BRING IT ALL TO THE WORLD!

revo-
atflix
t999,
ed in
:hed.
rd of
edu-
When I moved to rural Swaziland in 1983 as a Peace Corps ,rd of
eam-
volunteer, it was not my first international experience, but
rhara
it was the one that taught me the most. It took only a few ,llege
weeks for meto recognize that I understood and approached from
life very differently from the people around me. r and
One example came in my first month of teaching math to sixteen-year- iasa
old high school students. The kids in my class had been selected because of
their strong mathematical abilities and I was preparingthem for upcoming Map:
public exams. On a weekly quiz I provided a problem that, from my under- :IobaI
f the
standing oftheir skill set, they should have been able to ansv/er:
. Her
A room measures 2 meters by 3 meters. How many S0-centimeter tiles
,,The
does it take to cover the floor? leyer
Not one ofmy students gave the accurate response and most ofthem left fifty
the question blank. t. She

The next day in class I put the question on the blackboard and asked for
I she
1995
a volunteer to solve it. Students shuffled their feet and looked out the win-
nteer
dow. I felt my face becoming flushed with frustration. "No one? No one is m for
able to answer?" I asked incredulously. Feeling deflated, I sat down at my
desk and waited for a response. That's when Thabo, a tall, earnest student
raised his hand from the back ofthe class. "Yes, Thabo, please tell us how to .coM

s.com

U.S.A
 240 NO RULES RULES

solve this problem," I said, jumping up hopefully. But instead of answerilg

the question Thabo asked, "Mr. Hastings, sir, please, what is a tile?,,
My students lived mostiy in traditional round huts, and their froors were
either made of mud or concrete. They couidn't answer the question because
they didn't know what a tile was. They just couldn't fathom what they were
being asked to assess.
From this eariy experience-and many others that followed-I rearned
that I couldn't directly transfer my own way of life to the culture of another
place. In order to be effective, I had to think about what adaptations I would
need to make in order to get the results I was hoping for.
in 2010, when Netflix began expanding internationally, I thought a
So
lot about whether the organizational culture would also need to adapt to be
successful around the world. By that time our management methods had
developed so fully and were producing such good results that I was reluc-
tant to make a significant change. But I felt uncertain if our candid feecl-
back, low-rule ethos, and Keeper Test techniques would be effective in
other countries.
I considered another company, which was already international and had
taken a clear approach. Like us, Google was proud ofhaving a strong corpo-
rate culture, but instead of adapting its culture to the countries it moved
into, it focused on hiring for fit. It sought to hire employees throughor.rt the
world who wele "Googlers": people with a personality that matched the
corporate culture no matter rvhat countr-y they lived in or came from.
I also reflected on a situation I'd had in 1g88, when I'd spent ayearwork-
ing for Schlumberger in Palo Alto. Schlumberger is a big Fr-ench multina-
tional, yet the corporate culture in the Silicon Valley office had clearly been
imported from France. All the department leaders were French expats and,
if you wanted to succeed, you needed to learn to navigate the decision-
making systems and hierarchical patterns that originated from the head-
quarters in Paris. There were training programs for new employees on how
to debate effectively and how to analyze situations using a principles-first
approach-so typical of French cnlture.
Both Google and Schlumberger seemed to have had success keeping
a uniform corporate culture around the world. So, with only a bit of
 BRING IT ALL TO THE WORLD! 241

Itead of answering trepidation, I felt we could do the same. Like Google, we would seek to hire
Lt is a tile?" for fit, selecting individuals in each country who were attracted to and com-
their floors were fortable with the corporate culture we had spent so long cultivating. And
'd
e question becatrse like Schlumberger, we would train our new employees in other countries to
tm what they were understand and work in the Netflix way.
At the same time, we would seek to be humble and flexible, tweaking our
rllowed-I learned culture as \Â/e went and learning from each country we moved into.
culture ofanother In 2010, we began the internationaiization process, first opening in
daptations I would year later in Latin America. Between 2O72 and ts revo.
neighboring Canada, and a
Netfli:
2015, we made bigger moves into Europe and Asia Pacific. During this pe-
:e1999
.onally, I thought a riod, we opened our four regionai offices in Tokyo, Singapore, Amsterdam, :hed ir
need to adapt to be and Sâo Paulo. Then, in 2016, we took a big international leap and made our .nched
ment methods had platform available in a total of 130 new countries all in one day. The expan- rard oi
;s that I was reluc- sion was overwhelmingly successful and over the course ofjust three years ire edu-
oard ol
if our candid feed- we saw our non-US subscriber base skyrocket from forty to eighty-eight
)ream-
Lrld be effective in million. Pahara
During this same three years u/e doubled the number of Netflix employ- )ollege
ernational and had ees overall, most ofthem stili located in the United States, but ofincreas- :e from
ing a strong corpo- ingly diverse backgrounds. We added inclusion as one of our cuitural values, rin and
countries it moved psasa
recognizing that our success 'ffould depend on how much our employees re-
ees throughout the flected the audiences \Âr'e were trying to reach, and the ability of people to
' that matched the see their lives and passions reflected through the stories we told. In 2018, e Map:
'GlobaI
rr came from. we added our first head of inclusion strategy, Vernà Myers, in order to help
of the
I spent ayearwork- us identify and learn from our increasingly diverse employees.
ls. Her
ig French multina- As we grew our operations in other countries, and our employees be- ry,The
ice had clearlybeen came increasingly diverse, it didn't take iong to recognize that some parts of Meyer
French expats and, our corporate culture would work well around the world. To my great relief, re fifty
igate the decision- it id. She
the freedom our employees thrive on in the US showed early signs that
nd she
.ted from the head- would, without question, be successful everywhere. Some cultures had alit-
d 1995
r employees on how tle more difficulty getting in the swing of making decisions without check- Ltnteer
rg a princiPles-first ing a rule book or asking for approval, but once they get the hang ofit, they om for
Iove the autonomy and lack of rules as much as Californians do. It's not only
rd success keePin$ Americans who love to be in control of their own lives and work. Nothing
with onlY a bit of cultural about that.
ls.e o irn

