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How and Why to Cultivate Great Company Culture Even If You Have Limited Time and Budget

6/27/2017

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It’s no surprise that the world of work has changed rapidly over the past decade and cultural expectations around work are shifting quickly. For many businesses, especially those in the technology and startup field, strong company culture is no longer a “nice to have” but rather a “must have” when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent. However, a great culture does not spring fully formed out of the head of a founder, but is shaped and refined over time.

Often the job of sustaining and advancing the culture of the office falls to those working in office management roles. When “culture” becomes one of the many tasks you need to juggle on a day-to-day basis it can feel overwhelming. When asked to do something to “build culture” you may be tempted to order some beer and wine, get a cheese plate, throw a “Office Happy Hour” reminder on the team calendar every few weeks, and call it a day. However, with some reflection and advance planning taking on office culture building can increase employee engagement and be a great way to grow your career. As the editor of All Hands, a publication about life at work from Managed by Q, I’ve gotten the chance to learn from office managers and culture experts about their strategies for building culture with minimal time and budgets. Here are five approaches that can help you strengthen company culture.

1. Company culture should be reflective of the company mission, vision, and values
Culture is not something you have, but something that you do. The culture building activities that you undertake should feel authentic to your particular company and be an extension of the company’s mission, vision, and values. Gillian Davis, of ustwo, explained, “Culture is fundamentally the behaviours that people are exhibiting and the values they are living by – not the ones on the wall but the ones that are actually rewarded.” Work with your colleagues to get clear on what those values are, and then use those to guide what activities you plan.

2. Culture building activities should be as inclusive as possible  

When planning culture-building activities, pick activities that won’t isolate or exclude any of your team members and keep them optional so that no one feels forced to participate. For the ones who hesitate to participate, ask them what they’d like to see the team do together. Pay special attention to scheduling - are there working parents on your team who may need to leave earlier to pick up kids from school or child care? Others who work a late shift or have a standing, can’t-miss meeting on certain days? Be sure to take these into consideration when planning.

3. Schedule a regular time for your team to come together

Making dedicated time and space for your team to come together and interact as humans can do wonders for employee happiness and unity. When this time is on everybody’s calendar and all participate, just like their regular departmental meeting, you can create a positive group tradition. At TransferWise, Office Guru Aditi Ramesh created Fika time, a weekly, office-wide coffee break inspired by on a Swedish colleague’s tradition. And why not invite others to help you plan and spread out the team building glory (and responsibility)? Sara Lewis, Accounting and Office Manager at Idealist, invites colleagues to take a turn each week planning the refreshments for their company-wide Thursday afternoon tea.  

4. Get out of the office on the cheap
Getting out of the office can be a great way to inspire cross-departmental creativity and communication. While any group outing requires a certain degree of logistics, you can keep it straightforward and low-budget and still have a great time. Try a picnic and lawn games in the park, a visit to a donation-based museum (you can most likely negotiate a great group rate and maybe even get a tour), or a day of volunteering to bond as a team without breaking the bank.

5. Consider making culture central to your career

If culture building activities are some of your favorite part of your job, as you grow in your career you might consider making culture your focus. Vanessa Shaw, founder of Human Side of Tech and producer of Culture Summit thinks that office managers, admins, and facilities staffers make great candidates for cultural roles. She says, “You have an important vantage point. You have eyes and ears on the organization when other people are heads-down and don’t know what’s happening in other departments. That cross-departmental view of the company is hugely valuable.”
 
Just like people, workplace culture is always changing and evolving. Embrace that flexibility and try out new ideas that can engage your team members and encourage different kinds of collaboration. To stay on top of ideas for building culture from top companies, as well as emerging trends and ideas in the world of work, visit All Hands and join our newsletter.

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​Eleanor Whitney is the Managing Editor at Managed by Q. She is a writer, musician, and community manager based in Brooklyn, New York. In 2013 Microcosm Publishing released her first book, Grow, a field guide for creatives to build satisfying companies and careers. She is currently working on her second book, a feminist memoir, to be published in 2018.

Managed by Q makes it easy for you to run your office. Thousands of offices rely on us to handle everything from carpet cleaning to appliance repair. 

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STock your office with snacks to suit every dietary restriction and taste

6/16/2017

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Offices run on great snacks—especially if Millennials are on the job. Snacks boost employee energy, morale, and productivity. Today’s workplace needs a variety of snacks, not only to increase energy and satisfy cravings, but snacks that also accommodate workers who follow paleo, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, or nut-free diets. Here are some helpful guidelines to stock your office with snacks that suit different tastes and dietary restrictions.
 
