The Culture Code

The Culture Code

The secrets behind the success of the best-performing teams.

Author(s): Daniel Coyle

Publisher: Bantam

Date of publication: 2018

Manageris opinion

Faced with a similar exercise—building the highest possible skyscraper model with the materials made available—, kindergarten kid teams regularly outperform groups of lawyers, business leaders or MBA students! How come?

This is the intriguing—and somewhat upsetting—question that the author strives to answer in this book. The explanation lies in the role that the quality of the interaction and the esprit de corps play in the success of this exercise. Kindergarten pupils are capable of acting as one, without asking superfluous questions. To further analyze this topic, the author spent four years with closely-knit teams with a strong culture. He met with Pixar studio teams, as well as a gang of jewelry robbers or elite military units. These exceptional teams stand out through three characteristics: their capacity to develop a feeling of belonging and a group identity; the acceptance to show their individual vulnerabilities to their teammates; finally, the capacity to rally around objectives and common values. The author draws advice that can easily be used by any person led to work within a team. 

A book that reads like a story and recalls the power of the collective