A presentation about the importance of building a culture in a team.

1. Culture in a team
@edolopez
March, 2014

2. Culture in a team
1. What is culture?
2. Core Values.
3. Define ourselves.
4. Rituals.
5. Defending the culture.
6. Culture can change.
7. Complexity in a culture.

3. What is culture?

5. Culture in general
“Culture is a set of values manifesting
through behaviour and ritual. [...] the
arts and other manifestations of human
intellectual achievement regarded
collectively.” [1]
[1]
Creating a great corporate culture: http://www.startupblender.
com/competitive-strategy/creating-a-great-corporate-culture

6. … manifestations of human intellectual
achievement regarded collectively.

7. Case study
Imagine you are a foreigner in a random
country. People will start to ask:
● Where are you from?
● What do you usually eat?
● What are people common clothes?
● Are tacos like Taco Bell’s?
● Is it true the horses and sombreros?
● Hell Yeah! Virgin De Guadalupe & Red
Tecate.

8. What is culture in a
team?

9. Beyond the clothes

10. Beyond the walls

11. Beyond ping pong tables

12. Beyond recreation

13. Culture in a company
“It is pattern of basic assumptions and beliefs,
the learned behaviors, shared values and
norms that define the work in an organization”.
(Schein, E. 2006, Organizational Culture and
Leadership)

15. Products/Services
Culture
Mission
Vision
Impact pyramid
in a company
and its team

16. Define why we exist,
what we defend, and
what we pursue.

17. Some examples of
(core) values

18. Responsability
● Self Motivation.
● Team can be aware.
● Discipline emerges.
● Continuous improvement.
● Everybody acts like a leader.
● No one waits to be told what to do.
● All team members can “pick up the trash
when is on the floor”.

20. Define ourselves
What are the 3 values that come to your mind
when somebody asks for Icalia Labs?
Can be a single value: Responsibility, Curiosity
Can be a phrase with context: Embrace and
drive change.
Take 15 minutes after this session...

23. Core values proposal
1. Passion.
2. Fun.
3. Curiosity.
4. Respect.
5. Responsability.
6. Teamwork.
7. Communication.
8. Gratitude.
9. Humility.

25. A list of values
● Passion.
● Fun.
● Dedication.
● Courage.
● Curiosity
● Learning.
● Respect.
● Discipline.
● Doers, Thinkers and Questioners.
● Responsibility.
● Empathy.
● Innovation.
● Creativity.
● Freedom.
● Honesty.
● Teamwork.
● Coupled disciplines.
● Communication.
● Hard workers.
● Open
● Transparency.
● Gratitude.
● Identity and membership.
● Humble.
● Stay young.
● Sociocratics.
● Care about clients, not about
competition.
● Serendipity.
● Agile, lean.

26. Rituals supporting
the values

30. Rituals
● For each value, there should be rituals
promoting and supporting them correctly.
● For example:
○ If a value is Collaboration, how are we promoting
teamwork between the projects, teams and
members?
○ If a value is Fun, are we really having fun in our daily
activities? How can we get to that point?

31. The right team

33. The right team
● Team & Leaders are going to defend the
values.
● A new member should be engaged with the
culture, and culture should accept him.
● In some places, all members need to accept
the entrance of a new one.
● Everybody should communicate with
transparency.
● Beyond values in walls, people have values
in their mindset.

35. The team should form the culture DNA.
"You can’t motivate people, you can
only create a context in which people
are motivated".

36. Prepare for changes
Culture can change throughout
time as a company grows.

37. From small teams

38. To big teams

39. Or HUGE teams

40. Culture can be complex

41. ● How this can work on a remote team or
distributed company?
● Imagine people working in different
countries, with different customs, time
zones, and that have never seen each other
face to face.
● How can we remember all this things in a
simple and beautiful way? MANIFESTO.
Complexity in a culture

42. Remote culture

43. Some examples
● International Retreats: bring people together
often.
● Tools to have less asynchronous
conversation.
● 1 on 1’s once a week via hangouts.

44. Conclusion

46. Thanks!
Q&A?
@edolopez
@icalialabs
“Mediocre work or unchallenging work is
what kills progress of person's skills.”

47. References
● Netflix culture: http://www.slideshare.net/reed2001/culture-
1798664
● Buffer culture: http://www.slideshare.net/Bufferapp/buffer-
culture-04
● 37 Signals manifesto: http://37signals.com/37signals.html
● Creating a great corporate culture: http://www.
startupblender.com/competitive-strategy/creating-a-great-
corporate-culture
● 5 tips building startup culture: http://www.techinasia.
com/5-tips-building-startup-culture/
● Startup Culture: http://mashable.com/2013/08/09/startup-
culture/