The Culture Code

Ever pondered on the secret ingredient that drives a company’s thriving culture of continuous learning? Dive in as we unravel the formula at HealthEdge with Wendi Ellis, the VP of Talent and Learning at HealthEdge. HealthEdge is a game-changing healthcare SaaS enterprise. While HealthEdge seamlessly processes your medical claims behind the scenes, Wendi and her team work diligently to cultivate a culture that values endless learning and growth.Pillars of Culture at HealthEdge: Continuous learning, constant improvement, and tech-innovative solutions.Senior Leadership’s Role: The influence and benchmark set by HealthEdge leadership emphasizes continuous learning and development.Elevating Managers: The transformative journey of shifting from traditional performance reviews to mid-year check-ins, all under HealthEdge’s banner year: "The Year of the Manager."Feedback and Its Nuances: How HealthEdge trains managers to convert feedback from a conflict to a conversation, driving transparency and effectiveness.Measuring Impact: A glimpse into the success metrics of HealthEdge’s initiatives and the drive for consistent improvement.Navigating Remote Challenges: The importance of fostering connections in an increasingly remote and digital workspace.Book Insights: Ellis's personal reflection on the book "11 Secrets Successful People Know About Goal Setting" and its profound impact on her career vision.

Ever wondered how a booming tech company maintains its original start-up vibe while doubling its workforce in just a year?Step inside the dynamic world of Turo with Lorie Boyd, the Chief People Officer at the largest peer-to-peer car-sharing platform. From unique cars for weekend getaways to ensuring a stellar workplace culture, Boyd sheds light on Turo’s rapid evolution and growth.Turo’s culture: From grounded and expressive to bold and driven. Cultivating leadership: For leaders at Turo, growing their people is the primary job responsibility.Feedback loops: How Turo effectively gauges employee sentiment and follows up with actionable solutions.The pivotal role of self-care: A peek into the company’s culture initiative, Positive Intelligence, and an emphasis on holistic self-growth.Book insights: How "The Art of Gathering" inspired Turo’s approach to in-person gatherings in a post-remote work world.Growth and the future: Turo’s ambition to stay nimble and its determination to uphold its cherished company culture amidst rapid scaling.

Dive deep into the heart of one of the world's most engaged cultures at Pinterest, where employees aren't just workers but active users of their own site.Christine Deputy, the Chief People Officer at Pinterest, pulls back the curtain to reveal the secret ingredients of Pinterest's flourishing culture. With nearly 4,000 employees globally, discover what keeps this innovative platform inspired and buzzing.Christine covers: The tradition of "Knit Con" a unique company ritual that brings the virtual Pinterest experience to life.Leadership development: How Pinterest nurtures its managers and high-potential leaders with highly original initiatives like "CNEXT."The innovation-driving initiative "Makeathon:" How it brings out creative solutions from the team.Essential book recommendations from Deputy for HR pros.The "PinFlex Program:" Pinterest's post-Covid return-to-work strategy and its positive outcomes.The essence of "Earning the Commute" and the keys to ensuring a flexible work model thrives.Tune in to get inspired by Pinterest’s unique approach to fostering a work culture where creativity, individuality, and inspiration reign supreme.

Imagine leading the world's largest fully remote workforce: 1,300 employees across 70+ countries. How would you scale such an expansive, global culture? Join us as we chat with Michelle Labbe, the Chief People Officer at Toptal. A company designed to connect businesses with the world’s top talents, Toptal has become the gold standard for remote work. Since its inception in 2010, the company has never owned an office, yet it has fostered a rich, thriving culture. Labbe covered: The Remote Advantage: Discover the roots of Toptal's remote-first philosophy and how they've made it their superpower, continuously attracting top talent from around the world.Decoding Toptal’s Culture: Direct, collaborative, helpful, and challenging. Dive deep into these cornerstones of Toptal's cultural DNA that not only attract the best but ensure they thrive in this unique work environment.Hiring for Culture: Explore the rigorous process Toptal employs, ensuring every recruit is in alignment with its core values and ethos.Empowering Leaders: Delve into Toptal’s comprehensive leadership development programs, from introductory paths for the curious to excellence tracks for seasoned leaders.A Pulse on Engagement: Learn about Toptal’s innovative methods for gauging employee happiness and feedback. From quick Slack surveys to in-depth biannual reviews, Toptal leaves no stone unturned.Ownership and Growth: Michelle highlights the importance of proactive ownership in one's career journey, advocating for a mindset that seeks challenges and growth.Bridging Cultural Gaps: Labbe recommends "The Culture Map" by Erin Meyer - a must-read for anyone in the HR world, especially for companies as globally diverse as Toptal.

At the intersection of speed, technology, and life sciences, Veeva Systems is changing the way BioPharma companies operate. But how do they maintain a culture of speed with a rapidly growing team spanning 40 countries?Meet Vivian Welsh, the Chief People Officer of Veeva Systems, a company renowned for its ground-breaking software, data, and services designed to revolutionize the pharmaceutical landscape.Key Topics Covered:The Essence of Veeva’s Culture: Journey into the heart of Veeva’s values, which revolve around doing the right thing, customer success, employee success, and most notably - speed.Molding Leaders: Delve into Veeva's "Manager Boot Camp", a fundamental step in shaping leaders who can drive a consistent and engaging culture across the organization.Peer-Powered Growth: Discover the unique approach of Veeva’s managers’ communities, fostering cross-functional learning and mentorship.Feedback Reinvented: Learn about Veeva's transformation from annual reviews to their authentic check-in process, designed to catalyze open dialogue and empower employees.Slowing Down to Speed Up: Understand the paradox Welsh highlights about the need for systematic thinking amidst a fast-paced environment.Reading for Success: Welsh recommends "The Ideal Team Player" - a book that encapsulates the traits Veeva looks for in its team members and leaders.Veeva's Exciting Trajectory: Get a sneak peek into the company's future, with plans to expand their team from 7k to a whopping 10k by 2025.Step into the fast-paced world of Veeva Systems and discover how a culture of speed, innovation, and people-centric values paves the way for industry success.

