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Chief Culture Officer: How to Create a Living, Breathing Corporation
Levi-Strauss, the jeans and apparel maker, missed out on the hip-hop trend. They didn’t realize that those kids in baggy jeans represented a whole new€”and lucrative€”market opportunity, one they could have seen coming if they had but been paying attention to the shape of American culture. Levi Strauss isn’t alone. Too many corporations outsource their understanding of culture to trend hunters, cool watchers, marketing experts, consulting firms, and, sometimes, teenage interns. The cost to Levi-Strauss was a billion dollars. The cost to the rest of corporate America is immeasurable. The lesson? The American corporation needs a new professional. It needs a Chief Culture Officer. Grant McCracken, an anthropologist who now trains some of the world’s biggest companies and consulting firms, argues that the CCO would keep a finger on the pulse of contemporary cultural trends€”from sneakers to slow food to preppies€”while develop
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
38 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
About the author
Grant McCracken
19 books49 followersI'm an anthropologist, born in Canada, now living in, and studying, the US. I divide my life into two halves. One is the writing half. The other is for clients: Netflix, the Ford Foundation, the White House, among others. My new book, out in late December from Simon and Schuster is called The New Honor Code.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
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May 21, 2014Grant McCracken, AM’76, PhD’81
Author
From our pages (Dialogo, Spring–Summer/14):
"Trend spotter: Canadian anthropologist Grant McCracken, AM’76, PhD’81, has built an unconventional career as an observer of American culture."
http://mag.uchicago.edu/law-policy-so...
Author
From our pages (Dialogo, Spring–Summer/14):
"Trend spotter: Canadian anthropologist Grant McCracken, AM’76, PhD’81, has built an unconventional career as an observer of American culture."
http://mag.uchicago.edu/law-policy-so...
July 31, 2015
I am a big fan of Grant McCracken. I've not just enjoyed his books, but gotten some powerful ideas for my professional life from them over the years. I've read McCracken when he's being insightful. I know what that looks like.
Chief Culture Officer does not have the kind of material Grant McCracken writes when he's been insightful. Instead, it's filled with embarrassing ideas that appear to have been made off-the-cuff.
Actually, that's just the kind of flippant approach to business that McCracken suggests in this book that a Chief Culture Officer ought to be following. He suggests that watching reality TV shows like Real Housewives is a good form of ethnographic research. He advocates for the blind groupthink of brainstorming that Christian Madsbjerg and Mikkel B. Rasmussen deftly exposed in their more recent book The Moment of Clarity.
In the closing pages of Chief Culture Officer, McCracken disparages academic anthropologists who have, as a culture, adopted the practice of writing more like irrelevant philosophers than observers of culture. His criticism is right on target, but in this book he has largely over-reacted to anthropology's academic rhetoric of nonsense by embracing the careless style of the worst business writers.
As an alternative to academic anthropological writing, McCracken suggests that people investigating the culture of consumption try to express ideas that are just barely good enough for the moment, but can be easily thrown away. He uses the metaphor of Thor Heyerdahl barely keeping Kon Tiki afloat, and then throwing it away as soon as he makes landfall.
That's not the kind of cultural material that an enduring brand will be made from.
Corporations need Chief Culture Officers, but not the kind of Chief Culture Officers Grant McCracken writes about in this book. There's a happy medium between abstracted academic nonsense and slapdash improvisation. Chief Culture Officers need to be observant and discerning. They need to be able to practice thick description based on how consumers actually live, and not be content with the thin veneer that can be grasped through a passing glance and a few notes scribbled down on Post-It notes.
I could not be more disappointed in this book.
Chief Culture Officer does not have the kind of material Grant McCracken writes when he's been insightful. Instead, it's filled with embarrassing ideas that appear to have been made off-the-cuff.
Actually, that's just the kind of flippant approach to business that McCracken suggests in this book that a Chief Culture Officer ought to be following. He suggests that watching reality TV shows like Real Housewives is a good form of ethnographic research. He advocates for the blind groupthink of brainstorming that Christian Madsbjerg and Mikkel B. Rasmussen deftly exposed in their more recent book The Moment of Clarity.
In the closing pages of Chief Culture Officer, McCracken disparages academic anthropologists who have, as a culture, adopted the practice of writing more like irrelevant philosophers than observers of culture. His criticism is right on target, but in this book he has largely over-reacted to anthropology's academic rhetoric of nonsense by embracing the careless style of the worst business writers.
As an alternative to academic anthropological writing, McCracken suggests that people investigating the culture of consumption try to express ideas that are just barely good enough for the moment, but can be easily thrown away. He uses the metaphor of Thor Heyerdahl barely keeping Kon Tiki afloat, and then throwing it away as soon as he makes landfall.
