Some Notes on Company Culture 一些关于企业文化的要点 What follows are condensed notes on almost 20 years of working in tech. In that time I’ve worked with people and teams of different sizes, on different journeys, led by people with different leadership styles. I’ve seen some good, I’ve seen some bad. I’ve seen (and made) mistakes.

以下是我近20年来在科技领域工作的集中总结。这段时间里，我跟各种各样的人，各种规模大小的团队一起工作，经历了各种不同的过程。我被不同领导风格的人引领，我见过好的领导风格，也见过不好的，我也见到过（也犯过）错误的。

Based on these personal experiences, I’ve come to understand how fundamental the right combination of people, and how they work together, is to a company’s success.

基于这些个人经验，我逐渐领悟到正确的组合这些人和让他们正确的一起工作，对一家公司的成功来说是多么的至关重要。

What is Company Culture?

Company culture exists without anyone even having to try, whether you like it or not. When you throw people together to work on a problem, a culture is going to present itself. It’s an organic thing that takes on a life of its own. It is therefore affected by everyone you add, and take away.

企业文化是什么 试都不用试就能知道，企业文化是肯定存在的，无论你喜欢与否。当你把一些人组织到一起解决一个问题的时候，文化就会自我显现出来。它是一种像生命一样的有机体。每增加一个人或者减少一个人都会对它有影响。

Company culture is unique and specific to each company. Establishing and maintaining a “positive” one is hard, but worth the effort.

每家公司的企业文化都是独一无二的的，各个公司都不尽相同。建立和保持一个积极的企业文化是困难的，但却是值得的。

It is the responsibility of everyone to contribute to the kind of culture they want to be a part of. But, it is the responsibility of the company leadership to support and nurture that process over time.

每个人都有责任对他想成为其中一份子的企业做出文化上的贡献。但是，持续的支持和培养这种文化却是公司领导层的职责。

The CEO’s most important job is to ensure the company maintains a positive culture, since every single aspect of how the company operates is touched by it.

因为企业文化会涉及到公司运营的方方面面，所以CEO最重要的工作就是保持一种积极的文化。

What Company Culture Is Not. It is not free lunches and snacks. It is not ping pong tables. It’s not bean bags. It is not kegerators. It is not branded t-shirts or hoodies. It is not artisanal coffee.

企业文化不是什么？ 企业文化不是免费午餐和小吃，不是乒乓球台子，也不是豆袋沙发，更不是小啤酒桶，也不是品牌T恤衫或者帽衫。当然，手工咖啡也不算。

Don’t get me wrong. These things are nice. If they are a feature of your working environment, that is a privilege — one that a lot of people working in tech have come to expect. Whether things like these contribute to making people feel happy and productive in their work, I really can’t say.

我不是说这些东西不好，其实挺好的。如果你的工作环境里有这些东西，你就有了“优越感”，因为科技圈的很多人都向往这些。不过这些东西是否能让人们在工作中感到开心或者更有生产力，这个真不好说。

But please don’t mistake these trappings for culture.

但请不要把你的未来赌在这些锦上添花的东西上。

What are the things that characterise a positive company culture? Openness. Trust. Respect. Collaboration. Empowerment. Responsibility. Communication. Diversity. Empathy. Spirit. Emotional Investment. Pride in work. Commitment to each other. Openness to criticism. And a lot more besides…

哪些事会培育出积极的企业文化？ 开放、信任、尊重、协作、放权、担责、沟通、多样性、同情心、企业精神、情感投资、工作成就感、彼此托付、包容批评、还有其他很多。

These are the kind of things that embody a positive company culture. One where people feel happy and productive in their work. Where the customer is both the end user of the product and the net beneficiary of the positive culture.

这类事情会孕育出积极的企业文化。人们在工作中感到快乐并且富有生产力。对用户来说，他们即是最终用户，也是这种积极文化的最终受益人。

What are the things that characterise a negative company culture? The opposite of everything above ☺

Any combination of these opposites will, over time, lead to a negative, toxic work environment and culture. People will be unhappy, unproductive, dissatisfied with their job, and maybe even their life. No one will want to work at the company. The product suffers, the customer’s become unhappy. Growth stalls, then falls.

Not a good outcome.

什么样的事会培育出消极的企业文化？ 跟上面这些相反的不就是喽~ ：）

以上这些的反例组合在一起，随着时间的流逝，会导致消极，有毒的工作环境和企业文化。人们开始不高兴，没有生产力，不满意他们的工作，甚至会怀疑人生。那就没人会想在公司工作了。产品糟糕，用户不高兴，爬的越高，摔的越重。

这样的结果不太美妙。

How can you create a positive culture? If you are in a leadership role, then understanding that this is the most important part of your job is the first step. However, since every single employee has the power to directly affect a company’s culture (for better or worse) everyone has a role to play.

你怎么才能创造出积极的企业文化？ 如果你扮演的是一个领导者的角色，那么明白企业文化是最重要的，只是第一步。当然，既然每个员工都有可能直接影响（好的方向或者坏的方向）到企业文化，所以每个人都有自己的角色。

Positive company cultures are created and maintained by working hard and being committed to each other. By establishing, as a team, what values the group wants to be defined by. By understanding what principles will guide each interpersonal interaction. By defining the principles by which customers are treated. By committing to the tenet’s by which the product is built, sold and supported.

积极的企业文化需要通过大量的努力才能创建和维持住。创建和维持会形成一种互反馈系统。创建的时候，想想你们这个团队希望被人如何定义。理解哪些原则会引导人与人之间的互动。规定用户被对待的标准方式。遵守产品的制造，销售和服务支持准则。

The whole company needs to collaborate in a meaningful way on what these values and principles are. All new team members need to be educated on the company values and principles, and real buy-­in is required to ensure the sustainability and constant improvement of culture.

整个公司需要通过一种符合价值观和原则的方法协作起来。所有的新加入成员需要学习这些价值观和原则，并且保证是真的听进去了。只有这样才能保证企业文化是可持续的，不断进步的。

This might sound like how a cult, or maybe a religion is formed. But if members of the team are not fanatical about how the product is built, sold and supported, then what is the point of the company even existing?

这是不是听起来像宗教的形成方式？可是，如果团队成员对产品的制造，销售，和服务支持没有那么狂热的信仰，那公司存在的意义又是什么呢？

Finally, cultural change doesn’t happen over night. You can’t simply email a group of people and say “Hey! Everybody! More culture, please!” It can be a long, challenging journey, but one made easier by having everyone on board.

最后，不得不说的是，文化的改变可不是一夜之间的。你不可能简单的给大家发个邮件说：“嗨，各位，请更有企业文化些！” 这个过程可能是长期的，充满挑战的。不过好处是，一旦达成，在公司这艘大船上，大家就会一起同舟共济！