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66 CHAPTER 2

TABLE 2.2 OVERVIEW OF GREEN GLUE RITUALS

Practice Processes
General espirit de corps Annual retreat
Potluck Thanksgiving
Ringing the bell celebrations
Valuing multiple perspectives MBTI ®
FIRO-B ®
Transparency and straight talk Feedback through coaching pairs
Continues–starts–stops
360-degree sessions
Anti-triangulation policy
Accountability Balanced scorecards
Shared leadership Organizational chart
Decision making
Cross-functional task forces
Mentoring Formalized continuing education
Lunch-and-learns
Conferences
Executive and peer coaching
Alignment Consensual hiring

requires and devote such a heavy degree of human capital to the effort. Some on the
leadership team feel this is a drag on growth, while others, the CEO included, feel that
it is precisely rituals like this that assist the company’s deliberately paced growth.
Various rituals comprising the green glue of a values-centric company help create a
rich and complex culture, one that takes time to feel at home with and comfortable in.
An overview of the main components of ritual at Melaver, Inc. is provided in Table 2.2.

Language

Every culture has a distinct language. Businesses are no different. Most of us probably
don’t even think about it—it’s a part of the environment we’ve grown accustomed to.
But the newcomer to a company is often overwhelmed and confused by the acronyms
and code words and general shorthand people use to communicate with one another.
Melaver, Inc. is no different in this regard. Team members talk about “going to the
HILS,” referring to the High Impact Leadership Seminar many attend to learn about
feedback and leadership types. Staff members have LEGs, not the kind that hold up
our bodies, but an internal program for the Leadership Enhancement Group. They call
their senior leadership team Froot Loops (because they are graduates of the Kellogg