like the U.S. Navy SEALs, Pixar and IDEO to examine (i) the people, catalysts, systems and/or practices used to build risk-sharing and candor in groups and (ii) ideas for sharing vulnerability and building trust.
SKILL 3: ESTABLISH PURPOSE
Strong cultures use stories, language and behaviors to reinforce their purpose and shared values. People are constantly reminded about the direction they’re going, what they stand for and where to focus their efforts. Strong groups explicitly name their values, priorities and goals, then reinforce them through countless signals, so people are absolute clear on where they are and where they want to be, and are clearly guided through their internal mechanisms.
In the full version of The Culture Code summary, we’ll zoom in on examples (e.g. Johnson & Johnson, Zappos, Danny Meyer’s restaurant chain) to explain (i) what it means to create a high-purpose environment, (ii) the difference between building proficiency vs creativity, and (iii) ideas for establishing purpose (e.g. using stories, artifacts, measures, heuristics).
Getting the Most from The Culture Code
If you wish to learn more about each of the 3 components of the Culture Code, do check out our full book summary bundle. This includes an infographic, 14-page text summary, and a 27-minute audio summary.
Besides the key ideas, examples and tips presented in our summary, Daniel Coyle also presents many other vivid case studies of groups ranging from armies to airline crew, comedy groups, jewel thieves and soccer hooligans. If you’d like more details and examples, you can purchase the book here or visit http://danielcoyle.com.
Do also check out The Talent Code summary by Daniel Coyle!
You can also read up more on how creativity works with our Creativity Inc. summary or how to develop a successful startup with our Delivering Happiness summary.
About the Author of The Culture Code
The Culture Code: The Secrets Of Highly Successful Groups is written by Daniel Coyle–an American author, speaker and journalist. He was the winner (with Hamilton) of the 2012 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Prize. Coyle is currently a contributing editor for Outside Magazine, and works as a special advisor to the Cleveland Indians.
The Culture Code Quotes
“Culture is a set of living relationships working towards a shared goal. It’s not something you are. It’s something you do.”
“Being vulnerable together is the only way a team can become invulnerable.”
“The real courage is seeing the truth and speaking the truth to each other.”
“Purpose isn’t about tapping into some mystical internal drive but rather about creating simple beacons that focus attention and engagement on the shared goal.”
“Stories are not just stories; they are the best invention ever created for delivering mental models that drive behavior.”
“What seems like repetition is, in fact, navigation.”
Click here to download The Culture Code summary & infographic
