Values to Culture to Everything

Culture is the sum of the actions that flow from shared values, not the slogans on a wall. When a thermostat is set by consensus and nobody questions it, that tiny habit shows how values embed in everyday work. The article argues that real culture emerges when you notice what people do without thinking about it.

Aspirational values create friction. Hiring against a borrowed career ladder, rewarding behaviors that contradict stated principles, or promoting someone misaligned with core collaboration values erodes trust. The author contrasts experiences at Microsoft, where a misfit process stifled innovation, with Adobe, where open-to-change values matched personal style and drove success.

Preserving culture requires concrete artifacts: career ladders that encode values, onboarding sprints like Spotify's where new hires ship features together, and performance rubrics that reference the same values. When these mechanisms reinforce the same behaviors, misalignment becomes visible early, preventing long-term drift.

Leaders and job seekers can test authenticity by asking for concrete examples of how a company acted under pressure. If values hold up when revenue is low or a product is late, they are likely genuine. The piece equips technical leaders with a practical lens to evaluate, shape, and protect culture in any organization.