How we work: the right way to build organizational culture
Organizational culture is one of those intangibles that generates a lot of discussion, but often it’s hard to tell if those conversations lead anywhere. Look, I get that co-workers want work-sponsored activities for socializing, that team members want to know they are growing professionally and progressing along their career paths, and all like to feel good about coming to work every day. Ping Pong tables are fun, free snacks are great, and a comfortable, work-conducive space seems like a no-brainer. But I believe that if people don’t believe in the work they’re doing, if they aren’t excited by the challenges, and don’t feel proud when they deliver, then no amount of fun, freebies (especially not our ☕️) or swag is going to make your team productive, satisfied or happy.
One of the things that I am passionately committed to is establishing an organization where the culture is defined by the work. When I introduced this idea, it was met with some skepticism. I understand the skepticism because I was leading the team into a realm of unknowns — about me, the way we’d work with Infor and its customers, and the value we’d add. Even with all that uncertainty, here’s why I believe focusing on the work is the right way to define and build culture.
At Hook & Loop we define our work as our process as well as the outputs and outcomes. When you articulate the expectations around how we operate and interact, a culture of shared accountability and shared success emerges.
Our five principles below establish us as makers, solution-orientated, and here to deliver real value. They form a unifying code of conduct that transcend projects, disciplines and roles.
- We collaborate and share selflessly
We’re open to feedback and new ideas
We are not here to do things we’ve done before
We make decisions based on evidence
We are not motivated by ego - We love small, self-sufficient teams
We are lean
We are empowered to be self-directed and accountable
We learn our way forward - We are customer and user obsessed
We care about our customers’ success
We are empathetic to our users
We do more than what is asked - We make things real, fast and frequently, and sometimes we fail
We believe in delivering fast and frequently
We see our work as infinitely iterative
We avoid perfection paralysis
We find success in failure - We are committed to our people who are committed to the work
When you empower your team members to seize the opportunity—take control of their own professional destiny, iterate and learn, not be afraid of failure you demonstrate your commitment to them as valuable contributors to your organization.
We provide the framework for empowerment at all levels of the organization. We promote transparency and move aware from control toward mentorship and guidance.
Why is that fundamentally so important? Because when things change — market needs, work streams, even team configurations — the culture does not have to change with them. When the work is the culture and the culture is the work, there is never any question about what’s important, how team members can contribute and what success looks like. You’ll know what to expect and what’s expected of you and your colleagues. It’s this kind of culture where team members outgrow our organization and move on become the future leaders at Infor and within the industry. That to me is proof that an organization’s culture is working.
