CULTURE BOOK (V3/2014)

A WILDSTYLER’S CULTURE BOOK

This document is thought for reading rather than presenting. It’s not about the usual Wildstyle presentation-beauty. It’s about understanding, common sense and the future.

This deck was created during the annual Wildstyle Kribbeln ’13. It added thoughts and inspiration from startups like Etsy, Kickstarter, Netflix and other adorable sustainable companies with great culture.

BACKGROUND: FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES HAVE NICE SOUNDING VALUE STATEMENTS. DISPLAYED IN THEIR MARBLED LOBBY:

I.E. THE FOUR PILLARS FROM ENRON, AN ENERGY COMPANY:

1. INTEGRITY

2. COMMUNICATION

3. RESPECT

4. EXCELLENCE

(We researched this to get a feeling and understanding of how culture books are written. Well, we saw a lot of bullshit here.)

At the end of 2001, it was revealed that its reported financial condition was sustained substantially by an institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud, known since as the Enron scandal. Enron has since become a well-known example of willful corporate fraud and corruption. The scandal also brought into question the accounting practices and activities of many corporations in the United States and was a factor in the creation of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002. The scandal also affected the greater business world by causing the dissolution of the Arthur Andersen accounting company

THIS ENDED UP HERE:

WE DON’T HAVE A MARBLED LOBBY, WE DON’T MAKE CHEMICALS!

BUT WE HAVE A GENUINE IDEA OF HOW IT FEELS TO BE A WILDSTYLER.

WE DISCUSSED AND CAPTURED SIX CULTURE PILLARS AT THE WILDSTYLE NETWORK:

1. WE FOCUS ON VALUES

2. NO FEAR OF FAILURE & PERFORMANCE

3. FREEDOM & RESPONSEBILITY

4. CONTEXT, NOT CONTROL

5. SHARING SUCCESS

6. PEOPLE PROMOTIONS, DEVELOPMENT

WE FOCUS ON VALUES: AND THESE ARE THE NINE BEHAVIORS AND SKILLS WE VALUE THE MOSTMEANING OF “WE VALUE”: WE PREFER TO PROMOTE AND HIRE WILDSTYLERS WHO DEMONSTRATE THESE NINE.

JUDGEMENTCOMMUNI-

CATIONIMPACT

THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE

INNOVATION

COURAGE, INTRAPRENEUR-

SHIPJOY HONESTY SELFLESSNESS

SELFLESSNESS

• Working at Wildstyle Network is not about getting awards or making the list of “most awesome people”

• You seek what is best for Wildstyle Network, rather than best for yourself

• Your are ego-less when searching for the best ideas and most creative solution

• You make time to help other Wildstylers

• You share information openly and pro-activly

WE HELP EACH OTHER TO BE GREAT!

COMMUNICATION

• You listen well, instead of reacting fast. So you can understand better!

• You are concise and articulate organized in speech and writing

• You treat people (no matter if it’s a client or service provider) with respect independent of their status or disagreement with you.

• You maintain calm poise in stressful situations. This is how we’ll always find the best solution for a challenge.

• You have a great memorable pitch of yourself at Wildstyle Network

• And don’t forget: Everybody loves feedback

THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE

• We learn rapidly and eagerly

• We have no fear of failure

• We’re extremely hungry for what’s going on in technology, design and on-the-ground opportunities

• We seek to understand our own strategy, the consumer market, clients and a client’s personal needs

• We are broadly knowledgeable about our client’s audiences, business, technology and design

• We ain’t afraid of no ghost!

