Episode Details

What happens to your company culture when the founder isn’t in the room?

In Episode 81 of Solving the People Puzzle, we explore how Amazon Web Services (AWS) turns cultural intentions into everyday behaviours through practical, repeatable mechanisms.

Think of culture as a garden: knowing what you want to grow is only the beginning. You also need an irrigation system that keeps it growing without depending on one person to water it every day.

From hiring and feedback to innovation and leadership, this conversation explores how to build that system into the way your business works.

In this episode, we unpack:

• Why culture needs more than values on a wall.
• How the Bar Raiser mechanism helps maintain hiring standards.
• How working backwards from customer problems drives innovation.
• Why AI makes critical thinking, judgement and discernment even more important.
• How sharing mistakes can reinforce transparency and learning.
• How to start with one mechanism, set clear triggers and review whether it’s working.

For founders, business leaders and HR professionals, this episode offers a practical starting point for building a culture that can grow with your organisation.

Which behaviour would you like to reinforce in your team? Let us know in the comments.

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