Why is Company Culture key?
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BRND WGN’s Culture Coordinator, Justyna Bonk, explains what her job entails. And why company culture is so important.
When it comes to defining company culture I like to keep things simple. Culture is a group of people with a common set of values and believes. And company culture should be exactly the same. Since people, more then business plans or physical assets, are what really strengthen a company, it’s extremely important to think things through thoroughly and define the culture. Not leave it to chance.
Of course it takes a lot of effort to do this, especially because building a culture is not a dictatorial process. But if you get the culture right the company will reap the benefits. And at BRND WGN we don’t just know this, we appreciate and invest in it. Our company is unique, not just because we’re a fun bunch of people, but because we have planned, invested in, and built our own culture which bonds us together.
Company culture is not just about having free coffee in the kitchen, or putting cookies and fresh fruit out on the table (although we do that too!). It’s about building a team of people who are dedicated to the same goals, the same passions, and the same ideals. A team of people who can actually trust each other because they believe in the same things. A team of people who feel safe and confident in the work place because they know that there is always someone around who understands them, and is ready to help if they ever need it.
At BRND WGN we know we can count on each other because we’re from the same culture. A culture first built by delivered design and then allowed to grow organically. We wrote down our core values to keep attracting people who not only believe in these values, but they live by them everyday. That’s why we’re authentic. And people feel it.
Our clients appreciate our approach and work environment because it’s real and it’s honest. Our culture rose from basic values and keeps evolving. We work to encourage and celebrate it, yet we allow it to morph. It grows together with the team. When BRND WGN was founded as a one-man start-up, the culture was very different to what it is now, as an established agency. And it’s absolutely natural.
We work for brands we believe in, and brand owners who appreciate it. We challenge everything. We’re brutally honest. And we have fun. All for the love of brands.
These are not just empty words. Let me give you a few examples.
MONDAY MORNING MEETINGS
Every Monday at 9am we have a 30-minute meeting. We gather together to start the week with a full update. One member of each department reports on different things they are working on to make sure we’re on-track and know what everyone else is doing next week. It also gives us an opportunity to be honest. We congratulate each other in public, but at the same time we discuss openly any problems which arise.
FFF: Fuck it Fridays at Four
On the last Friday of every month, we finish work at 4pm and listen to a talk from an inspirational person on subjects as wide ranging as photojournalism to healthy eating. We believe we learn from other people’s experiences. After that we spend some free time together, from having a BBQ on our sunny terrace, or going for drinks.
What we do isn’t important, and it isn’t compulsory, but spending time kicking back together cements the bond we have as colleagues. We also try to have lunch together every day. And have a monthly bake-off competition where a few of the team create scrumptious, creative desserts anonymously, owning up to their creations once the winner has been announced. Which is certainly a reason to do the next example.
PLANK CHALLENGE
Every day we plank. It’s our Founder, Peter Grech’s idea to remind us to get away from our desks and take care of our health if we are sitting down all day. A reminder to love our body, as well as our creative minds!
