How culture makes a difference when times get tough
These days, our lives are defined by COVID-19. We’re submerged in information in varying forms, ranging from scientific articles to memes alike (the irony being that there are similar amounts of spine-tingling severity and dry humor in both of them).
As governments are mobilizing to protect citizens, and faulty systems are coming to light under pressure, our lifestyles, systems, and raisons d’être are being questioned and tested.
Culture — and even corporate culture — are words that are thrown around a lot. But from my point of view, at Five, culture is not just corporate. It’s a defining spirit that shapes our approach towards one another, our goals, and seeps into our personal reasons to wake up every morning. We are open about these beliefs with one another. In fact, we share them openly by each crafting a “Working with Me” document that details our personal motivations, tendencies from childhood, strengths, quirks, and even our pet peeves.
Before joining Five by Five this January, I came across some interviews on our Welcome to the Jungle page. Our CEO & Co founder, Chloé mentioned how she’d created Five by Five because she hadn’t found an environment with the exact culture she envisioned. Pauline, our Partner & VP of growth and strategy, spoke about how it was important to create a company with clear convictions, especially in an increasingly polarized political environment.
The takeaway? Five’s culture is no coincidence — it has been carefully cultivated with intention. What I’ve learned this week is that it also evolves in times of distress.
This Monday, when logged into Google Hangouts for a virtual version of Five by Five’s Monday morning stand-up, I wasn’t sure what to expect (our Monday stand-ups are when we gather as a team and discuss recent personal victories, upcoming challenges, and any major announcements).
It would not have been at all unreasonable if team members were off-beat or unfocused. Yet, the team displayed a clear acceptance of the situation at hand. This week we’re engineering a game-plan to work on projects new & old that we have the newfound opportunity to channel our energy into. As the days string on into chunks of time unsegmented by outings, we are reminded every morning by Alexis, our VP of Product, to tackle each day separately and look outside the window for a second (“ Hey !!! Il fait beau !! Passez une belle journée “).
Sending a message of that sort might seem simple, but it’s pretty easy to forget to cyber-greet your team members every morning. The messages, to me, remind us of one of our core values: “Respire, prouve que tu sais rire,” which translates to “breathe — prove that you know how to laugh.” This doesn’t mean that we have to forget the gravity of the situation, but instead, that we should remind ourselves that we’re extremely lucky to be working safely from home.
At the same time, we don’t mess around :) Another one of our values is “Naviguons tou.te.s dans le même bateau,”or “we’re all on the same boat.” This week, a new team member joined the team. (Side note: she’s going to write about her experience with her e-onboarding later- so stay tuned!) Her arrival could have been delayed or awkward, but all of our team members made the effort to welcome her, have virtual coffees with her, and include her in our current game plan. We shaped the situation to be funky and remarkable instead of eerie and cold.
Throughout this situation, it’s as if we have subconsciously yet instinctively been asking ourselves: how do we maintain a strong team spirit? This situation has demonstrated our conviction to grow with the situation at hand, while remembering to have each other’s backs by acting consciously, and continuing to educate ourselves.
To learn more about us, check us out at fivebyfive.io.
