GMG Culture Checkup: Week 1
Our staff recently sat down over lunch for a checkup. A culture checkup. There is more buzz and talk than ever around company culture in the business world. Successful businesses see the benefits of consistently checking in with their company culture regardless of size. It was about time for GMG to do the same. We have been grinding, and I need to know where we stand.
But how do we do that and feel that the response from our staff is candid?
I can't stand anonymous surveys or loaded questionnaires, so I thought it was better to ask each employee directly, "What is our culture?" This wasn't a test for them but a test for me. I wanted to hear straight from them how they have interpreted the culture of GMG.
Culture is often discussed during the hiring process, but we jump into training, schedules, and the grind, and we can lose focus. I am very mission-oriented and can block out anything to push forward and accomplish that mission. Sometimes, I block out the essential details, and stopping to reflect backward isn't even a thought. I wouldn't say I like rearview mirrors because they don't lie. As we have grown as a company quickly, I must learn to pause and digest the successes and failures to keep learning.
I love to talk about culture. I read Reed Hastings' book, "No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention" in 2020. Reed is one of the founders and the co-CEO of Netflix and has learned hard lessons owning his businesses. But man – he nailed it with Netflix. Shortly after reading his book, I quit my job at a previous company to set out and create a community management company with a different culture than our industry had ever seen. I didn't have to recreate the wheel, either. Most of our culture at GMG is a potluck Sunday dinner, taken from different CEOs and companies that have succeeded in creating a company culture that showcases their 1st principle thinkers. More to come on 1st principle thinkers.
The rest of our culture is taken from my successes, failures, and experiences, and I have many more failures than I do success. That’s the joy of still being young enough to learn from your mistakes, and knowing that you’ll have some time to fine-tune your mishaps. I have not worked for large corporations or publicly traded companies. Outside of my time in the Marines, I have only worked for small businesses. We will see how my idea of culture is able to scale over the coming years as GMG continues to grow.
So, what is the culture at GMG?
- We support independent decision-making – by all employees.
- We are candid with each other. Communication is critical to keeping our team running like a well-oiled machine.
- We retain only highly effective people.
- We avoid rules.
- We look for creative ways to be our industry's most influential and best management group.
- We believe in supporting local non-profits that share our vision for building thriving communities.
Over the next few weeks, I'll break down the six cultural principles of our company. We have been in business long enough to have real-life examples of how we have succeeded and failed in setting our company culture. I hope it leads you to think about what your company's culture is or isn't.
Stay Tuned.
Aaron