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Ë U,S,A
242 NO RULES RULES

Some ofthe other parts ofour culture quickly proved less easy to export.
One early example was the Keeper Test. We soon learned that, although we
can follow our mantra'Adequate Performance Gets a Generous Severance,,
in every country, what is considered generous in the US is often seen as
stingy-if not illegai-in some European countries. In the Netherlands, for
example, the amount ofseverance required by law depends on how long the
employee has been with the company. So we had to adapt. Now in the Neth-
erlands, if firing someone who's been with us for a while, Adequate Perfor-
mance Gets an Euen More Generous Severance. The Keeper Test and all the
elements that go with it can work internationally but require adaptation to
the local employment practices and laws.
Beyond these quickly apparent elements, given how fast we \Mere ex-
panding around the globe and how important our corporate culture is to our
success, I wanted to do all we could to uncierstand the cultures of the coun-
tries we were moving into, and to find the similarities and potential chal-
Ienges between the local culture and Netflix culture. I believed just being
aware of that wouid prompt important discussions and uitimately improve
our effectiveness.

Et'ITER T$lE C[.,tTURE MAP

At about that time, a manager in our HR department lent me Erin's book,

The Cultu,re Map.Tlne book outlines a system for comparing one national
culture to another on a set ofbehavioral scales. It looks at issues iike how
much employees defer to the boss in different countries, how decisions are
made in different parts of the world, how we build trust differently in differ-
ent cultures, and most important for us at Netflix, how candid versus diplo-
matic peopie tend to be with critical feedback around the globe.
I did a bit of reading around the scales. The framework was based on an
enormolrs amount of research and struck me as simultaneously robust and
simple. I shared the book with our executive team and someone suggested
that we look at the cultural "maps" for the various countries of our regional
 BRING IT ALL TO THE WORLD! P;* 243

proved less easy to export.

"-"- Brazil singapore ---- l1p1n
Iearned that, although we -
l. Communicating
Ets a Generous Severance" Low-context High-context

.n the US is often seen as

2. Evaluating
es.In the Netherlands, for Direct negative lndirect negative
feedback feedback
w depends on how long the 3. Leading
to adapt. Now in the Neth- Egalitarian H ierarchical

: awhile, Adequate Perfor- l. Deciding

Consensual -.. Top-down
the Keeper Test and allthe
y but require adaPtation to 5. Trusting
Task-based Relationship-based

iven how fast we 'ffere ex- 6. Disagreeing

Confrontational Avoids confrontation
r corporate culture is to our

rdthe cultures ofthe coun- l. Scheduling

Lineèr-time Flexible-time
larities and Potential chal-
rlture. I believed just being
rns and ultimatelY imProve
offices, compare them with one another, as per the chart above, and discuss
whatwe feltthe maps revealed.
The exercise was a revelation to many of us. The framework offered a
convincing explanation for a number ofthings we had already encountered,
}ITER THE CUTTURE MAP
such as why our experience with feedback in the Netherlands had been al-
most diametrically opposedto our experience in Japan (dimension 2 onthe
rtment lent me Erins book,
graph). We decided to get our executive team together to map out our corpo-
for comparing one national
rate culture on the same scales. Once we'd done that, we could compare the
s. It looks at issues like how
corporate culture to the national cultures we were working in.
rountries, how decisions are
As I mentioned, before the Quarterly Business Review meeting, we run
ldtrust differently in differ-
our "Estaff" meetingfor all of ourvice presidents and above. Inthe Novem-
Lix, how candid versus diplo-
ber 2015 Estaff, we divided the sixty participants into ten groups of six. We
.roundthe globe.
led a two-hour session where we worked at round tables to map out our cor-
framework was based on an
porate culture onThe Culture Map scales.
s simultaneouslY robust and
Each group mapped the corporate culture a little differently, but some
eam and someone suggested
clear patterns emerged, as you'll see from the three examples below.
ous countries ofour regional
 244 NO RULES RULES

Group 1:

1. Communicating
Low-context ........ High_context

2. Ëvaluating
Direct negative Indirect neqative
feedback feedback

3. Leading
Egalitarian H ierarchical

4. Deeiding
Consensual . Top-down

5. Trusting
Task-based Relationship_bÀsed

6. Disagreeing
Confrontational ..... Avoids confrontation

7. Scheduling
Lineartime Flexible-time

Group 2:

1. Communicating
Low-context

?. Evaluating
Direct negative lndirect negative
feedback feedback

3. leading
Egalitarian Hierarchical

4. Deciding
Consensual ......... Top-down

5. Trusting
Tas l- b as ed Relationship-based

6. Disagreeing
Confrontational

T. Scheduting
Flexible-time
 BRING IT ALL TO THE WORLD! J}}" 245

Group 3:

l. Communicating
Low-context ................. High-context

High-context
2. Evaluating
Direct negative ..... Indirect negative
lndirect negative feedback feedback
feedback 3. leading
Egalitarian ....... Hierarchical
Hierarchical
l. Deciding
Consensual Top-down
Top-down
5. Trusting
Task-based Relationship-based
RelationshiP-based
6. Disagreeing
Confrontational Avoids confrontation
Avoids confrontation
7. Scheduling
Linear-time Flexible*ime
Flexible-time

We then collected and studied the maps from the ten groups and aggre-
gated them into a single Netflix corporate culture map, which looked like this:

lletftix

L Communicating -
High-context Low-context High-context

2. Evaluating
. lndirect negative Direct negative lndirect negative
feedback feedback feedback
3. Leading
. Hierarchical Egalitarian Hierarchical

{. Deciding
. Top-down Consensual Top-down

5. Trusting
Relationship-based Task-based Relationship-based

6. 0isagreeing
. Avoids confrontation Confrontational .............. ,........,-.-,. Avoids confrontation

I. Scheduting
. Flexible-time Linear-time Flexible-time
 246 NO RULES RULES

Next, using Erin's Country Mapping tool we compared our Netflix cul-
ture map to that of each of the countries where our reglonal hubs wele located.

