Autodesk San Francisco
How does culture play a part in the successful rollout of an organization-wide flexible work model? One company believes culture has everything to do with it. That company is Autodesk.
Autodesk launched its "Culture Code" in 2018. (Read more about it here on Forbes.)
In essence, the Autodesk Culture Code centers on three key components.
- Become a customer company by "Helping people imagine, design and make a better world."
- Actualize three critical values across the organization: "Think, Feel and Do."
- Operate as One Autodesk: empowering decision-makers, acting authentically, and demonstrating integrity.
As the company was operationalizing its Culture Code, the pandemic hit. "We leaned into the Culture Code," said Dr. Rita Giacalone, vice president and global head of Culture, Diversity & Belonging, "to help us handle a very stressful time." While the Culture Code affected significant positive change across the organization in 2018 and 2019, it became even more important when the pandemic struck.
As the months dragged on in the pandemic, Autodesk realized that it had an opportunity to reset where employees were performing the work. In addition, polling numbers showed that Autodeskers were taking a shine to flexible work. In fact, 97% of team members stated that once the pandemic was over that they would prefer to continue working in some form of flexible or hybrid way going forward.
This gave company leaders the wherewithal to use their Culture Code to then define and enact the Autodesk Flexible Workplace model. Indeed, the Autodesk Culture Code helped inform its flexible workplace strategy.
"The Culture Code is so foundational," said Giacalone, "that the cultural adaptations—like flexible work—actually fit very well on that foundation."
Terry VanQuickenborne, global head of L&OD (Learning and Organizational Development), said that the Culture Code is a way to stay true to its values and evolve. "When you look at the shifting ways of work," said VanQuickenborne, "how do you enable resilience to happen, and do you need culture to make it occur?"
If culture is the organization's foundation, VanQuickenborne was adamant that aspects such as grit, belongingness, and inclusivity would also be mobilized as key aspects of Autodesk systems. These enhancements set leaders up for success when it comes to not only flexible work but aspects such as performance, hiring, retention, and so on. But, again, culture is at the core, not a one-off website that gets looked at once a year.
For Autodesk, it's not unusual to launch an annual strategic plan like other companies. But the company also believes that a "people strategic intent" plan is also a crucial part of its overall strategy. The Autodesk "people strategic intent" is so important that it has become integral to the company's quarterly measurement, reporting, and results.
The company is not fooling around either. It's not lip service. The Autodesk FY23-25 People Strategic Intent is as follows:
- "We deliver a world-class employee experience, partnering with and enabling our people to thrive and realize their potential – and by extension, help our customers achieve better outcomes for their products, their businesses, and the world. Helping our people and their future."
And that intent is backed by three key pillars (experience, talent, and culture) that outline additional behaviors and outcomes the organization builds toward, tracks, and reports on.
For example, Giacalone mentioned that the company added "Focus Fridays" to its repertoire, a half-day of no meetings on Fridays. It didn't just throw the idea at employees. Instead, the company built the capacity to allow "Focus Fridays" to occur by launching tools for leaders that reference the "Culture Code" around aspects such as prioritization, working out loud, and focusing.
VanQuickenborne said that everything the company does starts with culture and the "people strategic intent" is no different. "Our flexible workplace strategy and our people strategic intent starts with the 'Culture Code' if we want to be successful as a company."
Many organizations claim that their people are their most important asset. Indeed, it's one of the most significant lip service statements out there.
On the other hand, Autodesk puts people at the core of its strategy. They are not an asset; they are "it." "Culture is at the heart of our thinking," said VanQuickenborne.
Giacalone has an astute observation, perhaps a warning sign for other organizations as it pertains to company culture: "Flexible work is not a differentiator any longer. Companies that focus on the 'what' of flexible work are not going to be able to differentiate themselves. Companies, however, that focus on the culture of the company in the era of flexible work will thrive."
It begs a good question. What is your organization doing to create a culture that supports a flexible work environment? Or is your organization merely focusing on the bells and whistles of new office furniture, meeting room booking systems, technology gimmicks, and home office investment allowances to drive the change post-pandemic?
If it's the latter, it will become evident very soon to you that culture eats flexible work stunts for breakfast.
"We're on a journey; it's not done. It's an evolution," said Giacalone. Nevertheless, it brings home the closing point. Culture should be at the center of your operations—including flexible work and a people strategic intent—but it's an ongoing, embryonic aspect of organizational health.
Autodesk is one of those companies that is leading the way in such thinking.
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