culture

7 Companies with a Focus on Fostering a Zen Culture

culture, startup / By

Company culture is one of those “buzz phrases” that just won’t go away – and that’s a good thing!

There are companies that spend a lot of time, money, and resources on implementing the perfect culture.

Conversely, there are companies who don’t see the purpose in this, thus shying away from making changes that could have a positive impact on employees (as well as their bottom line).

Are you ready to make some changes in regards to company culture? Are you wondering where to start? read more

7 Essential Skills for Being a Team Player

culture, personal growth, startup / By

teamworkIf you want to make meaning and change the status quo, it’s not enough to just be on the team. You must also be a team player.

Remember your 6th grade basketball team? Whether you were a starter or second string, A-team or B-team, your position on the team was extremely important.

No matter what your role is in the organization, it is essential to have these skills in order to be successful.

The best team players:

Help teammates win

Have the back of your teammates. When one person wins, you all win. If someone is struggling to meet a deadline or stuck on a problem they just cannot solve, jump in and help. Sometimes just an outside perspective can get to the solution quicker.

Ingrain trust

You know those plays where the point guard doesn’t even look at the person they are passing to? That’s what you want to do. You want your team mates to trust you will be there when it counts.

Inspire each other

Inspire your teammates to push harder and further. Go out of their comfort zone. Do things they didn’t think they were capable of doing.

Bring positivity

The Power of Positive Thinking. When someone gets a miss, stumbles, falls – help them get back up and shake it off.

Work with intensity read more

The Most Important Formula You Need to Solve

culture, personal growth, startup / By

formulaWe often associate formulas with mathematics, however they are hugely beneficial to use in many other circumstances that don’t include just numbers.

Figuring out what you need from your current or future job can help you create a career path that best fits your personality, needs, ambitions, and lead to a more fulfilling life.  I call this your “work-happiness formula“.

Take a moment to list out the factors that are important to you.

Once you have your factors, take the top 5-7 and place a multiplier in front of them (not exceeding 100%) in order to prioritize them. read more

3 Tactics for Overcoming Haters

culture, personal growth, startup / By

hatersThere are haters out there – everywhere. Some subtle, some very direct.  They are the folks who don’t believe you can do what you say you can do, brush off any of your success, and often beat you down – (emotionally, not physically).

Haters are toxic to creativity and can hinder pushing forward on your goals. How do you deal with them?

Decide not to associate with them, and cut your losses

It’s not worth being miserable everyday. If you circle the parking lot before heading into work, it’s time to move on and find some new associates. However, it can be difficult to not associate with these folks if they are close friends or family, and in that case it is worth talking to them about what is going on. It will probably be a difficult and uncomfortable discussion, but it is better then lying awake in bed each night with the anxiety and doubt. You might even be able to turn them into supports! read more

Be a Culture Owner (Part 1)

culture, startup / By

Every single person in an organization has the opportunity to be a driver of the company culture.  Culture has an incredible impact on employee happiness.  Growing a culture that fits your employees can produce higher employee productivity, lower attrition rates, and best of all, create an engaging and fun workplace environment.

Don’t wait for someone else to take the reigns.  Start small.

Here are a few ways to own your culture:

  • Weekly company food competitions – are you in the mood for chips and guacamole?  Hold a company/department “Guac off” –  best part, everyone brings in the food you love to eat.
  • Work with your team to create your Immutable Laws.
  • Create a culture book – include all the things that make you and your company unique (as well as exposing all the “weirdness” that is housed within your friends/co-workers).
  • Create a mascot – for either the whole company or your team.
  • Make t-shirts, stickers, and posters of said mascot.
  • Have random dance parties.
  • Make fun videos to help explain concepts at meetings.

Remember: often the most important pieces of a company culture are the unplanned events. read more

Drop everything, and create your immutable laws

culture, startup / By

Every person and organization has a “code” they live by. They shape the decisions that are made and help keep you (or your co-workers) in check to what is really important. Many times, this code is theoretical and abstract. However, writing them down not only holds yourself and others accountable, but strengthens your team and builds a common goal for daily living.

I first came across Immutable Laws while reading The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur by Mike Michalowicz (great read, highly recommend for any budding entrepreneur). I first started out by using the laws he created in one of his companies, but quickly learned each person, each organization needs to write their own. read more