Abigail Lucier November 8, 2019 A lot of companies talk about their culture, and it’s often a misapplication of the term, when they are really talking about values or drivers of their work. Values without daily action is just an empty gesture, but the way we live our values—and do so together—is when you begin to cultivate a culture.
When I think of culture, in the world as well as in the workplace, the one word that comes to mind is unity. I think of people coming together with genuine acceptance of one another and individuals being recognized and appreciated for who they are.
Celero is a large and fast-growing company with a wealth of diversity in thought and backgrounds. It’s this unique combination of individuals coming together that makes working at Celero special. I’ve developed an appreciation for this diversity that helps me become a better project manager.
It’s important to recognize that diversity brings many life and work perspectives to the table. We see the value of diversity, in our operations at Celero, on a daily basis. Each employee has something different to offer the company, whether they have 20 years in the industry or are coming to Celero fresh from other sectors.
I think that we, not only as a society but also as a working team, must recognize that it is through our differences and our individual qualities that we can actually become united in one thing. And that one thing is that we are all different, and we all have something unique to offer.
At Celero, unity doesn’t mean we all have to think or believe the same things; it’s quite the opposite, actually. We welcome a variety of thoughts and opinions, and we believe that our differences make us a stronger team. A strong, unified sense of teamwork can be felt in both our internal communications as a company, and in what we do for our clients.
When it comes to culture, I don’t believe that one person is more impactful than the other as none of us can do this independently, without the help or assistance of other team members. The moment you try to identify the impact one can have or contribution one should make, based on something like title, is the moment you will start to limit one’s ability to make an impact. This could be counterproductive to establishing a strong culture as I believe a healthy culture is one that empowers each team member to be held to the same standard.
The power of having a strong company culture shouldn’t be underestimated, as there is a remarkable amount of trust that transpires for this to happen successfully. We don’t just work alongside each other at Celero; we take individual ownership in what we do. Each person is expected to carry their responsibilities by owning them. We’ve found that team members are genuinely happier, as well as more productive, when they can cultivate freely. When you are trusted to do a job, you feel empowered and inspired to do more and this is a significant indicator of what our culture is like at Celero.
Every company culture is going to be different. Regardless of the individual characteristics that make your company special, unity is an inherent part of any strong company culture. It is through these differentiating, individual characteristics that we can come together as one team.