Should Netflix Change its Culture Values?

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According to the Wall Street Journal, Netflix is discussing amending the “Freedom and Responsibility” section from its corporate-culture memo. This value rather than rules based approach is considered a foundation for Netflix’s long standing success. 

Netflix has been critical of companies that restrict employee freedom through bureaucratic procedures and rules, making them less able to effectively adapt to marketplace change. I support their view. 

Many less progressive leaders think Netflix’s freedom leads to chaos, however it has created an extremely successful business model over the last 25 years. 

Changing their focus on freedom AND responsibility so they can add more attention on employee responsibility is misguided. Clearly the “AND” has been a key part of their historic success. Both values must go together. The combination is their strength. Removing “freedom” could have the unintended consequence of actually reducing responsibility. Why? Leaders may overcompensate on stressing responsibility without emphasizing the “freedom” that drives personal responsibility, or as I prefer, self-accountability. 

When executives see examples of entitlement, they risk overreacting with rules to tighten the ship. Instead of reinforcing the combination of freedom AND responsibility, the default reaction is to remove freedom. 

Netflix, you’ve been an example of a grown up culture while achieving great results. I hope you keep to your core values. As the move to more autocratic Elon Musk type behavior gets more copycat leadership traction, counterbalanced examples like Netflix, Gainsight and Cisco are vital. 

Think Big, Start Small, Act Now, 

- Lorne 

One Millennial View: Speaking of self-accountability, Netflix employees should be perturbed that some of their colleagues were treating the value as “Freedom and Responsibility without the Responsibility.” That being said, only tyrants remove freedom from the masses due to the irresponsible actions of individuals. 

- Garrett 

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis






































 

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