Hetftix Netherlands

1. Communicating
-
Low-context... High-context

2. Evaluating
Direct negative lndirect negative
feedback feedback

3. leading
Egal itarian

4. Deciding
Consensual Top-down

5. Trusting
Task-based .. .. ................. Relation:hip basecl

6. Disagreeing
Confrontational ............... Avoids confrontation

7. Seheduting ')
Linear- time ............ ........ ..... ...... i. Flexible-time

Netftix .' Singapore

1. eommunicating
-
Low-context H igh-context

2. Evaluating
Direct neqative .. .. .. lndirect negative
feedback feedback

3. leading
Ega itaria n
I H ierarchical

4. Deciding
Consensual ....., Top-down

5, Trusting
Task-based.,...,...

6. Ilisagreeing l
Confrontational :" " .' Avoidsconfrontation

?. Scheduling
Lin eê r- time Flexible-time
 BRING IT ALL To THE woRLDI F.$. 247
red our Netflix cul_
rl hubs were located.
.a*E Brozil
t. Communicating -lletflix
Low-context

High-contexr
2. Evaluating
High_context Direct negative
feedback lndirect negêtive
3. leading feedback
lndirect negative Egalitarian
feedback
Hierarchical
{. Deciding
Hierarchical Consensual

Top-down
5. Irusting
Top_down Task-based

Relationship-based
6. Disagreeing
Relationship-based Confrontational
Avoids confrontation
7. Scheduling
Avoids confrontation Linear-time
f
Flexible-time
a
................. Flexible_time
e
n
cl
r--r Japan a
l. Communicating -lletflix
Low-context
................ High-context
High-context 'n.
2. Evaluating '?

Direct negative ,AI

............... lndirect negative feedback lndirect negative he
feedback 3. leading feedback
Egalitarian
ler
Hierarchical "he
Hierarchical
L Deciding
{er
Consensual
ftv
Top-down
5, Irusting She
Task-based she
-.....-... Relationship-based Relationship-based
ô. Disagreeing
995
Confrontational leer
.......... Avoids confrontation r for
Avoids confrontation
l. Scheduling
Linear-time
.."..... Flexible-time
Flexible+ime
c0M

s.coil]

U. S.A
244 NO RULES RULES

As we studied the maps, we realized that some of the issues we were

having in our regional offices were due to cultural differences. For example,
in comparison to Netflix cuiture, both the Netherlands and Japan fall to the
consensual side of the decision-making scaie (dimension 4) . That explained
why many employees in our Arnsterdam and Tokyo offices had been strug-
gling with the Netflix Informed Captain modei, where there is always one
individual responsible for a decision (see chapter G). As we looked at dimen-
sion 4, which measures how much a culture defers to authority, we saw Net-
flix fallingto the right of the Netherlands (we learned that the Netherlands
is one of the more egalitarian cultures in the world) and to the left of Singa-
pore (more hierarchical). That helped us understand why our Dutch em-
ployees had no problem overruling their bosses' suggestions, while our
Singaporean employees required more encouragement to make a decision if
the boss didn't agree.
We were also struck by the trust dimension (dimension 5) where the
Netflix culture was so clearly more task-oriented than almost every local
culture we were moving into. The graph below zooms in on that specific
dimension, so you can see the probiem. We've aclded the US position for
interest.
At Netflix, our emphasis had always been on watching the clock. The
vast majority of meetings are thirty ininutes long and we generally believe

-:J.,iituji
iii,:iirr,ri il;riilt liiliiil:l:)iri i

'w
 BRING lT ALL TO THE WORLDT :,,"1.
249

rf the issues lve were that most topics, even important ones, can be settled in a half-hour time
lrences. For example, frame. we try to be friendly and helpful, but until this culture mapping ex-
; and Japan fall to the ercise, we avoided spending much time on nonwork discussions. our goal
on 4) . That explained was efficiency and speed, not on spendingtime chatting over a cup
of coffee.
fices had been strug- But as we increasingly hired employees around the world, we found that our
e there is always one obsession with investing every minute in the task was hurting us in
myriad
; we looked at dimen- ways. Here is one pertinent example recounted by one of our very first em-
rthority, we saw Net- ployees in Brazil. Leonardo sampaio, business development
director for
that the Netherlands LatinAmerica, joined Netflix in October 2015:
d to the left ofSinga-
why our Dutch em-
tgestions, while our After dozens of phone and video interviews, I came to siiicon valrey for a
to make a decision if full day offace-to-face interviews. The recruiter set me up in a conference
room and between nine and noon I had sixthirty-minute interviews with
ension 5) where the ali sorts of interesting people, who would later become my colleagues. My
n almost every local agenda includedjust a half-hour lunch break.
; in on that specific In Brazil, lunch is a time to buiid friendships with your coileagues. It is
the US position for a period to set the work aside each day and gêt to know
one another beyond
the tasks we have to complete. The trustwe build duringthis time is criti-
:hing the clock. The cal to coliaboration. It's also these relationships that, for a Braziiian, make
.are generally believe coming to work enjoyable. I was surprised that iunch was scheduled for
only thirty minutes and I wondered who would be coming to share this
timewithme.
A woman I didn't know came into the conference room where I was
sitting. I stood up to greet her. perhaps this was my lunch partner. she said
in a friendly way, "Sarah asked me to bring you some lunch, I hope you iike
it"' There was a nice meal in a bag including a couple of salads, a sandwich,
and some fruit. she asked me if I needed anything else to feel comfortable.
when I said no, she left, and I sat all aione eating my lunch. I understand
ÂÏIONSHIP-BÀSID
now that to Americans, eating lunch during the work day is just a task to
compiete. But to a Brazilian, to be left alone eating lunch was shocking. I
thought, "Isn't the guy who wilt be my boss at the very least going to come
in and chat with me-ask how I'm feeling and ask about my life back in
 2so NO RULES RULES

Btazjr? I g,ess this is what Netflix rneans when ther. say-, 'we are a team.
not a farnily,"'
of course, I wasn't alone for long because thirty rninr.rtes passes thst.
and my next rnterviewel ar.r jved.

