All Hands On Deck: 8 Essential Lessons for Building a Culture of Ownership

Chapter 4. Lesson 2: Use Structure and Process to Create Culture

Walt and Corey walked in silence for a while as they finished their ice-cream cones. Corey had the sensation that they were passing by other features in Walt's ethereal theme park, though he couldn't see them. In the distance, he heard what sounded like a men's choir, though the closer they came, the more obvious it was that many of the voices were off-key. Walt brushed the last bits of waffle cone from his fingers. "Winston Churchill said that we first shape our buildings, and then our buildings shape us. When we designed buildings for the Magic Kingdom, we wanted people to experience the happiest place on earth. I knew the experience would begin with the physical structures, but that would only be the beginning of the experience. Though I didn't use the term 'cultural blueprinting' at the time, I always knew we had to put as much thought into the invisible architecture as we did the architecture that can be seen with the eyes."

"Invisible architecture?" Just as Corey finished his ice-cream cone and wadded up the napkin, they happened by a wastebasket.

"Yes. Invisible architecture is made up of the values, the culture, and the emotional feel of an organization. It is ultimately more important than the physical buildings in determining how engaged people are in their work, which of course profoundly affects how well customers enjoy their experience." They were getting closer to the sound of the singing voices, and it ...