8 lessons on building a company people enjoy working for | The Way We Work, a TED series

Most companies operate on a set of policies: mandated vacation days, travel guidelines, standard work hours, annual goals. But what happens when a company looks less to control and more to trust? Patty McCord, the iconic former chief talent officer at Netflix, shares the key insights that led her to toss the handbook out the window.

The Way We Work is a TED original video series where leaders and thinkers offer practical wisdom and insight into how we can adapt and thrive amid changing workplace conventions.

[HumansOfVR]

This life is for loving, sharing, learning, smiling, caring, forgiving, laughing, hugging, helping, dancing, wondering, healing, and even more loving. I choose to live life this way

[SocPro]

This is a work of art. Love this series. Love Ted.

[sancho]

I own my own cafe and everything is so informal. I don’t even have job applications. I let my employees wear whatever they want and we take turns picking the music for the day. It’s awesome.

[vefaosmanova]

So amazing I can say. 'The smoke of nostalgia' was really an impressive phrase

[carprincess]

I love how you started off with people need to talk to other people like people. Like yes, that's the best way to work!

[susskinsgamer]

"Beware of the smoke of nostalgia." That's a great line.

[Sam-sslo]

Finally, an HR professional who gets it. This advice will still be rellavent 20 years from now.

[girtsroze]

Lady, I don't know you, but I like you, words of wisdom.

[WbMaxime]

Her glasses match her hair and her clothes and her skin and her eyes!

[trungnguyenvan]

I love this series so much. Sort, helpful and inspire me. Love TED.

[greatteams]

I couldn't agree more. It is always about connecting with the individual. My passion (& company is about Great Teams), when we get this right we create extraordinary places to work.

[jimcolleran]

Patty McCord is my new hero. She distills what makes a company that people love to work for into just over 5 minutes. Bravo!

[smoothfrequency]

Ms Patty McCord you have my vote for presidency 2020! Wooo!! ..That good thing you did, do that again.

[zatiemohd]

I couldn’t agree more. As we all know, building a company that fosters a positive and enjoyable work environment is vital as it not only boosts employee engagement, talent attraction, and retention but also cultivates a culture of innovation and customer satisfaction. Such workplaces earn a strong reputation, prioritize employee well-being and development, align with ethical values, and often outperform financially, while also reducing legal risks, collectively contributing to the company's long-term success and sustainability.

[managertrainingtopics]

Love her view. So true. Treat people like adult humans (heck even teenagers have awesome ideas and work ethic, they just may need some training and feedback). Help people grow and they will send people to you even if they have left your firm!

[zarinazambri]

Love this video ! Lots of good tips. I can say that this is one of the best examples on how to handle and treat the employees. Employer must treat them like an adults and listen to their ideas to make improvement or make the company better in the future.

[treelinktree]

I cannot believe this video hasn't gone viral (yet).Thank you for this post.!

[sabrinamix]

I can't believe so much inspired ideias in just 5 minutes! Thanks Patty for sharing your knowledge with us.

[agustina]

I want to work with this amazing woman !!!

[jazzplay]

I sympathize with all the lessons, and I feel they really need to make the best workplace.