Culture Deck
Documents values and behavioral norms.
PURPOSE
Many organizations have no explicit documentation of their cultural values and behavioral norms, leading to disorientation and inconsistent behavior. A Culture Deck makes the company culture tangible and communicable, both for existing employees and for applicants. It serves as a reference point for cultural discussions and decisions.
HOW TO USE
Leadership works together with employees to develop the central values, principles, and expected behaviors. These are formulated clearly and vividly in a slide deck or document, ideally with concrete examples. The Culture Deck is made publicly accessible and regularly reviewed against lived practice and updated.
WHAT IT IS
A Culture Deck is a document that describes the values, principles, and behavioral norms of an organization. It became known through the Netflix Culture Deck, which is considered one of the most influential documents in Silicon Valley. Typical contents include core values, leadership principles, employee expectations, and the stance on topics like freedom and responsibility.
EXAMPLE
Example: Your growing tech company with 200 employees discovers that new colleagues only understand the unwritten rules after months — for example, that mistakes should be openly addressed. You create a Culture Deck that documents your values, behavioral expectations, and concrete everyday examples and use it in onboarding.