Companies operate in uncertain environments. In order to confront unexpected challenges and seize emerging opportunities, they need to have a culture that balances freedom with responsibility. That is a lesson that Netflix learned as it developed rapidly as an organization where employees know how exactly they create value for customers and for the company. In doing so, it built an innovative culture – as described in the well-known Netflix Culture Deck — with practices that went beyond conventional notions of employee retention, annual performance reviews and bonuses, says Patty McCord, former chief talent officer at Netflix, in her book Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility . In her later role as a consultant, McCord found that startups have a better chance of building the right teams and behaviors than older and larger organizations where, typically, unwanted rules and time-worn processes constrain innovation.…