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Hello everyone, thanks for coming. It's great to meet you all.
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Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I wrote a book that came out a year ago titled 'Debugging Your Brain.' I have some copies with me, along with stickers and bubbles, which are great conversation starters if you want to say hi. I'm a person who enjoys singing, dancing, and blowing bubbles. I play a full rainbow of instruments and can play 'Bad Romance' on all of them. You might recognize my voice from the 'Greater Than Code' podcast, where I'm one of the co-hosts. If you're not familiar with it, you might enjoy checking it out.
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I am also involved with Ruby for Good. If you've attended any of our events, like the diaper bank event yesterday, you'll know it's a lot of fun. If you're interested, sign up for our mailing list to hear about our summer events, which may take place in July. I co-founded the online community and event series called 'Empathy in Tech.'
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Throughout my career, I've held various roles, including engineer, UX designer, product manager, and engineering manager. Now, I work as a consultant with my own company called 'Happy and Effective.' In every team I've worked with, they have become the happiest and most effective teams in their companies by performing organizational assessments, interviews, surveys, coaching, and workshops.
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Today's talk is divided into two parts, as indicated by the plus sign in the title. The first part focuses on evaluating cultural fit—what makes a company or a position within it a good fit for you personally, and whether you should stay where you are or switch companies. The second part addresses culturesmithing. If you decide to stay or switch to a new company, how can you change the culture to make it better, more effective, and healthier?
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I have a lot of concepts to share, and this will be a dense talk with many reading assignments and even homework. Yes, I'm literally assigning homework, but don’t worry—it won't be graded. You can find all the references for this talk at the bottom right of each slide, including images and articles, as well as all the homework prompts.
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Consider using the homework as dinner conversation prompts; you'll find examples that you can ask about over dinner. Let’s dive into the first half: evaluating cultural fit. I want to begin by discussing what makes you happy at work.
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It varies from person to person, and there isn't a single answer, but some themes do emerge. One concept is 'ikigai,' a Japanese term meaning 'a reason for being.' Common diagrams of ikigai depict four overlapping circles that represent what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.
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If you can find a job that encompasses all four elements, that’s fantastic. If not, think about what brings you happiness at work. If you had to explain what makes you happy over dinner, what would you say? For me, it's about having enough money, making a positive impact, establishing social connections with my teammates, being part of a good culture, continuing to learn, and receiving support.
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Reflecting on this question a year or two ago, before I started my consulting work, I identified these aspects as essential. Now it's your turn: your first homework is to figure out your own list. What’s important to you in a job? What has made you happy or unhappy in the past? What would your ideal job look like? Once you've figured that out, congratulations! You can fast forward in this process.
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There are a couple of additional concepts I want to point out that can help determine what makes a company a good cultural fit for you. First, it's crucial to distinguish between cultural fit and cultural superiority. Some cultures are more effective than others in workplace settings—they allow for higher productivity and more satisfied employees. However, I’m not trying to be moralistic about what’s good or bad; my goal is to work for a company with a culture that promotes effectiveness.
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There are performance-oriented cultures, which are focused on producing results, as opposed to power-oriented or rule-oriented cultures. You can read more about Western organizational culture types in the notes. It's worth noting that some people may prefer a rule-oriented work environment, and that's perfectly valid. However, it’s important to understand that when discussing cultural fit, both parties—the company and the employee—are involved in the interview process.
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You want to ensure that the company is a good fit for you, just as they evaluate you. If you thrive in a rule-oriented environment, a government job may suit you well; conversely, a startup might not be the right place for you if you prefer a more controlled setting.
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Next, let’s examine some toxic traits commonly found in workplaces. The top five toxic traits of teams according to MIT Sloan are: disrespect, non-inclusivity, negativity, unethical behavior, and being cutthroat or abusive. You can find more information about how this list was developed in the notes, and if any of these resonate with your current job situation, I urge you to seek a better environment. Everyone deserves to work in a team that fosters respect and positivity.
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Toxic culture is a significant predictor of employee turnover, and it plays a crucial role in the phenomenon known as 'The Great Resignation.' Large studies have shown that toxic culture is the leading factor. Now take a moment to breathe. I know I’ve given you a lot of information so far.
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Another aspect to consider is how your work happiness can change over time, both at the individual and team levels. I often reflect on my work happiness throughout my various jobs. For instance, I started at a company where I rated my happiness as high, around seven or eight, but then the pandemic hit, and like many others, my level of satisfaction dropped significantly.
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Yet, when I got a new manager, things improved for a while. However, that shift didn’t change the entire culture of the organization, and the happiness felt like a temporary spark of hope. You may have a similar experience with your happiness levels fluctuating. I categorize this into three zones: the top green area, where you absolutely love your job; a middle zone where it's acceptable but could improve, and a red zone that indicates you should leave because things aren’t working.
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For your next piece of homework, rate your happiness regarding your current job on a scale of one to ten. Compare your job ratings over time and identify potential changes that could improve your happiness.
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Next, I like to go through a brainstorming session with my clients where we outline criteria as columns and options as rows. By assigning values to each, we can better understand what we appreciate about various jobs and how to rank these elements. It’s not a magic solution, but it helps clarify your preferences.
