No matter your job title, industry or experience level, today’s fast-paced world runs a hundred miles a minute. Trust us, we get it! The marketing industry is always on the gas. Producing badass work that generates results for our clients is what we do best, but there’s rarely time to slow down.
For TJA’s leaders, making sure that the workplace culture is fun, inspiring and nurturing to our team is our top priority. From our Friday Beer Labs where we brainstorm new ideas over a couple of cold ones to team-building company retreats, we pride ourselves on maintaining an enthusiastic and supportive environment for everyone.
Ready to build a more positive workplace? Follow these five tips to reinvigorate your culture, inspire your peeps and show the world your nurturing side.
1. People + clients + environment = success
It’s a simple equation. The right environment around the office with the right people and clients in your corner brings the sweet smell of success.
Our office environment is more than just fancy desk chairs and fun, unique paint—although those definitely play a role. The intangible is the overall office aura. A great office communicates to clients that you are a well-established business that mixes fun and professionalism—which is at the heart of TJA.
The personalities within your company are a huge priority. The entire staff and client roster need to have synergistic energy and relationships in order for everything to remain in balance.
Think of your culture like a tripod. It needs three legs to work properly. If your work environment is missing, that’s a missing leg! When you neglect one of the legs, everything else falls out of balance—and you can bet clients, employees and business will suffer.
2. An attitude of gratitude
Kudos to the companies that make it work without #gratitude, but that’s just not a part of our DNA. If there’s anything we aren’t taking for granted, it’s each other. We begin every Monday with an all-hands-on-deck morning meeting, followed by team kudos, which quickly turns into a 20-minute session of everyone telling each other how awesome they are. This makes our employees feel valued, heard and inspired to start the week on a high note.
In other words, don’t be afraid to say “thank you.” We recommend dedicating a portion of your weekly meetings, a Slack channel, or even a monthly note exchange to expressing gratitude amongst your people.
3. Don’t take notes from Hallmark
You’ve seen it in those cheesy romance movies: corporate culture has the reputation of being toxic and draining to employees in the professional world. Spoiler alert: hardworking employees leave these companies. Promotions keep people around temporarily, but nothing drives people away faster than a sour environment.
We value creating a safe environment for our employees to grow and learn. Our leaders are encouraged to speak with transparency and vulnerability to help employees feel they can do the same. We know that in doing this, personal and professional growth is boundless.
4. Don’t pee on the toilet seat
To us, time is more precious than gold. An essential part of our “positive culture” equation is having respect for each other’s time. The same as parents teach their children to load the dishwasher, we teach each other to respect each other’s time, workload and energy.
If someone has to double their efforts to submit a document that a team member forgot to send, they’re being disrespectful of time, leading to a negative environment. Don’t leave a mess for someone else to clean up.
5. Got 99 opportunities but a problem ain’t one
To us, there are no problems—just opportunities.
The business world is stressful and emotional. At TJA, we like to find humor in situations and lighten the mood as often as possible. (Typically with a relatable meme or gif!)
No matter what comes up, we always look through a positive lens because we get the opportunity to reflect and discuss how to improve next time. From post-mortem analysis meetings to monthly department huddles, we often discuss how an engagement with a client went, areas for growth and new approaches to future situations. This gives us the chance to consistently analyze our performance and hold ourselves accountable to putting 110% into everything we do.
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Dependability, gratitude, positive people, transparency and really great snacks are all ingredients that—when combined—create a solid foundation for a positive workplace. Add your own awesome sauce and voila! You have the magic recipe.
To learn more about The James Agency and the TJA way, visit www.thejamesagency.com.
