This is a modified version of my presentation from my class, Culture Design Workshop: The Basics, hosted at PARISOMA on Feb 4, 2014.

1. CULTURE DESIGN WORKSHOP
THE BASICS
Larissa Conte
PARISOMA 02.04.14

2. FRAMING CULTURE

3. DEFINITION
CULTURE
The set of shared beliefs, values, & behaviors
amongst a group.

4. CULTURE SHAPES AND IS SHAPED BY
Beliefs
o
Values
Worldviews, o Explicit values
Mindsets
o Implicit values
(=What’s good,
valuable, true,
etc.)
Behaviors
o
o
o
o
o
o
Language
Systems
Processes
Leadership
Artifacts
Feedback
o
o
o
o
o
o
Communication
Decision-making
Place-making
Rituals
Attire
Taboos

5. KEYS TO COMPANY CULTURE
If the purpose of a business is to invent, make, and
improve products or services for their customers, as
well as to survive in the marketplace, then culture
ideally helps support creativity and resilience.

6. DR. CAROL DWECK
THE POWER OF MINDSET
Growth Mindset
Fixed Mindset
Intelligence
is static
Intelligence
can be
developed
Leads to
desire to
look smart
Leads to
desire to
learn

7. DR. CAROL DWECK
MINDSET AND COMPANY CULTURE
“We know from our studies that people with the
fixed mindset do not admit and correct their
deficiencies. And a company that cannot selfcorrect cannot survive . . . Instead of learning,
growing, and moving the company forward,
everyone starts worrying about being judged . . .
It’s hard for courage and innovation to survive a
company-wide fixed mindset.”

8. THE BASICS OF
CULTURE DESIGN

9. LARISSA’S
CULTURE DESIGN PRINCIPLES
o
Optimize for creativity, clarity, alignment, learning,
and resilience
o
Consider all stakeholders’ needs and points of view
o
Use company values as design principles
o
Design for coherence across scales
o
Leverage greatest impact for least amount of effort
o
Be strategic—i.e. Wise timing, Wise action

10. FRAMEWORK
CULTURE DESIGN THINKING
An iterative process for creating human experiences.
Empathize
Define
Observe
Ideate
Prototype
Test

11. CASE STUDY
LEVERAGING INFORMALITY
Informal attire was initially a
limited marketing initiative for
“fun fares.” It was ultimately
adopted company-wide in the
90s because employees loved
it and felt more free to focus
on the customer when
comfortable and relaxed.

12. CASE STUDY
EXPLICIT CULTURAL ORIENTATION
In Zappos four week New
Hire Training , they cover
both technical training and
culture orientation. It includes
an explicit overview of their
10 core values and hearing
from managers in different
departments about how they
connect to the values.

13. CASE STUDY
DEVELOPING CREATIVITY
Born from the pragmatic
need to rapidly train an
expanding team, Pixar
University evolved to offer
creative skills and arts
training for all employees,
regardless of role. They know
creativity is a muscle and it’s
important in every job.

14. THANK YOU
Larissa Conte
beinglionhearted.com
larissa@beinglionhearted.com
@larissabconte