Culture & Engagement Skill
Purpose
Provide engineering managers with frameworks for building healthy team cultures, fostering psychological safety, driving engagement, and creating inclusive environments.
Primary Bond
Agent: culture-engagement-agent Relationship: This skill provides survey templates, ritual frameworks, and engagement tools that the agent uses.
Templates
Psychological Safety Pulse
psychological_safety_pulse:
metadata:
team: "{Team name}"
date: "{Date}"
participants: "{X/Y responded}"
response_rate: "{X}%"
dimensions:
inclusion_safety:
questions:
- "I feel like I belong on this team"
- "My unique perspective is valued"
- "I can be myself at work"
average_score: null
trend: null
learner_safety:
questions:
- "It's safe to ask questions, even obvious ones"
- "Mistakes are treated as learning opportunities"
- "I can admit when I don't know something"
average_score: null
trend: null
contributor_safety:
questions:
- "My contributions make a real difference"
- "I can use my skills effectively"
- "My work is valued by the team"
average_score: null
trend: null
challenger_safety:
questions:
- "I can challenge ideas without negative consequences"
- "Speaking up is encouraged, even with bad news"
- "Disagreement is handled constructively"
average_score: null
trend: null
interpretation:
4.5_plus: "Excellent - maintain and reinforce"
4.0_to_4.4: "Good - minor improvements needed"
3.5_to_3.9: "Concerning - targeted intervention"
below_3.5: "Critical - immediate action needed"
action_planning:
top_strength: ""
top_concern: ""
committed_actions: []
follow_up_date: ""
Engagement Survey
engagement_survey:
metadata:
team: "{Team name}"
quarter: "{Q1 2025}"
response_rate: "{X}%"
categories:
basic_needs:
- "I know what's expected of me"
- "I have the tools and resources to do my work"
individual:
- "I can do what I do best every day"
- "I receive recognition for good work"
- "Someone at work cares about me as a person"
- "Someone encourages my development"
team:
- "My opinions seem to count"
- "The mission makes my work feel important"
- "My co-workers are committed to quality"
- "I have a best friend at work"
growth:
- "I've had conversations about my progress"
- "I have opportunities to learn and grow"
eNPS:
question: "How likely are you to recommend this team as a place to work?"
scale: "0-10"
calculation: "Promoters (9-10) - Detractors (0-6)"
target: ">40"
interpretation:
engagement_score:
excellent: ">4.5"
good: "4.0-4.4"
needs_attention: "3.5-3.9"
critical: "<3.5"
eNPS:
excellent: ">50"
good: "30-50"
needs_attention: "0-30"
critical: "<0"
Team Culture Canvas
team_culture_canvas:
values:
- name: "{Value 1 - e.g., Ownership}"
definition: "{What it means to us}"
behaviors:
do:
- "{Observable behavior we encourage}"
- "{Another behavior}"
dont:
- "{Behavior that violates this value}"
- name: "{Value 2 - e.g., Transparency}"
definition: ""
behaviors:
do: []
dont: []
norms:
communication:
- "Default to async, sync when needed"
- "Respond within 4 hours during work hours"
- "Use public channels unless confidential"
meetings:
- "Agenda required for all meetings"
- "Start and end on time"
- "Notes shared within 24 hours"
- "Camera on for video calls (optional for listeners)"
feedback:
- "Direct and kind"
- "Timely (within 48 hours)"
- "In private for constructive"
- "In public for praise"
work_life:
- "No messages after 6pm local time"
- "Vacation is vacation"
- "Core hours: 10am-4pm local"
rituals:
daily:
- name: "Standup"
time: "{Time}"
format: "{Async/Sync}"
purpose: "Alignment and blockers"
weekly:
- name: "Team sync"
time: "{Day/Time}"
duration: "30 min"
purpose: "Strategic alignment"
- name: "Social time"
time: "{Day/Time}"
duration: "30 min"
purpose: "Connection"
monthly:
- name: "All-hands"
purpose: "Company updates"
- name: "Recognition"
purpose: "Celebrate wins"
quarterly:
- name: "Retrospective"
purpose: "Continuous improvement"
- name: "Planning"
purpose: "Align on goals"
Stay Interview Guide
stay_interview:
purpose: "Understand what keeps people engaged and identify retention risks"
frequency: "Quarterly for all, monthly for high-risk"
questions:
engagement:
- "What keeps you here?"
- "What do you look forward to when you come to work?"
- "When was the last time you thought about leaving?"
concerns:
- "What might tempt you to leave?"
- "What frustrates you most about working here?"
- "What would you change if you could?"
value:
- "Do you feel valued? Why or why not?"
- "Is your work recognized appropriately?"
- "Do you feel you're paid fairly?"
growth:
- "Do you see a future for yourself here?"
- "What skills would you like to develop?"
- "Is your career progressing as you'd like?"
manager:
- "How can I better support you?"
- "Is there feedback you haven't shared?"
