The Culture Code

In his business self-help book, The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups (2018), Daniel Coyle offers examples of all types of organizations with excellent internal culture, as well as tips for how individuals can achieve it in the groups they are a part of. The Culture Code is Coyle’s seventh book. It was named one of the best books of the year by both Bloomberg and the Library Journal.

Coyle begins by discussing things that impede success when people work in groups. The main problem he identifies is that when people get together, they are more concerned with how they fit into the status quo of their group than in actually solving problems that are put before them. This over-focus on managing relationships leads to an overall culture that is not as effective as it could be. Coyle then goes on to investigate why people work together and obstacles that might prevent them from doing so.

He identifies three principals of great teamwork. The first of these is creating a safe environment so that everyone feels comfortable giving suggestions and speaking up. Individuals working in groups may be hesitant to speak up for a variety of reasons. They may think that their suggestions will be dismissed or ridiculed, or that they are too new or inexperienced to have anything to offer. They might even be afraid that someone will take credit for their ideas, and so, they keep them to themselves rather than allow them to be stolen.



People may also feel unsafe if they are in a chaotic environment. If they constantly fear that their jobs may be in jeopardy or their workspace is in constant upheaval, then they will be less likely to let their guard down and feel comfortable expressing their ideas.

Coyle’s advice is to make the environment seem safe, comfortable, and as much like a home away from home as possible. Since people are most comfortable in their homes, spaces where they collaborate should have some of the same qualities. This makes people more likely to let their guards down and act as they usually would, including offering up suggestions and disagreements more freely.

Several other tips for making people feel more comfortable in groups include active listening and responding when people are speaking. Coyle gives advice for those who are looking to improve their listening skills, with tips that include making eye contact with the person who is speaking, not interrupting, and giving nonverbal clues that you are paying attention.



Another method to make people better at collaboration and improve culture is to create a safe space for making mistakes. Coyle encourages leaders to share their own shortcomings so that all workers know that making mistakes is acceptable. This is what Harvard researchers call a “vulnerability loop.” A vulnerability loop occurs when one person signals vulnerability, such as by admitting to a mistake, and others in the group respond by discussing their own vulnerabilities as well.

While this may not seem desirable at first glance, it can actually help strengthen the culture of an organization. Showing vulnerability helps people bond with one another and cuts down on the intense competition that can sometimes poison Western workplaces. In this way, vulnerability increases trust and makes people more likely to take risks since they know that they will not be harshly judged for making mistakes.

Sharing of vulnerability is best done in person, and Coyle advises that be done when all the members of the team are in a single location. Close proximity helps prompt vulnerability, so when people are physically close to one another they are more likely to open up.



The third way to build culture is to ensure that everyone has the same shared goal to work towards. Leaders should make organizational goals clear so all members of the group know what their purpose is and why they are doing the work they do. However, simply having a goal is not enough to motivate a strong culture. A leader must also envision a bridge between the future goal and the present.

The organizations with the best culture have a simple narrative that everyone on the team understands and believes in. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including catchy slogans, storytelling, and goal setting.

According to Coyle, culture is a tangible thing that can have a huge effect on how an organization functions. Organizations with strong cultures are often better than the sum of their parts and get better and more effective work done. In addition, culture can be contagious and some organizations, such as Apple, sell their business culture to consumers as much as their products.