\Mhen I heard this story, I was uncomfortabre. "we are a team, not a
fa,n-
ily" is about insisting on high performance; it's not about investing every
minute in the work, avoiding getting to know one another deepiy, or not
car_
ing about the peopJe you work with. Most Americans sitting for a full day
of
interviews would welcome thirty minutes alone over iunch to review their
notes, but I understand now that to our Brazilian interviewees, leavi.ng
them alone over ameal just feels like bad manners. Nowwhenour Braziiian
colleagues come to visit, we remember the irnportance of investing
more
time in getting to know them at a personal level and we also know to ask our
Brazilian colleagues to help us to adapt our own r.elationship-building ap-
proach when negotiating with providers in Brazil.
Having the culture Map in front of us helped us to be more prepared and
more effective, not just in this situation, but at many other important mo-
ments. Much of the awareness we developed from the culture mapping exer-
cise led to critical discussions resulting in not-so-difficult solutions.
But not ail of the elements highlighted on the culture maps were easyto
address. The dimension linked to candor', what is referred to as the Evaluat-
ing scaie on The cult,re Map, has led to ongoing charienges big and smail. It
built our awareness of the differences, but what to do about those diff'er-
ences was anything but obvious.

IIIEAS ABOIjT CANO(}R DIFFËR GREATTY ARTIJNB TF{Ë WORI"M

As anyone who has worked internationally wiil tell you,

':,' t
i' feedback that's effective in one countty doesn't necessarily
1\
'i!
work in another. For i.nstance, the direct corrective feed-
,fu Æ back given by a German boss might seem unnecessariiy
 BRING IT ALL To THE woRLDI i,.,F> 251

en they say, 'We are a team, harsh in the us, while an American's tendency to give copious positive feed.-
back might come off as excessive and insincere in Germany.
thirty minutes passes fast, That's because employees in different parts of the world are conditioned
to give feedback in dramatically different ways. The Thai manager learns
never to criticize a colleague openly or in front ofothers, while the Israeli
manager learns always to be honest and give the message straight. colom-
rle. "We are ateam, not afam- bians are trained to soften negative messages with positive words, while the
f's not about investing every French are trained to criticize passionately and provide positive feedback
ne another deeply, or not car- sparingly. Positions of the Netflix corporate culture and the local cultures
ricans sitting for full day of
a where their primary offices are located looks something like this:
lre over lunch to review their
zilian interviewees, leaving
.ers. Nowwhen our Brazilian
rportance of investing more
I and we also know to ask our
â
ry @s c@@
un relationship-building ap-
zil.
d us to be more prepared and DIR ECT NIGATIV.E fEEDBACI( INDIRECT
: many other important mo-
m the culture mapping exer-
so-difficult solutions.
re culture maps v/ere easyto

is referred to as the Evaluat- when it comes to delivering criticism, the Netherlands is one of the
g challenges big and small lt more direct cultures in the world. Japan is highly indirect. singapore is one
.at to do about those differ- of the most direct of the East Asian countries, but still to the indirect side of

a world scale. The uS average falls little left of center . Brazir (with strong
a

regional differences) is just a bit more d.irect than singapore. The Netflix
positions come from the culture-mapping exercise Reed led in 2o1b.
II.Y AROUND THE W(IRI.D one ofthe reasons for the countïy placements on this scale has to do
with the language people use when they provide criticism. More direct
ternationally will tell you, cultures tend to use what linguists call. upgrad,ers, words preceding or
3ountry doesn t necessarily following negative feedback that make it feel stronger, such as ,.absolutely,,,
the direct corrective feed- "totally," or "strongly": "This is absolutely inappropriate,, or ,.This is totally
might seem unnecessarily unprofessional." In contrast, more indirect cultures use more d,owngrad,ers,
 252 NO RULES RULES

when giving negative feedback. These are words that soften the criticism,
such as "kind of," "sort of," "a little," "a bit," "maybe," and "slightly,,. Another
type of downgrader is a deliberate understatement, such as, ,,We are not
quite there yet," when you really mean, "We are nowhere near our goal.,,
tl
The Japanese, as the most indirect of the cultures where Netflix has an
office, tend to use plenty of downgraders when giving negative feedback.
But this isn't the only technique they use to make the criticism feel softer.
often feedback is passed implicitiy and barely spoken at all. when Netflix
opened in Japan in 2015, it didn't take iong to see that the expiicit, frequent,
and often upward feedbaek expected by Netfiix management was neither
natural nor comfortable for the newly-hired local employees. vice presi-
dent of business and legal affairs Josephine Choy (an American) remem-
bers one experience:

I was one ofthe eally emplovees in Tokyo and, as the then,General Counsel
for Japan, rny first duty was to irire a teâm oflegal plofessionals. I sought
Japalese people who were bilingual (Japanese,/English) anrl seerned io
enbodSr-or at least lte âttracted to-the Netf'lix cultut.e.

The hiring was successful, but challenges popped up eariy. One of the
first was during those difficult moments when discussing a problem or a
mistake, Josephine's staff appeared to discuss the situation openly, while
simuitaneously finessing the most important pieces of information be-
tween the iines. Josephine explains:

In English we usuall-v state the subject fbllowed by a verb ancl ar.r object. We
ralelr'drop the sr"rbject. or the sentence doesn't make sense. In .Japanese,
however', the sl'ntax is flexible. The subject. vetb. and object are all op-
tional, It is possible to have a sentence in Japanese with only a nor.ur. Often
the sentence might start with the main topic. followecl by some content,
 BRING IT ALL TO THE woRLD! I'.....:. 25.

