I’m writing a book on this subject currently named, “How to Make Your Company Suck Less”. The short answer to your question is that culture is always evolving. Ultimately, it is a result of who you hire and how you shape it. Shaping it takes a lot of time, as does hiring (we are really careful/thorough here).

I personally spend around 10-15% of my time each quarter on cultural activities – whether that’s meeting with the executive team to discuss how to evolve it, taking new hires out to eat lunch and get to know them, presenting at our quarterly All-Hands at the Alamo Draft House, celebrating a milestone by the gong, or coaching our executive team in their quarterly performance review (as well as intensely reading the management feedback survey on myself, filled out by the executives that report to me as well as any of the team members that don’t).

The most important practice that we developed as an executive team within our first year of business is making the time to shape culture. Every quarter, our executive team meets to discuss strategy in a two-day off-site. Around 20% of that meeting has been dedicated to discussing culture. The “ah-ha” moments have come out of those discussions, including our controversial vacation policy (we trust the team to use what they need, and there is no accrual).

Thanks for the great question,
Brett

Tweeting is good for having many “surface-level” conversations simultaneously. The random interactions lead to business opportunities, including new jobs (or candidates), clients, and partners. It is like a huge cocktail party (read http://budurl.com/jwtweet).

Reading books is making a real investment in yourself. There is nothing like an author taking the time, researching past work, and putting it all down in writing for you. You are literally leveraging the wisdom of the ages, “standing on the shoulders of giants”.

No matter how busy I get, I take the time to invest in myself and read. It is incredibly important to my evolution as a leader, which directly impacts Bazaarvoice.

Take the time, even if that means taking vacation to do it.

Best,
Brett

It was my honor to present at Wharton, and I look forward to doing so again in November (I believe the Tech Club is arranging something with my assistant).

“And read, read, read (I read hundreds of books in my first two years as the CEO of Coremetrics).”

Today it seems as if everyone has a short attention span limiting conversations to either a 30-second elevator pitch or a 140 character Tweet. It was good for me to see your recommendation to “read, read, read…” I wish more leaders would make the same recommendation. The more I read the more I realize how much I have to learn. Reading helps: understand different views to an issue; patience, listen to the complete question rather than jump in mid-sentence; expand your horizons, there are other ways to approach business, new discoveries, new failures (you can learn what not to do). There is a place for Tweets and there is a place for substantive detail. Reading can spark a thought or discussion that will lead to solutions or services that otherwise you may have missed.

Best Regards,

I have ordered the books you recommended and am looking forward to reading them. Thanks for making the visit and continuing to make an impression on Wharton students!

Best of luck,
Alicia

Follow your passion always. Think big. Change the world. Focus. Never settle on recruiting. Build culture from day one.

If you’re young, read “Fierce Conversations”. And read, read, read (I read hundreds of books in my first two years as the CEO of Coremetrics). Constantly seek mentors that are more experienced than yourself.

Best,
Brett