The culture by decree antipattern happens when an organization’s culture is defined by a verbose statement or plaque that hangs in the main lobby but doesn’t exist, in any tangible sort of way, within the organization itself. A culture must be fostered, grown, and be demonstrable in action, not just in rhetoric.
There’s a single question that gets asked in almost every interview: “What’s the company culture like?” The prominence of this question hints at the importance and the weight that company culture carries. But the answer that you get back from the interviewer isn’t always true or demonstrable. It’s a string of sentences and catchphrases that have been ingrained in workers so deeply that they may not even question what they mean or if they’re even true.
If you’re looking at the title of this chapter and thinking to yourself, “My company already has a Ping Pong table and beer taps; we’ve got culture nailed!”, then you should probably read this chapter twice. Culture goes beyond the fun activities at office parties and the wide variety of gluten-free snacks provided in the break room.