New, growing companies can suffer from culture whiplash as each team member comes on board, eager to share good ideas, their experiences, and things that have worked for them. However, to paraphrase
Forbes magazine , success in 2025 and beyond requires actively shaping culture to align with strategic goals instead of allowing it to develop by default. Our solution for shaping the culture at Gestalt is the topic of this issue of The Gestalt Gathering – a culture playbook that outlines our unique values and operating principles for doing our jobs, continuously improving, and being successful.
Origin Story
At our previous company, one of our execs returned from a conference with an idea of creating a playbook that would spell out who we were and what we stood for. She said it was suggested at the conference for use at home with families. Something you’d place on the door as a reminder for everyone of what their family valued most as they left the house.
It was easy to see how this idea of a playbook could benefit our growing company, ensuring everyone was on the same page about what our company valued and what we aspired to be. I thought it seemed fun, so we gathered in the conference room and started asking ourselves and defining who we were, who we weren’t, who we wanted to be, and who we didn’t want to be. An exercise most companies do.Out of it came our culture playbook.
Next up was figuring out how to bring the culture playbook to life for the whole team.It was fun creating the playbook, but less so trying to make it come alive for our team. We used posters on walls, pages in notebooks, and other approaches, but they didn’t engrain the ideas and actions of the playbook into the daily lives of our team.
Here’s what did:
- Learning them ourselves.
- Calling back to the playbook for clarity when situations arose.
- Saying the values in the playbook over and over and over and over again.
- Getting different perspectives on the playbook to make sure we were all saying the same thing.
Favorite Playbook Moments of the Past
One of our A players could get frustrated when others didn’t keep to the same high standard as she did. Our culture playbook said, “Assume good intentions. We’re all on the same team. Always start by assuming the other person’s intention was good even if the impact wasn’t.” The saying became a mantra in conversations with her, and it changed her perspective. Instead of focusing on why a person was trying to make her life miserable, she could begin to solve the problem by asking why it was happening. “What could it be? Am I not communicating well? Maybe we see the situation differently?” Etc, etc.
Another memory I have about the culture playbook from our past company has to do with the most debated principle we had and the hardest to achieve.It was two simple words: Be Present. The idea was that we were responsible for intentions and impact. We were to be present in whatever we were doing. If you were asked to be part of something that you didn’t need to be fully present during, set the expectation.
“But most importantly, we thought about ways where everyone could win.”
Every time “Be Present” was the item of the week, people would disagree. Was it really critical? Why couldn’t we multitask? All the leaders multitasked. But the idea of being present was foundational to our culture even though we weren’t great at it. We kindly called people out in meetings. We nicely asked people to be present or not attend. We wouldn’t repeat questions. But most importantly, we thought about ways where everyone could win. For example, Person B could come to a meeting and not be present by announcing upfront they’ll be sitting in the corner and listening, not engaging and asking questions. Person B got what they needed – to listen in. Everyone else got what they needed – an engaged group.
Fast Forward to Gestalt
Gestalt is an entirely different company from the past one, but I’m still in aleadership position. Since the culture of a company is often a reflection of itsleaders, I found creating a second playbook with a unique spin was harder.
We started with the basics. As a data as a service company, what mattered to us? Our answer was the old adage: You reap what you sow. It’s exhausting in a start-up environment, always wondering if things are moving as they should, is it going fast enough, etc. With all the unknowns, the core principle of reaping what we sow –getting back what we give, what we send out comes back to us – became the foundation for our playbook.
From there, the analogy of planting and growing took root (wink, wink)…
…THE SOIL we plant in became our core values.
…THE SEEDS we plant became our operating principles.
And if we do these things – keep good soil, plant good seeds – we’ll get toreap what we have sown.
The SOIL We Plant In (OUR VALUES)
Do the Hard Thing(s)
Face the tough conversations head-on and push through discomfort. Growth comesfrom doing what’s challenging, not what’s easy.
Proactively Prepare
Success isn’t built on hope or simply showing up. We plan ahead, practiceconsistently – anticipating what’s needed and leading the way.
Do What We Say and We Say What We Do
Trust isn’t built by chance. We follow through on our commitments, being dependable and clear in our communication.
Ooze Vulnerability
We ask for help, we ask for training, we ask stupid questions (just not the same one two weeks in a row). We don’t pretend to know when we don’t.
Plant Daily
We measure our success by the efforts we put in each day. Focused, engaged, and persistent, we plant the seeds for long-term growth, ensuring our daily actions contribute to the bigger picture.
The SEEDS We Plant (OUR OPERATING PRINCIPLES)
Produce Trusted Work
Whether internally or externally, the data we deliver is reliable.
Respond Quickly
You don’t need to answer within 1 minute, but you do need to answer within 1,440minutes.
Give a SH*&
It’s more than just a job. We’re all-in, investing ourselves fully in the mission, not justchecking off tasks. We are united in our commitment to the vision we’re working tomake a reality.
Engage in the Present
Whether virtually or in person, we are fully engaged with the people around us. We listen attentively, ask thoughtful questions, and maximize the value of every interaction.
Evoke a WOW
It’s in the little things. There’s an undeniable difference about us. We make animpact through the little things that stand out.
Always Improve
Up and to the right. Despite setbacks, despite circular errors, all arrows point up andto the right.
Provide Appropriate Detail
We communicate clearly and effectively, tailoring the level of detail to the needs ofour audience. Every message is purposeful, ensuring everyone has the informationthey need.
Balance the Journey
There is a saying, “To be successful, have a wishbone, a backbone, and a funnybone”. And so we continue to dream, while persistently and confidently delivering –keeping a good sense of humor the entire way.
Look to the Metrics
Whether internal KPIs or key customer metrics, we track and use them to guide ourdecisions, ensuring we are always aligned with our goals.
The SOIL and SEEDS
haven’t become second nature in our culture yet. We have abit of a ways to go. But each week, a different team member reviews one for us.Some just talk about it and explain what it means to them. Others put decks together, prepare presentations that relate the value or principle to their life, or create a video game to explore the idea.
And, maybe most importantly, we’re trying to call each other on it. “Engage in thePresent” gets called out the most just as a similar “Be Present” did in the past.
I’m not saying a culture playbook is the only way. If you’ve created keywords or values to define your culture, that’s great. Just make sure they’re getting into the lifeblood of your company where they can make the biggest impact.