“The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups” by Daniel Coyle

by Manny Miracle, adult services librarian at SCLSNJ’s Mary Jacobs Memorial Library branch

Having been privileged to work with high functioning teams throughout my career, I have sought that experience again and again, unable to settle for anything less. I have haphazardly attempted to recreate those conditions everywhere I have been employed. Now, I have a road map.

Bestselling author Daniel Coyle’s book, “The Culture Code” provides an examination of successful teams through a blend of vivid storytelling and science. Coyle explains how the culture of successful teams helps them exceed their goals while building greater job satisfaction within their organizations.

The author brilliantly and briefly delves into the scientific research of human behavior, starlings, slime molds, and kindergartners to illustrate simple concepts that provide guidance for creating your own high-functioning culture.

With remarkable alacrity, the book offers small clues to help identify whether a team is operating as a cohesive unit or not, and provides insight on why certain groups work better than others. The concepts in Coyle’s book are well defined, easy to read and richly illustrated with real life examples from companies such as Pixar, the Upright Citizens Brigade, Johnson & Johnson, and the San Antonio Spurs.

According to Coyle, group culture is worth investing in as it can make or break a project, and significantly add to or subtract from a company’s bottom line. “The Culture Code” promotes creating a sense of belonging, trust, and autonomy within organizations to contribute to a healthy, creative work environment. The careful reader will pick up on what skills the author values in building a strong team and will begin to understand what kind of culture fosters cooperation and creativity.

“The Culture Code” is not a typical business book. It does not offer bullet points for quick consumption and implementation. It demands and earns the reader’s attention. The stories shared within it alone, make consuming this book an easy and pleasurable endeavor. A quick read at only 235 pages, I must admit I was so loath to finish it, that I did the unthinkable – I read the epilogue.