A recent posting of an internal Netflix guide on its Freedom and Responsibility Culture has generated quite a lot of attention. There are many gems in this 128-page document, from a very straightforward take on what to do with “adequate” performers:
…unlike many companies, we practice “adequate performance gets a generous severance package.”
(in other words, move them out now to make room for star performers), to the mature and enviable vacation policy:
We should focus on what people get done, not how many hours or days are worked. Just as we don’t have a 9-5 day policy, we don’t need a vacation policy.
One of the most thought-provoking views in the document is the treatment of Process, which is described as a necessary evil, to be tamed by an increasingly talented staff over time. Netflix states its goal for corporate culture as:
“…to increase employee freedom as we grow, rather than limit it…”
and within that goal, the organization’s view of Process is framed in terms of an ongoing struggle:
- As the organization grows and becomes more complex, chaos emerges
- Process usually emerges to stop the chaos
- However, the Process model drives more talent out – we can’t let this happen