That's not the kind of cultural material that an enduring brand will be made from.
Corporations need Chief Culture Officers, but not the kind of Chief Culture Officers Grant McCracken writes about in this book. There's a happy medium between abstracted academic nonsense and slapdash improvisation. Chief Culture Officers need to be observant and discerning. They need to be able to practice thick description based on how consumers actually live, and not be content with the thin veneer that can be grasped through a passing glance and a few notes scribbled down on Post-It notes.
I could not be more disappointed in this book.
June 22, 2012
Books are always better when you find unexpectedly find yourself in the acknowledgments. That being said, Chief Culture Officer is very good. Grant McCracken is one of a handful of business writers and bloggers who a) has a deep understanding and love for the topics he covers, b) writes about them in an inspiring and unexpected way, and c) isn't a tool. I take a special joy in obscure allusions or connections and I get the feeling that Grant does, too. I really think someone who had previously been completely ignorant about current business thinking could pick up this book and, if they diligently followed every thread and read every book Grant mentioned, leave with a complete understanding. I felt like Grant cited half the books I've read in the last few years. My only criticism is that he regularly got distracted inside of his own book and never finished the stories he started - what happened to the hidden sneaker shop? Someone tell me.
November 15, 2018
Incredible book about a needed position in organizations of all types. If culture is your thing, use it, because others need your pop culture knowledge to keep the cutting edge. Don't know how to make it work or where to start? No problem. Just read this book!
November 23, 2021
This book did not withstand the test of time. I only managed to finish because it was vaguely interesting to see how out of cultural touch the ideas, quotes, and references were. A marketing book for yesteryear.
April 12, 2022
Entertaining and easy to read. I like the book emphasizes on term ‘ culture eats strategy for breakfast’
October 30, 2022
As a former Corporate Culture Officer, I have used this book as a reference book when working with clients. Excellent structure recommendations.
November 24, 2010
For those interested in corporate culture, Chief Culture Officer is an interesting take on establishing, changing, maintaining, and understanding organizational cultures. The examples McCracken gives are often insightful, though not always. Sometimes they are a stretch, and are more easily explained in other ways than as artifacts of culture or cultural understanding. Another complaint...the book often sounds like an extended pitch for the creation of the position of chief culture officer (CCO), as if McCracken had skin in the game somehow. In fact, being a consultant on such issues, he probably does.
Nonetheless, there are some useful and important understandings to be had from the book. Most of that, for me, came as I read of his experiences -- Fonseca and how she used M&Ms to encourage idea generation was a favorite, and there were many other good ones. Reading these experiences gradually led to a foundational understanding of a variety of ways for how to use culture to more directly and positively influence good business practices.
This is not a book to read slowly...I think it is better to skim it, dipping into various parts from time to time a bit more deeply, as desired. It is the essence of it that is most important, and that comes most quickly by scanning, with the occasional deep dive.
Nonetheless, there are some useful and important understandings to be had from the book. Most of that, for me, came as I read of his experiences -- Fonseca and how she used M&Ms to encourage idea generation was a favorite, and there were many other good ones. Reading these experiences gradually led to a foundational understanding of a variety of ways for how to use culture to more directly and positively influence good business practices.
This is not a book to read slowly...I think it is better to skim it, dipping into various parts from time to time a bit more deeply, as desired. It is the essence of it that is most important, and that comes most quickly by scanning, with the occasional deep dive.
April 2, 2012
The book Chief Cultural Officer is something that should have been written at least 10 years ago. In today's fast changing society, it is unimaginable not to take into account cultural trends while making major business decisions. The misconception is that it is easy to know the culture of the consumers and we don't need a separate person for the job. This is because people focus on the latest fads and what is 'cool' and think that that is what will be successful. However, the author stresses on knowing about past trends, anticipating the future, knowing about slow and fast culture, dispersive and converging culture.
The best thing about the book is that he gives real life examples of people in corporations who took into account the thoughts and needs of the consumers and how they were successful. Giving examples always helps us to understand a concept better.
The only negative review I would give is that it could have been shorter. 200 pages don't seem like much, however, Grant McCracken efficiently and effectively conveyed his message in a witty and informative in the first few chapters. Towards the end, it just seems repetitive and not really necessary. I would say reading the introduction itself, emphasizes and is convincing enough in the need of a CCO in todays society to be successful.
The best thing about the book is that he gives real life examples of people in corporations who took into account the thoughts and needs of the consumers and how they were successful. Giving examples always helps us to understand a concept better.