- "What do you need from me?"
action_planning:
immediate_actions: []
longer_term_changes: []
follow_up_date: ""
commitment_made: ""
Decision Trees
Psychological Safety Intervention
Safety score below 4.0
|
+-- Which dimension is lowest?
| |
| +-- Inclusion Safety
| | +-- New team members struggling?
| | +-- Cliques forming?
| | +-- Action: Intentional inclusion activities
| |
| +-- Learner Safety
| | +-- Questions being mocked?
| | +-- Mistakes punished?
| | +-- Action: Leader vulnerability modeling
| |
| +-- Contributor Safety
| | +-- Ideas ignored?
| | +-- Credit not given?
| | +-- Action: Recognition program
| |
| +-- Challenger Safety
| +-- Bad news hidden?
| +-- Dissent suppressed?
| +-- Action: Explicitly invite challenge
|
+-- Is there a specific incident?
| +-- Yes -> Address directly with individuals
| +-- No -> Continue
|
+-- Team-wide issue or specific individuals?
+-- Team-wide -> Team retrospective, new norms
+-- Specific -> 1-on-1 coaching, potential consequences
Retention Risk Response
Retention risk identified
|
+-- Risk level?
| +-- High (actively interviewing) -> Immediate action
| +-- Medium (frustrated but not leaving) -> Prioritize
| +-- Low (minor concerns) -> Address in normal cadence
|
+-- Root cause?
| +-- Compensation -> Market review, adjustment if warranted
| +-- Growth -> IDP, stretch assignments, promotion path
| +-- Manager -> Coaching, potentially reassign
| +-- Culture -> Team intervention, behavior changes
| +-- Work itself -> Role adjustment, project changes
|
+-- Is this person critical to retain?
| +-- Yes -> Escalate, consider exceptions
| +-- No -> Standard support, don't over-invest
|
+-- Can we address the root cause?
+-- Yes -> Create action plan, timeline
+-- No -> Be honest, help them succeed elsewhere
Anti-Patterns
anti_patterns:
culture_theater:
symptom: "Values on the wall but not in actions"
remedy:
- "Define observable behaviors for each value"
- "Call out violations (kindly but firmly)"
- "Celebrate values in action"
survey_fatigue:
symptom: "Low response rates, cynicism about surveys"
remedy:
- "Reduce frequency, increase impact"
- "Share results and actions publicly"
- "Close the loop on previous feedback"
brilliant_jerk:
symptom: "High performer with toxic behavior tolerated"
remedy:
- "Behavior is a performance dimension"
- "Address immediately, no exceptions"
- "Impact on team is measurable"
forced_fun:
symptom: "Mandatory team building that people dread"
remedy:
- "Make social activities optional"
- "Offer variety (not everyone likes happy hours)"
- "Focus on genuine connection"
Quick Reference Cards
Recognition Best Practices
recognition:
public:
format: "I want to recognize {name} for {specific action}.
This demonstrated our value of {value}
and resulted in {impact}."
when: "Weekly in team channel or meeting"
private:
format: "I noticed you {specific action}.
This showed great {skill/value}
and made a real difference in {outcome}."
when: "As it happens, within 48 hours"
peer:
format: "Shoutout to {name} for helping me with {task}.
Really appreciated your {specific contribution}."
when: "Encourage regularly, model it yourself"
guidelines:
- "Be specific (not just 'great job')"
- "Be timely (within 48 hours)"
- "Tie to values when possible"
- "Balance public and private"
- "Recognize effort, not just outcomes"
Meeting Inclusion Checklist
meeting_inclusion:
before:
- "Is everyone who should be there invited?"
- "Is the time zone fair for all participants?"
- "Is the agenda shared in advance?"
during:
- "Are all voices heard (not just the loudest)?"
- "Are there multiple ways to participate (verbal, chat)?"
- "Are we avoiding side conversations?"
- "Are we crediting ideas to originators?"
after:
- "Are notes shared with all stakeholders?"
- "Are action items clear and assigned?"
- "Is there a way to give feedback on the meeting?"
Remote/Hybrid Best Practices
remote_practices:
connection:
- "Camera on as default (but respect opt-out)"
- "Virtual coffee chats scheduled"
- "Team rituals adapted for remote"
communication:
- "Over-communicate (2x what feels necessary)"
- "Write things down (tribal knowledge shared)"
- "Async-first, sync when needed"
inclusion:
- "Same experience for remote and in-office"
- "No hallway decisions (document everything)"
- "Time zone rotation for recurring meetings"
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Root Cause | Solution | |---------|-----------|----------| | Silent meetings | Low psychological safety | Invite input explicitly, wait for answers | | Survey scores low | Real problems or survey fatigue | Act on feedback, show progress | | High turnover | Multiple possible causes | Exit interviews, stay conversations | | Cliques forming | Natural but needs management | Mix up teams, cross-functional projects |
Validation Rules
input_validation:
situation:
type: string
min_length: 10
required: true
team_size:
type: integer
min: 1
max: 100
required: false
remote_percentage:
type: integer
min: 0
max: 100
required: false
Resources
Books:
- The Fearless Organization - Amy Edmondson
- Culture Code - Daniel Coyle
- Radical Candor - Kim Scott
- No Rules Rules - Reed Hastings
Research:
- Google's Project Aristotle
- Gallup Q12 engagement research
- Amy Edmondson's psychological safety research