Office Environment & Company Culture

Transcription

1 Office Environment & Company Culture

2 Table of Contents In-Office Activities Out-Of-Office Activities Case Studies Recommendations Relevant Articles

3 In-Office Activities

4 In-Office Activities Microsoft plays a song at 3 o clock when people start to get tired Office dogs Communal lunch -- provided in the office for everyone 2 minutes every hour on the hour break to stretch/run around Monthly birthday parties Group campfire meeting: beginning or end of week meetings with no electronics to prepare/recap the week (maybe more than just 1 team) Flexible schedule: make a certain time people need to be present in the office (i.e. 10am--4pm) but let people come in earlier to finish earlier/later and stay later depending on workload/ what they prefer Once a month half-day fridays Weekly all-office check-ins: each team gets 5 minutes of summary/highlights Shout-out board for nice messages when someone from your team/another team does something well Snap Cup: Based on a sparkly idea from Legally Blonde, our team has a Slack channel dedicated to encouraging and uplifting one another with praise and warm fuzzies. Praise that s unspoken is no praise at all, and our aim is to ensure that each employee is valued, that hard work never goes unappreciated or overlooked. No Seat is Permanent : The non-traditional desk assignments have been a really good success. It s helped create more chemistry and new relationships more junior staff are more exposed to senior, and are becoming comfortable approaching leaders with their opinions.

5 Out-Of-Office Activities

6 Out-of-Office Activities Walkies outdoor walking meetings Get something work-related done in a dynamic, creative way Mystery Lunch have people fill out a loose schedule and then organize groups for lunches out of the office Great way to get to know people (both on + off your team) out of the office in a non-traditional office setting 4th of july, holiday, halloween parties (can be used as a marketing opportunity if shared on social media, etc.) Get Together to Give Back pick an organization and devote a few days each year to attending events or raising awareness/money Easy & inexpensive way to get the whole office together outside of work while benefitting the community Activities Spreadsheet create a way for employees to share fun events/activities that they know about in the city Allows for employees to attend non work-related events together that they wouldn t normally attend i.e. Plays, workout classes, art exhibits, etc.

7 Case Studies Zappos, Boeing, Estee Lauder, IDEO

8 Zappos Holacracy (NPR Article on Zappos Work Culture) Program Focus: individual autonomy and self-governance Program Description: Work with groups/peers Everyone has an equal say Employees are evaluated and rewarded by peers, instead of by a boss Zappos 10 Core Values: Deliver WOW Through Service Embrace and Drive Change Create Fun and A Little Weirdness Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded Pursue Growth and Learning Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit Do More With Less Be Passionate and Determined Be Humble Driven by Frederic Laloux s organizational thesis from his book Reinventing Organizations: Self Management, Wholeness, and Evolutionary Purpose

9 Boeing Program Focus: Career and Leadership Mentoring Program Description: Rotational Program- pair new employees with senior managers and executives 1-to-1 Learning Program- develop a program and pairing system that benefits both the mentor and mentee Key Mentorship Practices Specified length of time and meeting schedule Structure mentor-mentee matching Pre, mid, and post evaluation Orientation Sessions Cross-cultural curriculum Inclusion of mentee s managers

10 Estee Lauder Program Focus: Career Development Program Description Employee and Executive Education Program Ex. Leonard Lauder works with young talent, focussing on the company values and history Build experiences that are diverse in category and brand Ex. Presidential Management Associate Programme (rotational program) Promotion of Core Values Compassion Excellence Creativity, Innovation Diverse and Inclusive Respect for Others and for the Environment Learning

11 IDEO Program Focus: Innovation Program Description Human centered design Brainstorm Kits (Post-its and Sharpies in meeting rooms to promote expression) Employees allowed to design and create themes for conference rooms Bottom-up innovation Encourage employees to design their own projects

12 Recommendations

13 Recommendations Only allowed to eat at your desk 2X a week Create a more welcoming eating space to encourage office members to communicate and unwind Purpose: Promote communication, creativity, and innovation Draper James Mentorship Program Pair leaders with members in their department Purpose: Discuss goals and career path, regular evaluations, and scheduled meetings Monthly Office Meetings Good food, no electronics, and open dialogue Purpose: Create more cohesion within the office and encourage engagement Innovation Monday Meetings devoted to brainstorming, communicating, developing (group problem solving- merging of teams) Purpose: Encourage an environment of creativity and openness Office Appearance Draper James brand values/themes displayed, and an inspiration/achievement board Purpose: Office as a reflection of the brand and to encourage innovation Flexible Hours Allow employees to create their own work hours, but require a set timeframe to be in the office Purpose: Attract more employees and create more opportunities for mothers

14 Relevant Articles

15 Relevant Articles Our company is so small we do not have formal training department or even an established mentor program. So it is up to the informal interactions to reinforce what we do and how we do it. In this view, culture is about the story in which people in the organization are embedded, and the values and rituals that reinforce that narrative. It also focuses attention on the importance of symbols and the need to understand them including the idiosyncratic languages used in organizations in order to understand culture. The Clan Culture: This culture is rooted in collaboration. Members share commonalities and see themselves are part of one big family who are active and involved. Leadership takes the form of mentorship, and the organization is bound by commitments and traditions. The main values are rooted in teamwork, communication and consensus. A prominent clan culture is Tom s of Maine, the maker of all-natural hygiene products. To build the brand, founder Tom Chappell focused on building respectful relationships with employees, customers, suppliers and the environment itself. Mentorship