• We contribute effectivly outside of our speciality

• Without curiosity we’ll not become innovative

IMPACT

• We love the smart Wow Effect

• Wildstylers demonstrate consistently strong performance so colleagues can rely upon you

• Wildstylers focus on great results rather than show effects

• More action, more confidence, less „coulds“

JUDGEMENT

• A Wildstyler makes wise decisions (people, technical, business and creative) despite ambiguity

• A Wildstyler identifies root causes, and gets beyond treating symptoms

• A Wildstyler thinks strategically, and can articulate what the message is

• A Wildstyler smartly separates what must be done well now, and what can be done or improved later – no matter who the sender is

• Judgement needs knowledge, confidence and courage

INNOVATION

• You re-conceptualize issues to discover practical solutions to hard problems

• You challenge prevailing assumptions when warranted, and suggest better approaches

• You create new ideas and products that prove useful or lead Wildstyle Network to another level

• You keep us nimble by minimizing complexity and finding time to simplify

• Innovation is not only technology or design. It’s also find in the way we work with our clients and how we behave

COURAGE AND BEING AN INTRAPRENEUR

• A Wildstyler questions actions inconsistent with our values

• A Wildstyler says what he/she thinks even if it is controversial – every opinion is valuable and forms the decision process and general thinking

• A Wildstyler makes tough decisions without agonizing

• Every Wildstyler is willed and supported to take smart risks

• Wildstyle leads hire the most skilled people, align them, and get out of the way. This means embracing and demanding skill, transparency, creativity, freedom, responsibility and discipline.

PASSION & JOY

• You inspire others with your thirst for excellence, your curiosity and best practices

• You care intensely about Wildstyle Network’s success

• You care intensely about other Wildstyler’s success

• You celebrate wins!

• You love to learn from losses

• You are tenacious

• You make others pensionable about your stuff

• You mirror that passion when presenting or communicating with clients, partners and suppliers

• And again: We’re all intrapreneurs.

HONESTY & LOYALTY

• We are known for candor and smart directness

• We are non-political

• We only say things about fellow employees we will say to their face

• We are quick to admit mistakes and

• …we are willed to iron errors out

• We are loyal to each other and to our clients

NO RANKING AGAINST OTHERS:

• We avoid „top 30%“ and „bottom 10%“ rankings amongst Wildstylers

• We don‘t want Wildstylers to feel competitive with each other

• All Wildstylers should be „Top 10%“ relative to the pool of global candidates

• We want Wildstylers to help each other, and they do!

HIGH PERFORMANCE & TEAM BASED ON PRACTICING LIKE A PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM. WE’RE INTRAPRENEURS.

• Great Workplace is to have great Co-Wildstylers

• Great workplaces is not only Espresso, lush benefits, a nice office, bonus programs or a fruit bar

• Wo do some of the things, but only if they are efficient at attracting and retaining great Co-Wildstylers

• Like every company, we try to hire well.

• We practice as a pro sports team (not a kid’s recreational team)

– A corporate pro team: the more talent we have, the more we can achieve. So our people assist each other all the time.

– Internal “Cutthroat” or “sink or swim” behavior is not tolerated

• Wildstyle Leads hire, develop and cut smartly. We want to have stars in every position.

• Every coach needs a coaching, too.

• Every Wildstyler acts as an intrapreneur – a mix of internal entrepreneurs.

“One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” Friedrich Nietzsche

ABOUT FREEDOM, CHAOS & PROCESSES

WE LOVE THE CREATIVE CHAOS AND WE DON’T VALUE POLICIES. BUT WE NEED SOME RULES ABOUT EXPENSES, TRAVEL, GIFTS, BUDGETS. OUR POLICY FOR EVERYTHING IS SIX WORDS LONG:

“ACT IN WILDSTYLE NETWORK’S BEST INTEREST!”

In other words: Expense as you would if it where your own money or company.

PLEASE CONSIDER THIS AS A CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT TO WORK ON OUR CULTURE AS WE GROW. THANK YOU!

wildstyle network GmbHHELPING BRANDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE EVER CHANGING CONSUMER LANDSCAPES.

Office Germany:

Werner-Hartmann-Str. 6

01099 Dresden, Germany

Tel.: ++49.351.79625.00

Managing Partner: Steve Nitzschner

Career & HR: Eva Bösche

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