It’s pretty amazing how much of an impact workplace culture can have on productivity, as well as the more obvious things like mood, energy, etc. Here’s a brief summary of my first month with @join_ef in Toronto (a thread, 1/n):

Time has completely flown by. Most of my days are jam-packed with work: projects, side projects, presentations, Zoom meetings (which I normally find especially energy-consuming), you name it. It’s pretty much been like this since the first day I joined. (2/n)

Thankfully, the culture here is one of open communication, constructive feedback, and mutual celebration (among other things). I’ll briefly describe what I mean for each of these categories and why I think they’re important, especially in a #WFH world. (3/n)

Open communication: information is constantly shared, both passively (eg kept on shared drives), as well as actively (people are notified when changes are made). Calendars are transparent and open for people to see. Team members check-in with each other daily or weekly. (4/n)

This includes actively discussing what we accomplished since the last check-in; how that compares to what we had set out to accomplish; what we learned; what we want to accomplish for the coming week; what roadblocks we are facing. (5/n)

This is especially important in a work from home scenario, where you can’t rely on randomly overhearing discussion, catching up with someone over coffee, having lunch together, etc. (6/n)

Constructive feedback: feedback is encouraged, both in terms of asking for it as well as providing it. This works across all levels of the org (important!!!), and people in more senior roles are proponents of it (big shout-out to @flenguyen for instilling this, early days). (7/n)

By both providing and actively seeking feedback, everyone is maximizing their own growth as well as that of the team. Mutual respect and trust are both built quicker and rooted in more meaningful interactions. (8/n)

Mutual celebration: we celebrate each person on the team as well as collective team milestones. Importantly, this includes even ‘small’ achievements, like a single conversion, a productive discussion, or a successful troubleshoot. (9/n)

When paired with an ambitious, growth-oriented team, this ensures energy levels are topped-up whenever possible and people feel motivated by those around them. Acknowledging what went well in a day is an important complement to constructively criticizing what didn’t. (10/n)

The result of these cultural values coming together? I consistently wake up motivated and excited for work each day; I have a solid foundation of trust in the people around me, despite joining the company completely remotely without meeting everyone in person; (11/n)

I constantly push myself to learn/grow as an individual, as well as contribute to the growth of those around me; and I replenish my battery at various times throughout the week. All of this, during a surreal work from home scenario that adds layers of complex challenges. (12/n)

I guess the tl;dr here is that it’s been an incredible first month at @join_ef, during which I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for the importance of healthy work cultures and what they can unlock in a team (13/13)