Cracking the Culture Code - Elaine Wherry - Meebo

Your reason for everything (even free food) should tie into your vision

Culture is not the things we see; it is not the artifacts (bean bag chairs, free food).

The Meebo policy is to pay for lunch if you have it with two or three employees since that fosters community.

Meebo was hyper communicative, but people were feeling out of the loop. The issue was that the mission and vision weren't clear so people didn't know how things fit together and had no larger perspective.



Culture = Artifacts + systems and values + truth

For our companies truth is defined by the market
This has problems since it changes and is short term
It is also unfair
Salaries are based on what the market pays not what you deserve

There are some uncomfortable truths you need to face and be both honest and open about.

Besides the market we rely on vision and data for truth

Look back to shape your vision -- find what people said about you in the past

Making digital life surprisingly simple = Meebo's vision

Moving towards truth is via trust. It is either given or earned



Culture tends to go from given trust to earned trust to a mix as the company gets on its feet.


Why does Zappos offer 4k to new hires to quit?

Badgeville gives stickers that people put on their laptops when they do something well. It is an example of trust earned.


Staff should be exceptional people who give 100% and deal well with change.

Culture can be groomed

Hiring is really really hard to change

Culture is top down

Leadership is same values, different actions

Adaptability is huge

Culture is not a cult -- it's a way of doing business

We are not reinventing the wheel