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Culture Documentation Template
A template for documenting company culture.
What's included
- Culture statement structure
- Behavior definition
- Story integration
- Update process
- Distribution approach
Best used when
- Formalizing culture
- Onboarding new employees
- Scaling the company
- Cultural refresh
The template
The Template
DOCUMENTATION PHILOSOPHY
Culture Documentation Fundamentals
CULTURE DOCUMENTATION PHILOSOPHY
WHY DOCUMENT CULTURE:
☐ Creates shared understanding
☐ Enables consistent onboarding
☐ Guides decision-making
☐ Preserves as company scales
☐ Communicates to candidates
☐ Holds organization accountable
DOCUMENTATION PRINCIPLES:
1. LIVING DOCUMENT, NOT ARTIFACT
☐ Regular updates
☐ Reflects current reality
☐ Evolves with company
☐ Actively used
2. SPECIFIC AND ACTIONABLE
☐ Concrete examples
☐ Clear behaviors
☐ Real stories
☐ Not corporate speak
3. BRUTALLY HONEST
☐ What we really value
☐ What we don't tolerate
☐ The hard truths
☐ Trade-offs we make
4. ACCESSIBLE TO ALL
☐ Easy to find
☐ Easy to understand
☐ Referenced regularly
☐ Part of onboarding
COMMON MISTAKES:
☐ Generic/corporate language
☐ Never updated
☐ No one reads it
☐ Aspirational vs. actual
☐ No specific examples
COMPREHENSIVE CULTURE DOCUMENT
Complete Culture Document Template
COMPANY CULTURE DOCUMENT
═══════════════════════════════════════
WHO WE ARE
═══════════════════════════════════════
MISSION (Why we exist):
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
VISION (Where we're going):
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
PURPOSE (Why it matters):
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
THE SHORT VERSION:
"We exist to [mission] by [how], on our way to
[vision]. We believe [core belief]."
═══════════════════════════════════════
OUR VALUES
═══════════════════════════════════════
VALUE 1: _____________________
What it means:
_________________________________________
What it looks like:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
What it doesn't mean:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
Example story:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
---
VALUE 2: _____________________
What it means:
_________________________________________
What it looks like:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
What it doesn't mean:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
Example story:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
---
VALUE 3: _____________________
What it means:
_________________________________________
What it looks like:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
What it doesn't mean:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
Example story:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
---
[Continue for all values]
═══════════════════════════════════════
HOW WE WORK
═══════════════════════════════════════
COMMUNICATION:
How we communicate: _____________________
Default channels: _____________________
Response expectations: _____________________
Meeting culture: _____________________
DECISION-MAKING:
How decisions get made: _____________________
Who decides what: _____________________
Speed vs. consensus: _____________________
Escalation process: _____________________
COLLABORATION:
How teams work together: _____________________
Cross-functional norms: _____________________
Conflict resolution: _____________________
Helping culture: _____________________
FEEDBACK:
How we give feedback: _____________________
Feedback cadence: _____________________
Radical candor expectation: _____________________
Recognition culture: _____________________
WORK-LIFE:
Our philosophy: _____________________
Flexibility expectations: _____________________
Boundaries: _____________________
Time off culture: _____________________
═══════════════════════════════════════
OUR EXPECTATIONS
═══════════════════════════════════════
EVERYONE IS EXPECTED TO:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
LEADERS ARE EXPECTED TO:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
NEW HIRES SHOULD KNOW:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
WE DON'T TOLERATE:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
═══════════════════════════════════════
OUR UNIQUE PRACTICES
═══════════════════════════════════════
RITUALS WE HAVE:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
LANGUAGE WE USE:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
THINGS THAT SURPRISE NEW HIRES:
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
☐ _________________________________________
Behavior Examples Matrix
VALUES BEHAVIOR MATRIX
| Value | Do This | Not This |
|-------|---------|----------|
| [Value 1] | [Specific positive behavior] | [Anti-pattern] |
| | [Another positive behavior] | [Anti-pattern] |
| [Value 2] | [Specific positive behavior] | [Anti-pattern] |
| | [Another positive behavior] | [Anti-pattern] |
| [Value 3] | [Specific positive behavior] | [Anti-pattern] |
| | [Another positive behavior] | [Anti-pattern] |
| [Value 4] | [Specific positive behavior] | [Anti-pattern] |
| | [Another positive behavior] | [Anti-pattern] |
| [Value 5] | [Specific positive behavior] | [Anti-pattern] |
| | [Another positive behavior] | [Anti-pattern] |
Culture Story Collection
CULTURE STORY LIBRARY
═══════════════════════════════════════
STORY TEMPLATE
═══════════════════════════════════════
STORY: [Title]
Situation:
When/where this happened: _____________________
Context: _____________________
What happened:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Why it matters:
_________________________________________
Value demonstrated: [VALUE]
How to use this story:
☐ Onboarding
☐ All-hands
☐ Recruiting
☐ Training
═══════════════════════════════════════
STORY CATEGORIES
═══════════════════════════════════════
CUSTOMER OBSESSION STORIES:
Story 1: _____________________
Story 2: _____________________
Story 3: _____________________
INNOVATION STORIES:
Story 1: _____________________
Story 2: _____________________
Story 3: _____________________
TEAMWORK STORIES:
Story 1: _____________________
Story 2: _____________________
Story 3: _____________________
RESILIENCE STORIES:
Story 1: _____________________
Story 2: _____________________
Story 3: _____________________
GROWTH/LEARNING STORIES:
Story 1: _____________________
Story 2: _____________________
Story 3: _____________________
HARD DECISION STORIES:
Story 1: _____________________
Story 2: _____________________
Story 3: _____________________
═══════════════════════════════════════
COLLECTING NEW STORIES
═══════════════════════════════════════
QUARTERLY STORY COLLECTION:
☐ Request submissions from team
☐ Gather from leadership
☐ Extract from customer feedback
☐ Document in story library
STORY CRITERIA:
☐ Specific and real
☐ Demonstrates clear value
☐ Memorable and shareable
☐ Appropriate to share broadly
Culture Document Maintenance
| Task | Frequency | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Review and update | Quarterly | CEO/HR |
| New story collection | Monthly | All |
| Onboarding feedback | Per cohort | HR |
| Annual refresh | Yearly | Leadership |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Culture Documentation Template?
A template for documenting company culture.
Who is the Culture Documentation Template for?
It is built for CEOs and their teams working on Leadership & Culture. The AI coach adapts it to your company, stage, and goals.
How long does the Culture Documentation Template take to use?
It saves roughly 40+ hours versus building from scratch. Our AI coach can tailor the template to your situation in minutes, then hand you a step-by-step plan.
Is the Culture Documentation Template free?
Yes. You can read the full template and start getting coached through it for free. Sign in to save your tailored version and track your next steps.
How does the AI coach help with the Culture Documentation Template?
The coach teaches you the framework, asks a few questions about your business, tailors the template to you, and gives you measurable next steps to execute.