Sara Sheehan examines how to create a positive company culture based on guidance from Daniel Coyle’s book The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups. She identifies the three fundamental skills that Coyle singles out as key to sustaining a strong organizational culture – building safety, sharing vulnerability, and establishing purpose – and discusses how each skill improves team performance when implemented.
Sara gets in-depth into how each of the three skills affects company culture for the better. Building safety allows teams to perform well because their members feel safe, connected, and supported. Sharing vulnerability may seem counterintuitive to high performance but Sara reveals that in truth it leads to deeper trust. Establishing a purpose comes through sharing a defined mission and values. Everyone should feel guided by a clear and shared understanding of why they do the work they do.
Far from being merely theoretical, Sara shares how these foundational skills would look in operation through the example of a fictional company putting them into practice. She then follows up with real-world success stories from an unnamed client of hers. Having already used these skills to guide real clients to better results, Sara’s sharing of Coyle’s book and examination of what it means in practice becomes an invaluable tool for unifying companies into a positive culture.
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Resources discussed in this episode:
- “The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups” by Daniel Coyle
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Contact Sara Sheehan | Sara Sheehan Consulting:
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Transcript:
Sara Sheehan: [00:00:02] Hi there, I’m Sara Sheehan and welcome to my podcast, Transformational Thinkers with Sara Sheehan. Today I’ll be sharing a monologue message with you on creating a positive workplace culture. Over the course of my career, the number of companies with toxic workplaces has increased dramatically. There are three key skills that leaders can build to develop and sustain a strong workplace culture. Building safety, sharing vulnerability, and establishing purpose. This month, I’ll be talking about building a positive company culture and the insights from ‘The Culture Code’ by Daniel Coyle. This book provides a wonderful guide for how to address and create a great place to work. Building a positive company culture, key insights from ‘The Culture Code’. In ‘The Culture Code’, Daniel Coyle explores the secrets behind the success of highly productive teams, emphasizing that effective group culture is not a fixed attribute, but rather a dynamic living process. Based on extensive research and visits to eight of the world’s most successful groups, Coyle identifies three fundamental skills that leaders can cultivate to create and sustain a strong organizational culture. Building safety, sharing vulnerability, and establishing purpose. In this talk, we will break down these key points, illustrate their practical applications, and offer concrete steps for implementing them in the workplace to foster a positive and thriving company culture.
Sara Sheehan: [00:02:10] First of all, building safety, creating a sense of belonging. The first step toward developing a positive organizational culture is fostering a deep sense of safety within the group. High-performing teams excel when their members feel safe, connected, and supported. They feel like they belong, and this sense of belonging encourages them to contribute their best efforts without fear of exclusion or judgment. Key concepts here include belonging cues. These are subtle signals that people send and receive and social interactions reinforce the message you are safe here and you belong. This can include eye contact, physical proximity, tone of voice, and active listening. Connection and support. Teams that thrive are ones where individuals feel they have each other’s backs. There is an implicit understanding that everyone is part of a tight-knit unit working towards a shared goal. Some practical tips for building safety. Create inclusive environments. Leaders should actively create spaces where everyone’s voice is heard, regularly soliciting feedback and input from all team members builds a sense of inclusion and value. Focus on nonverbal communication. Small, consistent acts of nonverbal communication can reinforce safety. For example, leaders who make eye contact, nod during conversations, and lean in while listening create an atmosphere where team members feel acknowledged and respected. Celebrate collaboration. Recognize and celebrate not only individual successes, but also collaborative efforts. This shows that teamwork is valued and that the company recognizes and prioritizes group over individual glory.
Sara Sheehan: [00:04:42] Second, sharing vulnerability. Building trust through mutual risks. The second foundational skill in Coyle’s framework is sharing vulnerability. High-performing teams do not shy away from vulnerability but embrace it as a path to deeper trust. This involves leaders and team members being open about their weaknesses, uncertainties, and challenges, fostering an environment where trust can thrive. Key concepts here include leaders setting the example. Leadership plays a crucial role in modeling vulnerability. When leaders acknowledge mistakes, ask for help, or admit when they don’t have all the answers, they may signal to the team that it’s okay to be imperfect. Mutual risks. Teams that perform well together often do so because they take risks together. This collective risk-taking builds resilience, trust, and a willingness to cooperate in times of uncertainty. Some practical steps to share vulnerability. Model vulnerability as a leader. Share personal challenges and lessons from failure with the team. This creates a ripple effect, encouraging others to do the same and building a culture of transparency. Encourage open dialog. Create regular forums where employees can openly share struggles and ask for help. Whether it’s a weekly meeting or an anonymous platform, provide spaces where vulnerability is seen as a strength, not a liability. Promote cross-functional teamwork. Working across departments on shared projects can encourage team members to embrace vulnerability. When employees step out of their comfort zones to collaborate with others, they grow to rely on their peers, deepening trust.