.at soften the criticisrn and the verb at the end. sometimes the speaker assumes everyone
knows
and "slightly". enother what the subject is, so he drops it. And this aspect ofJapanese language
t, such as, ".We are not iends itseif nicely to a conflict-avoidant culture. At these moments, you
here near our goal" have to consider what is being said in context in order to know
who did what.
>s where Netflix has an
'ing negative feedback.
le criticism feel softer. For example, on Josephine's team, when someone made a mistake or
a
en at all. When Netflix deadline was missed, they would use Japanese-style linguistic techniques
t the explicit, frequent, to avoid pointing fingers even while speaking English.
.nagement was neither
:mployees. Vice presi-
an American) remem- In a meeting, when discussing something that had gone wrong, my team
wouid often use the passive voice. They might say, "The assets didn,t get
created and therefore the commercial couldn't air," or ,Approval wasn,t
given so there was surprise and the bill didn't get paid."
In this way they
ren-General Counsel avoided embarrassing someone in the room or pracing explicit brame,
ofessionals. I sought whiie having a completely open discussion amongst themselves.
lish) and seemed to It also meantthat I-as the oniynon-Japanese-frequentlywourd have
re. to stop them in order to figure out what was going on. "wait, who didn,t
create the assets? We didn,t, or the agency didn,t?', Sometimes a passive
construction seemed to allude to something I had faiied to do but no one
,d up early. One of the dared mention. "wait, was I supposed to give the approvar? was it mv fault
ussing a problem or a and how can I help?"
ituation while
openlSr,
:s of information be-
This tendency to speak and read between the lines is most common
when giving corrective feedback, expressing disagreement, or communi-
cating negative impressions. conveying an unpleasant message indirectly
rb and an object. We allows the feedback giver to preserve a harmonious relationship with
the
sense. In Japanese, feedback receiver. In Japanese culture, explicit constructive feedback
is
d object are all op- rarely voiced-and certainly not to someone further up the hierarchy.
Jose-
r only a noun. Often phine remembers the difficulties that arose the first time she
solicited f'eed-
'd by some content, back from one ofher Japanese employees:

t.
254 NO RULES RULES

one of rny first hires in Tokyo was a di.ector-level attor-ney namecl Miho.
once we got through ou. initial onboarding, I set np a weekly one-o11-one
rneeting. FoI the first meetlng I sent out an agenda and the iast item was
feedback. The one-on-one went very well r-rnti1 we got to that last item. I
said, 'As yon know Netflix has a culture of feedback and candor. I woulcl
like to begin by aski'g for your feedback. How has the onboarding process
been and are there any changes I can make in rny approach to be a more ef-
fective manager to you?"

Having used this sarne method with dozens of employees in the us,
Josephine didn't expect what happened next:

Miho iookecl at me and tears started running clown her face. Not out of fear-
oI anger. It was just like, "Oh my goodness, rny boss is asking me to give her
feedback. This is happeningl" Sl.re said, "Oh. . . . I,m sorry. I,m crying. I re_

ally want to do this. I j'st don't know how we clon't give feedback to the
boss like this in Japan."

I decided to stal.t the proeess gently. ,,I,ll go first this time. My feed_
back to yori is that whe' I send o't meeting agendas in the future, you can
add anything you like to the list oftopics to cliscuss." she dr.ied her eyes
and said, "okay, that is helpful feedback. Let rne think about it and I'11 get
back to you with my feedback at the next meeting.,,

For Josephine it was an eye-opener.

obvior"rsly, I know the Japanese a.e less di.ect than Americans ancl giv-
ing feedback to a snperior might have added complications, but I wasn't
prepaled for that response. After sonte practice, Miho began giving me
clear and actionable leedback in our one-on-ones. so that was a clear
success.
 BRING lT ALL TO THE WORLD! iri 2ss

ramed Miho.
But gettingthe Japanese employees to give one another ad hoc feedback
/ one-on-one
in a meeting or during a presentation was proving more challenging. After
lst item was
trial and error, Netflix leaders learned a few key lessons for how to success-
t last item. I
fully implement a culture of candor, not just in Japan, but in many other less
Ldor. I would
direct cultures around the world. The first lesson \ /as to increase formal
Cing process
feedback moments when dealingwith less direct cultures.
be amore ef-

vo-
flix
WITH I.ESS DIRECT CUI.TURES, t99.

ees in the US,

INCREASE F(IRMAI. FEEDBACK M(lMENTS lin
red.

Given the feedback challenge in the Tokyo office, a group of lof

du-
US-based managers tried an experiment in their attempts
dof
to get their Japanese employees to give 4A-type feedback.
>t out offear am-
They travelled from California to Japan to run a feedback lara
e to give her
clinic' Japanese content manager yuka, who attended the clinic, remem- lege
crying. I re-
bers it like this: rom
lback to the and
asa
re. My feed-
Four American Netflix leaders came to Tokyo to iead. a session on how
-rre, you can lIap:
to give and receive feedbaek. They stood on stage and gave co*ective
ed her eyes 'obal
feedback to one another and responded to the feedback they were receiving.
- and I'll get : the
They told stories about times they had received tough feedback from other
Her
American colleagues, how it had felt, and the positive impact it had made.
,The
Afterward we ail clapped politery. But we agreed that this herped us eyer
not at all. one American giving feedback to another American in English fifty
. She
isn't the challenge. This we've seen dozens of times. what we needed to
I she
see was one Japanese giving feedback to another Japanese (ideally
in Jap_ 1995
anese) in a way that is appropriate, respectful, and doesn,t harm the rela_ nteer
ns and giv-
tionship. That's the link we were missing. m for
rut I wasn't
r giving me
vas a clear ;.coM
It was chief product officer Greg peters who identified a better ap-
proach' Greg is married to a Japanese \À/oman and is a fluent Japanese
is.com

t u.s.A.
 756 NO RULES RULES

speaker, which is part ofthe reason I asked him to move to Tokyo and open
the regional office ln 2015. He recalls:

I'd been in Japan for about six months and despite a lot of encouragement,

there was very little implornptu feedback in the office. When the 360 pro-
cess came alound, I had low expectations.

We clidthe wlitten 360s. Thenwe did alive 360 session,which is one of

the most un-Japanese activities imaginable: giving fi'ank feedback to a
colleague and supeliol in front of a group. But I knew there were parts of
the cr-rlture that might make this group feedback possible. Most Japanese
are meticulous and dedicated preparers. Ifyou set cleal expectations, they
will do everything tl-rey can to meet them. If you say, "Please prepar.e for
this and these are the instructions we are going to follow," they almost al-
ways exce1.
The results were remarlçable. During the 360 process the Japanese on
myteam provided higher-quaiityfeedback than myteams inthe US had in
previous yeals. The comments were fi'ank ancl weil-constrricted. Their
recommendations wele actionable, and they didn't pull punches. They re-
celved the feedback with grace ancl appreciation.
Afterward, when I debliefed with several of them, they said, "You told
us it was part of or-rr job. You told us what to do and how to do it. We pre-
pared and some of L1s even rehearsed. We wanted to make snt'e we rnet
youl and Netflix's expectations."

