Elliott’s Four Absolutes, required for success in a role (any role, no matter the discipline), here is the list.
- Capability (measured in Time Span)
- Skill (technical knowledge and practiced performance)
- Interest, passion (value for the work)
- Required behaviors
Required behaviors, with three strings.
- Contracted behaviors
- Habits
- Culture
Today is about required behaviors and culture.
Culture is that unwritten set of rules that governs our required behaviors in the work that we do together. If the rules were written, that would be our standard operating procedures (SOPs). Culture is typically an unwritten set of rules, often more powerful that our SOPs.
If there is a conflict between our SOPs and our culture, which wins? Culture wins every time.
Culture is that behavior which is tolerated. I know we all think that culture is that lofty set of values like integrity and teamwork, but the baseline is what we tolerate. You stand for what you tolerate.
It is what it is.
Whether interviewing a candidate or coaching a teammate, have you ever hired anyone who had the capability for the role, possessed the skills, had interest and passion for the work, but they did not fit your culture? What happened?
You either fired them, and they left.
Or they quit, and they left.
Or they quit, and they stayed.
There’s one more important, powerful possibility: the culture changed. In the tech world we’ve suffered from too many corporate monocultures. Thoughtful change has been important and employees who could lead that change, from anywhere within the organization, are incredibly valuable.