Sara Sheehan: [00:07:05] Third, establishing purpose. Defining a shared mission and values. The third key ingredient to a positive company culture is establishing a strong sense of purpose. High-performing teams are guided by a clear and shared understanding of why they are doing the work they do. This shared mission creates alignment and motivation, allowing the team to work with passion and commitment. Key concepts here include defining the why. A strong purpose is a vivid motivational story that gives meaning to the team’s work. It answers the question, why are we here, and what are we working toward? Purpose as a compass. When challenges arise, a well-defined purpose serves as a guiding light, helping teams stay focused and motivated. Teams with a clear purpose are more likely to view obstacles as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks. Practical steps to establish purpose. Craft a compelling vision statement. Leaders should invest time in creating and communicating a vision that resonates with the entire team. This vision should inspire, align with the company’s values, and be revisited often. Link daily tasks to the bigger picture. Employees are more engaged when they understand how their day-to-day work contributes to the organization’s larger goals. Managers should regularly connect with team achievements to the overarching mission. Foster storytelling. Share stories that exemplify the company’s purpose in action. These stories should come from customer feedback, significant project milestones, or examples of employees going above and beyond to embody the organization’s values.
Sara Sheehan: [00:09:34] Now, I’d like to share a practical example of applying the culture code in real life through a hypothetical example. We’ll call the company ‘Innovate Tech’, and it applies the three principles to cultivate a strong culture. Step one: building safety. Innovate Tech begins by redesigning its physical office layout to encourage open communication and collaboration. The company also implements regular check-ins where every employee has an opportunity to speak. Leaders are trained to actively listen, give feedback, and use nonverbal cues that reinforce safety, such as eye contact and attentive body language. Over time, employees start feeling more secure and valued. Step two sharing vulnerability. The CEO of Innovate Tech sets the tone by openly discussing a recent mistake they made in a project meeting. This admission sparks a company-wide initiative where employees are encouraged to share lessons learned from failures. Innovate Tech adopts a practice called ‘Failure Fridays’, where employees present a failed project and what they learn from it. The vulnerability increases trust within teams and accelerates problem-solving. Step three establishes purpose. The leadership team at Innovate Tech revised its mission statement to emphasize how the company’s innovative products help improve people’s lives. They communicate this mission during all-hands meetings, where customer success stories are shared to remind employees of the company’s impact. The company also decorates its office with posters highlighting its purpose, constantly reminding employees why their work matters.
Sara Sheehan: [00:11:47] Now let’s take a look at a real client example whose name will be protected. This is a recent client that I worked with, and I supported them in creating behavior change plans based on these principles, their desired business outcomes, and key metrics that will help staff adopt new ways of working. Building safety. The client needs to support staff in moving beyond fear to courage and empower them through training so that everyone has a baseline competency in their functional area. The client is planning training across several functional sub-teams that will help them create a level playing field, encouraging employees to take action on a daily basis. Additionally, recommendations included guidance for the functional executive to complete a listening tour to hear the needs and concerns of all employees on a very personal level. Sharing vulnerability. The client set a goal to continuously improve processes, learn from past experience, and use metrics to track performance on a monthly basis. This will involve creating new habits, habit stacking, and sharing results with the team. These actions will certainly provide opportunities for leaders and staff to get vulnerable about how it’s going in a personal and a team level. When you choose to get vulnerable and let your staff experiment with new approaches, you will build trust over time. Establishing purpose. The leadership and staff needed a reason to work together on problems with a shared purpose. One approach they will be implementing will be the creation of a two-solution culture. When an employee raises a concern or business problem to a leader, the leader’s response will be, let’s schedule time on the calendar to discuss this further and bring two solutions to the problem so we can explore the best solution to implement together. This ensures more staff opportunities to work with leaders on a shared purpose and breaks down barriers that were once impermeable.
Sara Sheehan: [00:14:26] In conclusion, building culture with intention. ‘The Culture Code’ offers valuable insights into how organizations can intentionally craft positive and productive cultures. The three key principles, building safety, sharing vulnerability, and establishing purpose, serve as a blueprint for leaders seeking to create high-performing teams by fostering an environment where employees feel safe, supported, and aligned around a common goal. Companies can unlock the full potential of their workforce and drive sustained success. Building a strong company culture is not an overnight process. It requires commitment, consistency, and, above all, a willingness to lead by example. By implementing these principles, leaders can build an environment where people feel empowered to do their best work, collaborate meaningfully, and move toward shared success. As always, subscribe so you never miss an episode. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Sara Sheehan: [00:15:50] Thank you so much for listening to today’s episode on creating a positive workplace culture. The key takeaways from the podcast today include, first, build safety. Creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued is the foundation of a positive culture. Second, share vulnerability. Foster deep trust within your team by embracing and modeling vulnerability. This encourages openness and strengthens resilience. Third, establish purpose. Define and communicate a shared mission that aligns with your company’s values. A clear purpose fuels passion and commitment. Building a strong culture is an ongoing journey, but with intention, consistency, and a willingness to lead by example, it’s absolutely achievable. As always, subscribe and never miss an episode. Please share your thoughts in the comments.
