The 50-Day Culture Test
I used to think core values were total bullshit.
Corporate theater that you get to throw on your wall and website to feel good.
This is the philosophy behind our content agency.
But then I saw Jason Fried’s definition of culture, which had me do a total 180.
Table of Contents
The Moving Average
He says:
“A company’s culture is a 50-day moving average. It is what you have been collectively doing as a company over the last 50 days.”
And if that is what culture is, core values determine what your last 50 days of behaviors should have looked like.
The Behavior Test
Did your hiring behaviors mimic your values?
Did the people you hired exhibit your values?
Did you reward and criticize in line with your values?
Did you deliver to and work with customers in accordance with your values?
The Truth
Your culture is your 50-day moving average of behaviors.
Your core values determine your behaviors.
And if your company’s core values are just words on a wall, it is a failure of enforcement.
Conclusion
Core values only matter when they drive actual behaviors across hiring, criticism, rewards, and customer relationships. Your culture is not what you say but what you have been doing for the last 50 days.