What we learned from this experience, and later found to be true

not just in Japan but in most cuitures where direct negative feedback is
less comfortable and less common, was that asking employees to give
aci hoc feedback to peers and superiors at informal moments doesn't usu-
ally work well. But if you run more formal events, putting feedback
on the agenda, providing preparation instructions, and giving a clear
structure to follow, you can get all the useful feedback out there just as ef-
fectively.
 ,-
BRING IT ALL TO THE WORLD! rl :, 257

Iokyo and open Josephine took this away from both her Netflix experience in Japan and
later leading teams in Brazil and Singapore:

)ouragement, Now I tell my Netflix colleagues who are managing employees in any of-

r the 360 pro- fice where the culture is less direct than in the US: "Practice feedback
early and often. Put feedback on the agenda in as many meetings as possi-
ble to take the stigma out of it. The first few times you provide feedback,
'hich is one of :evo-
gently mention small things that are easily actionable. Instead of decreas-
leedback to a :tflix
were parts of ingthe amount of formal feedback moments, increase them while also in- t999.

.ost Japanese vesting time in relationship-building. Informal spontaneous feedback is ed in

unlikely to happen much, but you can get many benefits from seifless can- :hed.
:tations, they
rd of
.e prepare for dor by putting feedback on the agenda and allowing people the space to
edu-
almost al- prepare for it."
rey rd of
eam-
Lhara
l Japanese on
Creating copious formal feedback moments is the first les- llege
the US had in
from
:ucted. Their son Netflix managers learned for implementing a culture of
r and
:hes. They re- candor around the world. The second lesson is .. .
;asa

aid, "You told

Map:
1o it. We pre- :IobaI
sure ïve met I.EARN TO ADJUST Y(IUR STYTE AND TA[K, TA[K, TAI.I( f the
. Her
When Netflix moved to Japan, Josephine, Greg, and the rest of the manage- t,The
ment team on high alert for the culturai differences that might impact leyer
"vere fifty
und to be true their effectiveness; they knew going in that the Japanese culture would be
l. She
bive feedback is different. But when Netflix moved to Singapore, the cultural differences C she
ployees to give were less apparent and therefore the leaders v/ere less careful. Many found 1995

nts doesn't usu- their Singaporean colleagues, with their perfect English and experience of nteer
workingwith Westerners, so familiar intheir approach thatthey didn't give m for
rtting feedback
giving a clear culture much thought at all. But then the differences started creeping in.
there just as ef- Marketing coordinator Karlyne Wang, who joined Netflix from HBO
i.coM
Asia in October 2017, provided a specific example:

is.com

U,S,A
 258 NO RULES RULES

Our adrniiristlative assistant left, and I atl temporar.ily filling in. Last
ir, week there was a call with an external pal.tlter scheduled on lwo of my se-
i
il, nior Atuerican colleagues' caiendars. The call was scheduled bv my pt'ede-
ll
cessor. rlot me. 'Ihe Atnericans got up earlJ,-. brit lhe par-tner.never dialed in.
ili' 'Ihe two Amet'icans then pinged me separateiy. 'Iheir lext nlessages
i
i
I
nrade rne so atlgr1/ that I ghosted thern. I didn't respond. I hacl to take a
I

I walk, duringwhjch I told myself: tr'5: to be as open as possible. Calm down.

l
l
ti that's just irc'x.t the5'write . L,Iaybe they don't realize that their messages
jr
feel lude. Maybe tirey don't knov.'how theit.worcls impact people. These
ii
I
l, a re good people. I knou, thel, are good people.
1,,
iri,
i

it
lI
i,
As Ka'lyne told this story I became increasingly curious to see just how
I

:; obnoxious these Americans had been. Perhaps this wasn't a cuitural misun-
I
derstanding but simply bad behavior. Karlyne dug up one of the offensive

,'i
text messages:
i:
j'
i Kariyne - We got up eariy for the call but
ll:
I
the partrlers never diaied in. We could've
t,
used tlre slot for another call. Can you
l

t,
pisase try and double check ail calls the day
I
belore and ii not nappening delete from
calendâr?

To my American eyes, this text message str-uck me as neither rude nor

I inappropriate. Seeking to assist the business, the sender laid out a problem
and an actionable solution. She didn't berate Karlyne. She explained what
behavior change she was hoping for, and said "please." I wondered if
Karlyne's reaction was cultural or simply oversensitivity on her part.
So I showed a screenshot ofthe text to several other Netflix Singapor-
,l
i
ean employees to get their input. Seven out ofeight echoed Karlyne's reac-
li
tion: the message is rude. One of them was Programmatic Manager
Christopher Low.
 BRING IT ALL TO THE woRLD! ''.,,:, 25g

filling in. Last

cHRIsropne n: To a Singaporean person this text message is
rn two of my se-
aggressive. It's very directive. Here,s the situation. Do A. Do B.
.edbymyprede-
If I received this message I would feel this person was shouting
'neverdialedin.
at me. The worst part is where she writes, .,We could have used
r text messages
the slot for another call." There is no need for that sentence. The
I had to take a
first sentence already implies this to be true. Stating it openly
ble. Calm down,
feels unnecessarily harsh. I would think, ,,What could I have
their messages
done to trigger such a nasty reaction?,' 3VO-
:t people. These
tflix
rnrw: Do you feel the sender is being selflessly candid? 999.
din
hed.
cHRrsropHER: I think the Westerner feels like, .'I just need to
)us to see just how dof
do this quickly and make sure I am clear. I don'twantto waste :du-
; a cultural misun-
unnecessary minutes." But to Singaporean it feels like 'd of
Le of the offensive
a a kick.
It doesn't feel selfless. It's shocking. iafiI-
hara
lege
nnrw: What could the sender have done to communicate the
rom
same message without coming off as rude or insulting? and
âsâ
ry cHRrsropunn: She could have been more personal, maybe
saying "Hey, I knowthis was the middle ofthe night wap:
Singaporean time. Sorry to start your day \ /ith bad news.,, Or lobal
she could have removed the blame saying, "It,s not your fault. i the
l neither rude nor Her
You weren't the one to schedule the meeting.,, She could have
Laid out aproblem ,The
framed it less like an order. "I know you,re super busy. I wonder if
re explained what eyer
you'd be able to help us out with this in the future?,, It would have
;." I wondered if fifty
helped to add a relationship-oriented touch-like maybe a . She
on her part.
friendlyemoji. i she
Netflix Singapor-
1995
>d Karlyne's reac- :rteer
christopher emphasized that it's not just the Americans who need to
rrmatic Manager n for
adapt:

