DNA at Scale
Organizational culture can take on a life of its own—how do we ensure it thrives?
Can a company keep its DNA intact as it grows?
Ranjay Gulati, a Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, examines this question in his thoughtful article The Soul of a Start-Up. Gulati talks about the energy that fuels a start-up as “an essential, intangible something”, and how innovation persists only when a strong culture does as well. This is why Gulati makes a point to stress the importance of spirit preservation, and that “with effort and determination, leaders can protect what’s right and true in their organizations.”
So…out of sheer curiosity, how does all of that actually happen within an organization, exactly?
This is a topic that we’ve needed to contend with ourselves as well. Of course, there’s no denying that we’re thrilled to see so many new faces — there’s also no denying the reality that comes along with an expanding business.
Our team has grown, and we’ve also spread throughout several different locations. In the spirit of wanting to keep our essence (aka our DNA, our “It factor” that makes us who we are) intact, we’ve outlined a few key best practices that could work for any company that’s hoping to maintain their levels of innovation, and scale their culture, as they gain more people.
KNOW WHO YOU ARE
What does your company have that, in one short elevator ride, can quickly summarize what your “deal” is? It may sound like Branding 101, but those small sentences — your Mission and Vision statements, for starters — are the very core of your business’ identity. It’s vital that everyone is aware of these statements, able to easily rattle them off, and confidently use them to describe their work.
Along with specific values and other guidelines, these are the pieces that give associates a clearer understanding of the culture in which they’re about to spend the majority of their time.
There’s something about having clearly outlined goals and expectations that provides a sense of security for the people within an organization. At Compass Digital Labs, our values are Passion, Adventure, and Trust. During every onboarding, our newest people are informed of these and what they mean specifically to the company — in a sense, it’s like a mutual request between leadership and their teams, an agreement that we will all hold each other accountable.
Keeping this information handy and providing further details (for example, guiding principles) helps to ensure an open environment. The leadership mentality, or the leaders themselves, can always be present — even when they physically can’t be — to give the direction and instruction that people need to feel secure.
It’s the most human aspects, such as the need for validation and autonomy, that make all the difference in innovation’s ability to thrive in the workplace.
KNOW WHO YOUR PEOPLE ARE
Think back to your company’s hiring process — either you were being evaluated for whether you would be a good fit, or you’re in a position where you’re regularly doing the evaluating. Either way, the word “fit” is key here. What does it mean for someone to be a “good fit”?
Our Talent Acquisition Specialist, Stephanie Intengan, is generally the first point of contact that many new hires have with CDL. As she begins to speak with a potential hire to get an idea of how well someone might mesh with the team, she listens for the subtle notes that signal what we’re hoping to find.
“I like to keep it open-ended at first to give them the opportunity to describe themselves,” Stephanie explains. “I’m trying to find the passion beyond the resume.” As mentioned above, with one of our values being passion itself, she keeps her radar tuned for mentions of personal projects and hobbies.
Whether it comes up naturally or through some gentle prompting, it’s these traits that can help her feel confident that someone will genuinely care about what they do. Displaying passion outside of work can be the thing that indicates that someone is well-rounded; they’ll take pride in being a part of CDL, while not letting that pride get in their own way.
If you’re still feeling a little uncertain about how someone can be considered a ‘good fit’, consider reaching out to, and observing, the folks who have been working with you the longest. There’s a chance that they might have stories to share that give you a better idea of who they are; you may also begin to notice that you work with an awful lot of dog owners who enjoy debating the best music genres, a massive array of fantasy leagues, or some seriously dedicated pizza fans.
ACCEPT THAT PUBERTY IS THE WORST
Perhaps someone ordered far too many ping pong tables. Or, everyone brought only chocolate chip cookies to the big potluck. Or, maybe there’s been some miscommunications and frustrations. The point is, growing pains can and will happen.
We’re still figuring things out, and that’s alright. It would be against our adventurous nature to avoid the risks and unknowns anyway; it’s ultimately about staying hopeful and agile. We try things, and if they don’t work, we simply try other things until they do.
Through collaboration and empathy, we’ve worked to create a framework for how we will go forward and navigate the move ahead. If we feel like things are working, then that’s super. If not, then we’ll head right back to the drawing board and continue designing programs until we get the results we’re hoping for.
ONWARD AND UPWARD
All in all, as scary as the future can be, we’re pretty darn excited to see what’s next. If you’re feeling curious as well, why not follow our journey on our Instagram and LinkedIn? Those pages are where most of our updates live, and they provide a little peek into what it’s like to be a part of the team.
Oh yeah, how could we forget?! You should totally follow us right here on Medium as well. There might just be a big wave of homegrown content coming your way.
