No Rules Rules
Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention
by Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer
Why You Should Read This: Culture eats strategy every day of the week and this book highlights why Netflix is feasting. Here is the link to the Audible version of the book. but I also recommend buying a physical book so that you can be dog-ear and highlight it.
Through The Power MBA, an alternative MBA program focused on innovation and scale, I learned about this book. Once of the most impactful lessons centered on how providing constructive feedback can shape the culture of an organization.
Is constructive feedback a myth? As Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer reflect in their collaboration No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention, it is the cornerstone of great leadership and team engagement that fosters collaboration, which leads to innovation. The culture of Netflix is one of psychological safety that allows everyone to be their best and the chapter on constructive feedback completely reshaped my mindset and provided tangible benefits beyond anything I previously read on the topic.
Without spoiling too much, four items must be present to give and receive constructive feedback:
When providing constructive feedback, you MUST aim to assist and feedback must be given with positive intent.
When providing constructive feedback, your comments MUST be actionable. In other words, your feedback must focus on what the recipient can do differently in a respectful way.
In receiving constructive feedback, you must open your mind and ask How can I show appreciation for the feedback and listen carefully? How do I also consider the message with an open mind and becoming neither angry nor defensive?
In receiving constructive feedback, you must also ask Should I accept or discard the feedback provided?
How You Can Apply This: Many of us receive de-constructive criticism that contributes to disengagement from our jobs and/or relationships and inadvertently do the same for others as a result of incomplete modeling of constructive feedback, but being nimble and appreciative can help you foster a culture of collaboration where you and your team can grow together. While our natural instinct is to protect our egos and reputation, we need to fight this and instead ask Will I be better for accepting this observation and making the recommended change?
The book encourages readers to Preach feedback anywhere, anytime, that you can do so thoughtfully and with a focus on leading to actionable changes. Each interaction with a colleague offers an opportunity for you to apply what you learn and do so with a lens on creating engagement.
Additional Materials For Reinforcing What You Learned: If you want to reinforce what you gained from this book by listening to a podcast, you might enjoy: The Fix, Empathy how to build and use it at work. Another deeper dive is Brené Brown’s podcast with Aiko Betha on inclusivity at work.
You may also want to conduct a deeper dive by reading any of the three Harvard Business Review articles on Power of Listening; Coaches Listen; and Tough Feedback. Additionally, The Wie Suite interview with Debbie Perelman highlights the importance of communication in creating a collaborative environment.
This book review was written by Shelley A. Svoren, VP – Leader Development for IAWA and who is the CEO + Founder of Infinite Branches. You can DM her on LinkedIn.