eoM

,s.com

U.S,A
260 NO RULES RULES

Don'1. gei nre wrongl As employees who work fbl a conlpany headqnaltered
in the tlS, we aiso neeri to make an etTort to adapt ourselves. lhe Singapor.-
ean's iinrnerirate r:eaction rnight be to feel paraiyzed ol angly. Buj: to srrc-
i:eed at Netflix we need ro adiust orir i"eaction. We neecl to l'emind ourselves

that in sorne othel r:onntries this behaviol is approprlate and tlren stalt a

diaiogr-re. Kallyne slloulcl prck up the phone and lâlk openly witli the
wornan r.l,lho sent';her nessage. She shouid sa}-, "I get lhat this happened,

anci rt wa-s frustlating tbl'l/ou. But yor.rr lnessage rlpset rn€r." She could als,r

explain ihe cultulal ditJ'et ences: "Mavite iiri-c is cultul'al, I kuow in Singa-
pore wr. are often less drrect when glving feedback and nore sensltirre
when receivirlg it." With open diaiogue and llanspaleni discussions. we
can live tire Nett'lix cultule while becorning increasingll' cronrpetent ât
girring:rnd ieceiving t.eedback to oul colleagues alound i.ire wor'ld.

Chris's instructions eircapsulate lhe second lesson we

learned. Given the importance of candor for Netflix, em-
l
ployees in indirect cultures need to get used to both giving
t'')' and receiving feedback with a frankness they may not be
accustomed to. This requires emphasizing and re-emphasizing the 4A
feedback model outlined in chapter 2. It requires talking openly about the
cultural differences and coaching and supporting our global teams to take
direct feedback not as a slap, but as a way to get better. For example, in our
Sâo Paulo office, there is a weekly lneeting to discuss the corporate cultLrre
for all employees who'd like to attend. Giving and receiving feedback is one
ofthe most frequent topics on the agenda.
But learning to foster candor around the world is not a one-way street.
When collaborating with less direct cultures, u/e've learned at headquar-
ters to be more vigilant and to try to calibrate our communication so that it
feels helpful to the receiver and is not rejected simply because of form.
Chris's advice r /as simple and anyone who needs to give feedback to a col-
league in a less direct culture should take heed. Be friendlier. Work harder
to remove the blame. Be careful to frame the feedback as a suggestion, not
an order. Add a relationship-based tor.rch like a smiling emoji. These are all
 BRING lT ALL TO THE WORLDI ii'ir, 261

'mpany headquartered things we can do to make our messages feel more appropriate in the context
rselves. The Singapor- within which we are working.
d or angry. But to suc- The overarching lesson we've learned is that-no matter where you
edto remindourselves come from-when it comes to working across cultural differences, talk,
priate and then start a talk, talk. One ofthe best ways to get better at providing feedback to an in-
talk openiy with the ternational counterpart is to ask questions and show curiosity about the
iet that this happened, other person's culture. Ifyou need to give feedback to a counterpart in an-
set me." She could also other country, ask another trusted colleague from that country first, "Does
tural. I know in Singa- my message sound aggressive?" "What's the best approach in your culture?"
,r(
ck and more sensitive The more questions we ask and the more curiosity we show, the better we all
te1
rarent diseussions, we become at giving and receiving feedback around the world. :l'
easingly competent at In order to ask the right questions and understand the ans\Â/ers we get
'und the
world. from around the world, it's important to remember a final cross-cultural rcl

lesson.. . .
ar
e€
ar
the second lesson we
re
candor for Netflix, em- EVERYTHING IS RETATIVE ,al
o get used to both giving ol
nkness they may not be As with all the dimensions of culture, when it comes to giv- :f
in
re-emphasizing the 4A ing feedback internationally everything is relative. The Jap-
)S
talking openly about the anese find the Singaporeans unnecessarily direct. The
our global teams to take Americans find the Singaporeans opaque and lackingtrans-
:tter. For example, in our l,\
parency. The Singaporeans who join Netflix are shocked at their American
GI
rss the corporate culture colleagues'bluntness. To many a Dutch person, the Americans at Netflix
of
'eceiving feedback is one don't feel particularly direct at all. ls.
Netflix, despite its multinational desires, continues to have a largely w,
I is not a one-way street. American-centric culture. And when it comes to giving negative feedback, Mr
've learned at headquar- re
Americans are more direct than many cultures but considerably less direct
td.
:ommunication so that it than the Dutch culture. Dutch director of public policy Ise, who joined
nd
simply because of form. Netflix Amsterdam in 2074, explains the difference like this: d
to give feedback to a col- un
l friendlier. Work harder on
back as a suggestion, not The Netflix culture has succeeded in creating an environment where
iling emoji. These are all feedback is frequent and actionable. Yet when an American gives

E TIUùù PRINTED IN THE

262 NO RULES RULES

feedback, even at Netflix, they almost always start by telliug you what's
good about yout'work before telling you what they really wanl to say.
Americans learn things like, 'Always give three positives with every neg-
ative" and "Catch employees doing things right." This is confusing for a
Dutch person, who will give you positive feedback or negative feedback but
is unlikely to do both in the same conversation.

