Distinctive Values Design
Codify behaviours that describe this company, then enforce their intent
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 98%
Khosrowshahi says Uber's first post-crisis values reset produced a largely crowdsourced list that became forgettable, apart from his direct instruction to do the right thing. Years later, with more experience inside the company, leadership created phrases such as “Go get it” and “Great minds don't think alike” that reflected Uber's actual identity. His account also supplies a warning: the former value of toe-stepping began as permission to challenge colleagues with truth but could become an excuse for rude behaviour. Effective values therefore require more than memorable wording. They should distinguish the organisation, guide judgement in ambiguous choices, and include an interpretation of their intent and possible misuse. A reset is warranted when generic language or weaponised behaviour no longer represents the culture the company wants.
Origin
Extracted from The Diary of a CEO. Dara Khosrowshahi contrasts Uber's forgettable crowdsourced values with a later, more distinctive set and explains how an earlier challenge-oriented value had been weaponised.
Core principles
- 01Values should describe how this organisation behaves differently
- 02Generic virtues are memorable only when translated into real choices
- 03A useful value gives employees judgement rather than exhaustive instructions
- 04A good phrase can still be weaponised when execution violates its intent
How to run it
- 1
Observe the Lived Culture
Study how people actually decide, challenge, cooperate, and win. Separate admired slogans from behaviours the organisation repeatedly rewards.
Pro tip Collect stories of decisions that insiders recognise as characteristic.
Watch out Stated values are weak evidence of lived culture.
- 2
Choose Distinguishing Behaviours
Select the few behaviours that should make the organisation meaningfully different. Remove generic virtues that would fit almost any company unchanged.
Pro tip Ask what decision would change if the value disappeared.
- 3
Write Company-Specific Language
Use phrases connected to the organisation's work and attitude. Make each phrase memorable without pretending the phrase alone defines good judgement.
Pro tip Test whether an outsider could guess which company the value belongs to.
Watch out Clever language cannot rescue an empty behaviour.
- 4
Define the Judgement
Explain the choices the value should guide, especially under pressure or ambiguity. Give employees responsibility without trying to script every case.
Pro tip Use one real trade-off to show the intended priority.
- 5
Red-Team the Value
Ask how someone could use the value to justify harmful or self-serving conduct. Add behavioural boundaries and hold leaders to them.
Pro tip Look for past examples where the spirit and execution diverged.
Watch out A value that licenses harm should be revised or removed.
- 6
Reset When Necessary
Review whether people remember the set and whether decisions reflect it. Replace values that became generic, false, or routinely weaponised.
Pro tip Preserve only the values that still earn their place.
In the wild
Khosrowshahi says Uber initially gathered employee votes and edited them into a new values list, but most of it resembled generic language about passion, ambition, and teamwork. A later reset produced company-specific phrases, while retaining “Do the right thing” as a judgement-based responsibility for employees.
→ The later set was intended to be more memorable, distinctive, and true to how Uber sought to operate.
Common mistakes
Crowdsourcing Generic Virtues
A democratic list can still produce values that do not distinguish the company or change decisions.
Writing Commandments From Outside
Khosrowshahi argues that company values partly emerge from the organisation rather than succeeding as detached executive instructions.
Ignoring Weaponisation
Uber's toe-stepping example shows that a truth-oriented value can be used to excuse being a jerk.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for organisations mature enough to observe their real culture and willing to change incentives and behaviour with the language.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal as a branding exercise when leaders will not model, interpret, or enforce the stated behaviours.
From the transcript
“sometimes those values became weaponized”
“use your judgment to do the right thing”
“describes how we are different as a company”
From the episode
Uber CEO: At Uber, If You Don’t Perform, You’re Out! Uber Was Losing $3b A Year