How a Simple Metaphor Grew into a Global Learning Culture

How Spotify’s GreenHouse got its name and why . . . .

Having a fun and catchy name for your HR or L&D programs is great, but on its own, it does little to drive engagement, performance, or any of the other KPIs we’re expected to deliver against.

That’s why when I was speaking with Johanna Bolin Tingvall, former Global Head of Learning & Development, and Talent Growth at Spotify, I wanted to dig deeper and ask the important questions: Why GreenHouse? And how did Spotify bring it to life?

Why: What’s in a Name?

As we all know, a name can be powerful. It sends a message, sets an intention, and signals what something stands for. That’s why Spotify wanted a name and concept that would resonate globally and clearly communicate the purpose of learning and development.

Spotify already had a tradition of using metaphors to bring its culture to life. For example, employees are known as “band members” - a nod to the company’s musical roots that reinforces creativity, collaboration, and a sense of playing in harmony toward a shared purpose. So when it came to learning, Spotify looked for a metaphor that carried that same spirit - one that reflected growth, care, and the continuous nurturing of potential.

They landed on GreenHouse - signaling a space where growth is intentional, supported, and cultivated, where ideas can take root and people have the right conditions to thrive.

“We wanted it to symbolize the concept of growing our people. Just like in a GreenHouse you set out to create the best conditions for growth, where people - like plants- can grow. And we see our leaders as the gardeners - the ones who nurture and help them thrive.” said Johanna.

How: Bringing GreenHouse to Life

Having a catchy and fun metaphor is a great start - but on its own, it’s just words. The real magic happens when you bring the metaphor to life and weave it into the fabric of the organisation. That’s exactly what Spotify did with GreenHouse, consistently embedding the concept and strategy into daily culture and practices.

“Success came not from one-off initiatives but from embedding the concept into our values, structures, processes, and tone of voice. Over time, Greenhouse became part of Spotify’s DNA.” said Johanna

Here’s some examples of how they made it happen:

1. Campaigns

In the early days, Spotify brought the GreenHouse metaphor to life through creative, hands-on campaigns - sending employees seeds and gardening kits, designing and launching a simple GreenHouse logo, and weaving themed language into everyday communications. These playful gestures sparked curiosity and engagement, helping people connect with the idea of growth in a tangible way.

Over time, these visible symbols evolved into something deeper. The metaphor became part of the everyday culture - less about campaigns and more about mindset. GreenHouse stopped being a theme and started becoming a way of working and learning.

2. The Gardener Series

At the heart of GreenHouse is a simple but powerful idea: leaders are gardeners. Their role is to nurture, support, and create the right conditions for others to grow. To bring this concept to life, Spotify launched the Gardener’s Series - a collection of testimonial interviews with leaders, their “gardeners.”

Through storytelling, they shined a light on what great leadership looks like in action: how leaders cultivate potential, tend to their teams with care, and help their people thrive. The stories inspired others to do the same, reinforcing the point that growth isn’t accidental, it’s something leaders actively and intentionally nurture.

3. Interactive, Creative Learning Methods

Just like a garden flourishes through variety and care, Spotify ensured learning stayed fresh, hands-on, and alive. They designed experiences that encouraged people to get their hands dirty - experimenting, creating, and learning by doing. From immersive sessions with actors to using LEGO for leadership exercises, the focus was always on growing through experience, not overcomplicating with theory.

Even initiatives like Hackathons, where band members across functions come together to collaborate and innovate, became fertile ground for learning. These moments of creativity and cross-pollination helped ideas take root and spread across the organisation, cultivating a culture of curiosity and continuous growth.

4. Ownership at all levels

A thriving learning culture can’t exist without shared ownership. At Spotify, every band member is seen as both a learner and a teacher - responsible for their own growth and for helping others grow too. The GreenHouse team created structures and support to make this happen, ensuring learning became something people do together, not something done to them.

As Johanna explained, “Everyone at Spotify owns their development, and we expect people to - among other things - learn from and teach each other. Some call it peer-to-peer learning; we call it Play it Forward.”

Bringing It All Together

Over time, GreenHouse became far more than a metaphor - it became part of Spotify’s organisational DNA. The consistent storytelling, leadership alignment, and creative learning experiences all helped cultivate a culture where growth wasn’t a one-off event, but a living, breathing practice.

Like any great garden, it took time, care, and intention. But today, when you say GreenHouse at Spotify, everyone knows exactly what it means: a space where people grow, leaders nurture, and learning never stops.

It’s a testament to what’s possible when an organisation commits to turning a simple idea into a sustained movement - one that connects people, inspires curiosity, and keeps growth alive at every level. Congratulations to Johanna and the team at Spotify for creating and maintaining such a unique and effective approach to learning and development, one that has truly helped people, and ideas, thrive.