At Netflix, Ise quickly learned that the manner of giving feedback that
would be natural and comfortable in her own Dutch culture was too blunt
for her American collaborators:

Donald, my American colleague who had reeently moved to the Nether-

1ands, was hosting a meeting in Amstelclan. Seven non-Netflix partners
had taken planes and trains from aronud Europe fol the discr-rssions. The

meeting went very we11. Donald was articulate, detailecl, and persr,tasive.
His preparation was evidenl. Bttt sevelal tlmes 1 could tell other partici-
pants wanted to share their own perspective but didn't have the opporlu-
nity, because Donald talked so much.
After the meeting Donald saicl to me, "I thought that \i/ent great. What
did you think?" Thi.s seemed to rne like a perfect titlre to give that candid
feedback Netflix leaders are always preaching about so I jumped in:
"stinne came all the way from Norway to attend the meetin$ but you

spoke so much she couldn't get a word in edgewise. We asked these peo-

ple to take planes and trains, and then they dldn't get tilne to speak' We

didn't heal all ofthe opiniotts that could have helped us. You talked for B0

percent of the rneeting, making it diffici-rit fo| anyone else to say anything
at all."

She was about to move on to the part of the feedback where she gives
actionable suggestions for future improvement when Donald did some-
thing that Ise feels is typical of Americans:
 BRING IT ALL To THE woRLD! ;,,,,, 263

ing you what's Before Id even finished, he groaned and looked crestfallen.
He took my
y want to say. feedback way too harshly, as Americans often
do. He said, ..Oh my gosh,
;rith every neg- I'm so sorry for having messed this all up.,' But he
hadn,t ..messed it all up.,,
onfusing for a That's not what I said. The meeting was a success
and he showed he knew
'e feedback but that by saying, "That went great." There was just
this one aspect that was
not good, and I felt understandingthat couid
help him improve.
That's what frustrates me about myAmerican
colleagues. As often as
they give feedback and as eager as they are to hear revo-
it, ifyou don,t start by
ng feedback that saying something positive they think the etflix
entire thing.vvas a disaster. As
1999.
re was too blunt soon as a Dutch person jumps in with the negative
first, the American kils .ed in
the critique by thinking the whole thing has gone
to heli. ched.
.rd of
: edu-
o the Nether- In her past five years at Netflix, Ise has rearned rrd of
a rot about giving feed-
'eam-
tflix partners back to international colleagues, especially Americans:
ahara
cussions. The
lllege
Ld persuasive.
from
other partici- Now that I better understand these curturar tendencies, give n and
I the feed-
, the opportu- backjust as frequently, butl think carefurly about sasa
person
the receivingthe
message and howto adapt to get the ïesults I'm
hopingfor. \Mith more indi_
tgreat. What rect cultures I start by sprinkring the ground with a few light positive Map:
e that candid comments and words of appreciation. If the work ]IobaI
has been overail good I
I jumped in: state that enthusiastically up front. Then I ease rf the
into the feedback with ,.a
:ting but you s. Her
few suggestions.', Then I wrap up by stating, ,,This just
is my opinion, for w,The
:d these peo- whatever it is worth," and "you can take it or reave
it.', The eraborate dance VIeyer
to speak. We is quite humorous from a Dutch person's point e fifty
of view . . . but it certainry
taiked for 80 gets the desired results! d. She
say anything rd she
I r99s
rnteer
words sum up the strategies Netflix learned for promoting
Ise',s
candor rm for
as they opened offices around the worrd.
when you are leading a grobal
rhere she gives team, as you skype with your employees in different
cultures, your words
tald did some- willbe magnified or minimized based on your listener,s
curturar context.
S.COM

so you have to be aware. you have to be strategic. you

have to be flexible.
)ss.com

E U.S,A.
264 NO RULES RULES

with a little information and a little finesse, you can modify the feedback to
the person your speaking with in order to get the results that you need.

Personally, I loved the frank approach Ise used when deliv-

l;
i -, ering her feedback to Donald. She aimed to help. She was
clear about what behavior diminished the success of the
Æ tu meeting. The feedback was actionable.
\Mhat her approach was lacking was global sensitivity. Despite her can-
dor, her feedback technique led to misunderstanding. Her intended mes-
sage \ /as that the meeting was great and Donaid should shut up more to
make the next meeting even better. The way she delivered the message led
Donald to think the meeting had been a disaster. And if Donald had been
Brazihan or Singaporean, he'd probably have left the meeting expecting to
lose his job the next week.
This bringis us lo .. .

TI{E I.ÂST D(}T . . " F(}R ruÛW

When giving feedbacl< with those from your own culture, use the 4A ap-
proach outiined in chapter 2. But when giving feedback around the world,
add a 5th A:

The 4As ate as follows:

Aim to assist
Actionable
Appreciate
Accept or decline

PIus one makes 5:

Adapt-your delivery and your reactlon to the culture you're

working with to get the results that you need.
 BRING IT ALL TO THE WORLDI 265

iifythe feedbackto We still have a lot to learn about integrating our corpolate culture into
Lhatyou need. our growing number of offices around the world. At most QBRs, we have at
least one discussion about corporate culture. As the majority of our future
le used when deliv- growth is outside the US, we increasingly focus these discussions on how to
rd to help. She was make our values work in a global context. What we've learned is that in or-
the success of the der to integrate your corporate culture around the world, above aII you have
to be humble, you have to be curious, and you have to remember to listen
:y. Despite her can- before you speak and to learn before you teach. With this approach, you evo-
Her intended mes- can't help but become more effective every day in this ever-fascinating tflix
999.
ld shut up more to multicultural world.
din
'ed the message led
hed.
if Donald had been dof
eeting expecting to :du-
dof
am-
Map out your corporate culture and compare it to the cultures of the
Iara
countries you are expanding into. For a culture of FaR, candor will need
ege
extra attention. 'om
)0T.. . toR Nottv rnd
ln less direct countries, implement more formal feedback mechanisms and lsa
ure, use the 4A aP- put feedback on the agenda more frequently, because informal exchanges
k around the world, will happen less often. ap:
bal
With more direct cultures, talk about the cultural differences openly so the rhe
{er
feedback is understood as intended'
lhe
rer
Make ADAPTABILITY the fifth A of your candor model. Discuss openly ftv
what candor means in different parts of the world. Work together to ihe

discover how both sides can adapt to bring this value to life. ,he
95
)er
For

e you're )M

)m