For many organisations, staff meetings are one the most avenues to discuss work plans and hold staff accountable. However, most meetings are wasted on status management. People hide weaknesses or just show off. It is like having a basketball team where every player dribbles in circles, avoiding risks. Escape the politics. Build trust. Let your team play to win.
Netflix set itself aside. It transformed its culture by abandoning traditional rules like fixed vacation policies and formal expense approvals. Why? Rules breed status games and distrust. Instead, Netflix leaders prioritized trust, focusing on accountability and outcomes.
When Reed Hastings told his team, “Act in Netflix’s best interest,” it sounded reckless. Yet it worked wonders. Employees stopped gaming the system and started owning their decisions.
The outcome is now evident. Netflix is a permanent presence in many households and offices with Internet connection. This outstanding success is a result of a high-performing culture where innovation thrives.
Your culture isn’t built on rules; it’s built on trust.
In workplaces where teams where people do not trust one another, culture dies. Once you build trust among your teams, your organisation will thrive.
I remain Mr Strategy.
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