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Now, let’s transition into the second part of the talk: culture smithing. Say you're currently at a company and interested in positively changing its culture. I will discuss some high-level principles before moving on to a list of thirty concrete actions, some of which likely caught your attention.
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First, consider what cultural change looks like. For example, there was a time when my workplace had a culture where no one ate lunch together—everyone silently worked at their desks. By taking the initiative to eat in the lunchroom, I gradually influenced others to join me.
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Another essential aspect of fostering a positive environment is addressing microaggressions. It's vital to create a workplace culture where individuals feel comfortable correcting one another when they say something hurtful, even if it's subtle. Recently, I made a comment about 'driving the snakes from Ireland,' and a colleague gently pointed out that it may not have been an appropriate expression. This type of open dialogue helps cultivate understanding.
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There are also cultural myths within development circles, such as the idea that deploying on Fridays is a bad practice. We need to move past this antiquated, anxiety-inducing rule and establish norms that support reliability and readiness, such as ensuring there is a backup personnel who can manage essential tasks while someone is on vacation.
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It’s important to be mindful that implementing cultural changes can require energy and effort. I assume that all thirty examples I will share, along with your ideas, stem from a place of energy and time. However, it's also essential to recognize that you might not always have the energy to enact these changes—and it's perfectly okay to establish boundaries accordingly.
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Another key insight to keep in mind is that change can often happen in gradual strides. Reflecting on personal experiences, I can think back to when I purchased an iPod Touch before the iPhone's rise. Initially, it was cutting-edge, but as smartphones evolved, I witnessed a large group of individuals gradually transition to them, leaving me as part of a small minority holding on to my device.
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Beyond personalized anecdotes, it's important to recognize the gradual nature of social change and how it often involves numerous small changes rather than sudden, sweeping reforms. Cultural changes can often feel disheartening when progress seems slow; however, persistence can ultimately bear fruit.
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Cultivating a change that endures requires practices that are sustainable over time, rather than isolated incidents that may revert back. One metric for achieving this is to consistently enact a practice into your workplace culture to the point where it becomes akin to a new standard operating procedure, which is a strategy that helps facilitate lasting cultural adaptations.
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The dialogue surrounding achieving long-term change often focuses on the need for collective buy-in. Even after initiating change, such progress will not remain if leadership holds to overly rigid standards. It's essential to incorporate this momentum into existing narratives throughout your company.
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Now, let’s explore some concrete actions you can take to influence your workplace culture effectively. The first action is to be actively welcoming to new team members. Simple gestures of hospitality can significantly impact the overall atmosphere of your team.
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You can also encourage team members to engage in casual conversations, or create designated social channels, such as an aside channel where people can just say 'hi.' Social connections through these interactions can help cultivate a sense of belonging within your team.
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Sharing the work your team is doing with other groups can create a deeper understanding and appreciation for what each department accomplishes. Consider initiating your own demos or sharing platforms, regardless of your position, to highlight your projects and celebrate the achievements of your coworkers.
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You can also arrange one-on-one meetings with your manager or colleagues to discuss common challenges, share insights, and cultivate future collaborations. Establishing strong relationships plays a vital role in fostering an effective culture.
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Being intentional about expressing gratitude can help foster a supportive environment in the workplace. Lend your time and support to colleagues—or ask for assistance when needed. You can nurture a culture of mutual support simply by offering a listening ear and encouraging open discussions among teammates.
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It's important to celebrate achievements along the way, even the small ones. Whether it’s sharing positive outcomes or acknowledging a job well done, take a moment to recognize contributions and generate excitement within your team.
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When someone shares an idea or feedback, encourage them to elaborate by asking questions like, 'Tell me more about that.' This easy-to-implement strategy goes a long way toward fostering collaborative dialogue and a sense of community.
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As you implement these strategies, keep in mind that team dynamics can also shift over time. Consider that regularly soliciting feedback from your colleagues can foster a culture of open communication, while also allowing for constructive conversations around progress.
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Ultimately, the key to implementing these changes successfully lies in building deeper connections with your teammates and nurturing a shared vision among the group. If long-term changes are to remain in place, the dialogue surrounding these practices must continue well beyond any specified timeframe.
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As we near the conclusion of this talk, I want to encourage you all to take action. You have the power to influence your team’s culture, and whether you’re an individual contributor or a leader, lasting change is possible. I hope these strategies empower you and provide inspiration for making a positive impact.
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Please remember that you can also reach out to me for consulting or workshops tailored to your company's specific needs. I'm currently offering a free workshop specifically for attendees, so feel free to inquire about that.
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If you have questions regarding cultural fit or culturesmithing, I'll dedicate time at the end for a Q&A session. Thank you for attending this talk, and I look forward to discussing these concepts further.
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As I wrap up, I'd like to emphasize the value of open dialogue. I believe that connecting with colleagues on a personal level is one of the best ways to achieve a thriving team dynamic.
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To further facilitate ongoing discussions, I'll start a thread in the open chat where we can continue the conversation asynchronously following this session.
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Thank you all once again for your participation! If you have any questions or thoughts regarding evaluating cultural fit or culture smithing, feel free to ask.
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Thank you, and I hope you leave this presentation with new insights and actionable strategies to enhance your work culture.