The only negative review I would give is that it could have been shorter. 200 pages don't seem like much, however, Grant McCracken efficiently and effectively conveyed his message in a witty and informative in the first few chapters. Towards the end, it just seems repetitive and not really necessary. I would say reading the introduction itself, emphasizes and is convincing enough in the need of a CCO in todays society to be successful.
October 27, 2010
This is the single most important book I've read this year. McCracken employs his considerable experience as an anthropologist to peer into the labyrinth of corporate America, and provides engaging examples to guide the reader along the way.
McCracken discusses the perils of personality cults, the value of treating cultural knowledge as a professional competence, the distinction between fast and slow culture, and the power of empathy. His examples are witty, informative, and transformative,ranging from the Quaker-Snapple buyout to the iconic power of I ♥ NY.
After reading this book,you'll notice something strange. Everyday leisure activities such as watching TV, reading magazines, walking on the streets, will be different. They will have a richer meaning and will be fueled by a curious energy and desire to understand how we think, feel, and behave.
McCracken discusses the perils of personality cults, the value of treating cultural knowledge as a professional competence, the distinction between fast and slow culture, and the power of empathy. His examples are witty, informative, and transformative,ranging from the Quaker-Snapple buyout to the iconic power of I ♥ NY.
After reading this book,you'll notice something strange. Everyday leisure activities such as watching TV, reading magazines, walking on the streets, will be different. They will have a richer meaning and will be fueled by a curious energy and desire to understand how we think, feel, and behave.
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January 13, 2010BusinessWeek Best Innovation Books of 2009
"Contending that culture is an overlooked factor in successful businesses, anthropologist and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher Grant McCracken makes the case for the creation of a chief culture officer atop each company. Entertaining and provocative—in a chapter called "Philistines," he directs disdain at such figures as Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen and Scott Cook of Intuit—a ton of examples and case studies make this a thought-provoking read."
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/...
"Contending that culture is an overlooked factor in successful businesses, anthropologist and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher Grant McCracken makes the case for the creation of a chief culture officer atop each company. Entertaining and provocative—in a chapter called "Philistines," he directs disdain at such figures as Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen and Scott Cook of Intuit—a ton of examples and case studies make this a thought-provoking read."
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/...
October 17, 2016
Fascinating book. This is my dream job. McCracken is truly an expert. The first half of the book is absolutely riveting and kept me up for hours after I finished reading the first night. The author simply wants to show everyone the value of understanding culture's influence on on the business world. He discusses the fall of Coca Cola in the US (down by 15% in recent years) and why other companies succeed where Coke has recently failed. Good examples, plenty of case studies, an intriguing writing style, and superb presentation.
Recommended to all.
Recommended to all.
August 29, 2012
Hasta ahora el concepto no es malo, algunos de sus ejemplos y sus dichos no son del todo correctos y tal vez dramatiza un poco para hacer llegar su punto (Por ejemplo que Microsoft genero la explosión del Silicon Valley).
Aun así, el tema de que un negocio (y una persona para el caso) debe tener en cuenta la "Cultura" y mas específicamente la "Cultura Popular" en su radar como parte integral del negocio, es un concepto muy valido e interesante.
Aun así, el tema de que un negocio (y una persona para el caso) debe tener en cuenta la "Cultura" y mas específicamente la "Cultura Popular" en su radar como parte integral del negocio, es un concepto muy valido e interesante.
February 17, 2010
While nominally a business book, even Grant McCracken has trouble keeping up the charade. This book is far more than a business book - it's a plea for us to give what I'd term "Applied Anthropology" a chance to evolve and flourish.
A great read.
A great read.
January 4, 2016
Was looking for a book that would provide real encouragement or direction in incorporating cultural relevance into my work. Found a book that tries to give compelling arguments to support creating a role for a cultural compass in a company. Some sections were useful, but not many.
February 12, 2016
An argument for corporations to get "with-it", and stay relevant! Not sure how many of today's global companies really would be interested, or be capabile, of taking the author's proposition seriously.
Want to read
March 28, 2010Molly Recommendation.
Want to read
November 4, 2010Could not put the book down
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July 1, 2011This seemed quite self serving for a business book. Some interesting tidbits about consumer facing companies, but it didn't relate to my industry the way I was hoping it would...
April 20, 2015
Some good insights, but I think I misunderstand the title CCO - I thought it meant internal culture more than how external culture affects the business.
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February 16, 2016Summary at: http://greatesthitsblog.com/category/...
June 27, 2011
eh... not what i expected it to be about and not all that interesting to me. couldn't finish it.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews