Uber’s new boss details “cultural norms” in bid to stop employees being “assholes”

The past year has been a firestorm for global ridesharing powerhouse Uber, with then-chief executive Travis Kalanick resigning after numerous allegations of sexual harassment in the company and high ranking executives streaming out of the startup.

Ex-Expedia boss Dara Khosrowshahi was brought in for the job after two months of the company searching desperately for a female chief executive. At the time, Khosrowshahi told his staff he was “scared” but excited to take on the significant responsibility.

Now, two months into his leadership, the Uber chief executive has laid out the company’s new “cultural norms” in a post on LinkedIn, saying the “culture and approach” that has propelled Uber to its current status will not be what gets the company to the next level.

“Our values define who we are and how we work, but I had heard from many employees that some of them simply didn’t represent the kind of company we want to be,” Khosrowshahi said.

“For instance, ‘toe-stepping’ was meant to encourage employees to share their ideas regardless of their seniority or position in the company, but too often it was used as an excuse for being an asshole.” Read more

Dominic Powell - Smart Company - 8 Nov 2017