In this episode we dive deep into the heart of HubSpot's culture! With the VP of Culture and ESG at HubSpot, Eimear Marrinan, we uncover the strategies behind scaling and sustaining a customer-centric culture to a global remote workforce.Key Topics Covered:The Essence of HubSpot's Culture: Learn about the HEART acronym (Humble, Empathetic, Adaptable, Remarkable, Transparent) and the driving force of "solving for the customer."Investing in Culture: Discover the three primary ways HubSpot nourishes its culture, from their 125-page Culture Code slide deck to measuring engagement and key cultural activation events.Customer Feedback in Real-Time: Understand the significance of direct interactions with customers and how their insights help shape the company's direction.Celebrating Company Values: Delve into "HEART Week," an annual week devoted to HubSpot values.The Week of Rest: Discover how HubSpot emphasizes the well-being of its employees by designating an annual week for relaxation and recharge.Connect4 Initiative: Explore how this newly launched initiative bridges the virtual gap, ensuring HubSpotters stay connected regardless of location.Developing First-Line Leaders: Get a glimpse of HubSpot’s comprehensive approach to nurturing its new managers and promoting talent into leadership positions.The Power of Radical Candor: Unearth the importance of clear, empathetic feedback in fostering a high-performing culture.PRESS SUBSCRIBE to get weekly interviews just like this one. 

At my old companies, I sold millions of dollars worth of binders, facilitator guides, and participant kits.I was part of the OLD WAY of doing leadership development:build out binders of content (competencies, lists, models, and steps)deliver 5-day workshopsschedule classesgenerate enrollmentmeasure attendance and completionThe old way was all about content. Content curation and content delivery.But, I became MUCH better at leadership development when I shifted my focus.I shifted my focus from the old way to the NEW WAY:devote 70% of your TIME to behavior changedevote 70% of your BUDGET to behavior changeplay the role of a Behavior Change GUIDE, not Content Curatorhelp leaders integrate knowledge and build habitsmeasure behavior changeI directed every ounce of focus toward the ultimate outcome: BEHAVIOR CHANGE.And the results streamed in.Building habits > Knowledge dumping*By the way, when I shifted my perspective, I built LEADx in response. At LEADx, we combine live virtual training and coaching with micro-learning, highly personalized nudges, and micro-exercises. It’s a system designed to change behavior.

The number one mistake leadership development professionals make with emerging leaders programs? How they approach SELECTION.This episode details how to nail the selection process.You have to stop:- Overthinking and overcomplicating your selection process- Dumping money and resources into SELECTION- Weeding out enthusiastic applicantsAnd you have to start:- Selecting based on self-selection + manager approval- Dumping money into TRAINING- Enabling and encouraging enthusiastic talentShift your mindset away from exclusivity and toward potential. A strong emerging leaders program is a huge competitive advantage. It helps you build a pipeline of diverse talent and then cultivate that talent. So don't put too much money and time into limiting your pipeline.

This episode is a LEAKED event from our private, members-only Community of Practice for Leadership Development Professionals. In this episode, we first sit down with Dr. Richard Winters, who is both a practicing ER Physician and the esteemed Director of Leadership Development at Mayo Clinic. He unveils key insights from his book, "You’re the Leader. Now What? Leadership Lessons from Mayo Clinic." Discover how one of the world's top healthcare institutions fosters leadership excellence and how these lessons can transcend the medical field.In the second half of the show, we interview Darin Bond, Director of Learning & Development at Duck Creek Technologies. Dive deep into a compelling case study on how Duck Creek, a frontrunner in insurance software solutions, scales and sustains its leadership development initiatives in a rapidly-evolving tech landscape. Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting your journey, this episode is packed with actionable wisdom you won't want to miss.

In this interview the CPO of Quizlet, Stephanie Douglass, shares her extensive experience and deep insights into organizational culture. She gets into:  Quizlet's Culture of Learning: Learn about the passionate and inclusive environment where every team is celebrated, and the mantra "I can't wait to learn from you" resonates.Leadership Development: How does Quizlet nurture its leaders to grow its culture? Find out how real, on-the-job challenges, DEI education, and monthly meetings forge strong leaders.Decoding Employee Experience: From formal surveys to informal Slack channels, get a look into how Quizlet listens to its employees and acts on feedback.DEI Initiatives: Discover how Quizlet has set a strong foundation in diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially in hiring and promotions.Reading Recommendations from Douglass: If you're in HR or just love a good read, don't miss the three books Stephanie swears by.The Humility Quotient: At Quizlet, humility is a strength. But Stephanie wishes there was just a tad more "bragging" about the meaningful work being done.The Future of Quizlet: With AI-powered tools that democratize education, find out what makes Stephanie most excited about Quizlet's future.Tune in to this enlightening conversation and step into a world where learning is not just a product but a deeply ingrained culture.PRESS SUBSCRIBE to get more interviews just like this one each week.