Fulfilling—not filler
 
Nearly all (94 percent) Americans snack daily, but Millennials are most likely to snack; though boomers like their snacks almost as much. Millennials, who often snack four or more times per day, do so to increase energy (39 percent say so) and stay focused throughout the day. But research shows Millennials want more healthy snack options.
 
Across generations, employees want access to snacks that deliver an energy boost, provide health benefits, and offer high fiber or probiotics. Natural and organic products are in demand too. Employees don’t just want something to crunch on--they want something fulfilling.

Part of the team
 
Talk up the company’s snack stocks as a benefit; research shows time and time again, snacks help attract top talent. Consider dedicating a snack space in the office fridge, or place snack baskets throughout the workspace. Many Americans consume an average of 2.7 snacks per day—especially in the morning—so a fully-stocked office ensures that whenever someone needs to get their nosh on, a snack is close by.
 
Consider stocking up on snacks and beverages such as:
 
  • Energy bars
  • Bagels and cream cheese
  • Yogurt
  • Hummus
  • Kombucha
  • Fresh fruit
  • Cereal
  • Coconut water
  • Grapes
  • Jerky (meat and vegetarian)
  • Nuts and nut butters
  • Chips, pretzels, and crackers
  • Olives
  • Fresh-baked bread
  • Sparkling water
 
The devil is in the diet
 
Snacking is not one-snack-fits-all. Make sure you and your employees read ingredient labels and discuss concerns. Talk with employees to find out if they have any dietary needs or restrictions, and which snacks they’d like to see more of and which they can go without. Some common diets/lifestyles include paleo, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free.
 
Paleo
 
Paleo diets typically focus on saturated fats (such as coconut oil and butter—no vegetable oils) and animal protein. Carbohydrates are minimal or absent, so paleo adherents usually refrain from grains, legumes, and potatoes, as well as dairy and added sugar. Snacks that focus on quality meat from organic and/or free-range animals are a good choice, as are vegetables including starchy tubers, such as sweet potatoes and yams. Some fruits and nuts are sometimes included.
 
Suggested snacks:
 
  • Beef or mushroom jerky
  • Some nuts and nut butters
  • Kombucha
  • Paleo-labeled bars or other snacks
 
Vegan
 
Vegans eat and drink only plant-based foods and beverages, such as grains, pulses, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, fungi, algae, and yeast. Vegans avoid all animal and animal-based products, including meat, dairy, fish and shellfish, eggs, poultry, and honey.
 
Suggested snacks:
 
  • Fresh fruit
  • Mushroom jerky
  • Vegan trail mix, bars, or other vegan-labeled snacks
  • Nut or grain milks
 
Gluten-free
 
A gluten-free diet excludes the protein gluten, which can cause health and well-being problems for some people. Gluten, found in wheat, barley, rye, and some other grains, is also present in many processed foods. Gluten-free versions should be labeled.
 
Suggested snacks:
 
  • Snacks, mixes, and bars labeled gluten-free
  • Fresh fruit
  • Nuts
  • Gluten-free baked goods
  • Legume and vegetable dips and spreads
  • Cheese
 
Dairy-free
 
This can be trickier, but it’s still important given that 30 million Americans suffer from varying degrees of lactose intolerance. In the U.S., the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the term non-dairy but not “dairy-free.” Instead of dairy-free, look for snacks labeled lactose-free or non-dairy. However, some foods such as products containing whey or the milk protein casein (also listed as caseinate) can be lactose-free without being dairy-free. Fermented dairy, such as yogurt or cheese, can be okay for some people with certain dairy intolerances, but not for people with dairy allergies.
 
Suggested snacks:
 
  • Coconut, almond, soy or hemp “milk” products
  • Fruit bars
  • Yogurt (including non-dairy versions)
 
Nut-free
 
Tree nut allergies can be life-threatening. (While still potentially dangerous, allergies to peanuts, sunflower, and sesame are considered separate from tree nut allergies.) Typically, someone with an allergy to one tree nut such as, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, or cashews is advised to avoid all tree nuts plus peanuts. A product’s label should address not only what it does or doesn’t contain, but also whether or not the item was manufactured or processed in facilities where tree nuts may be present.
 
Suggested snacks:
 
  • Nut-free granolas, bars, and trail mixes
  • Fresh or dried fruit
  • Nut-free muffins and breads
  • Cream cheese
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​​Anthony St. Clair is an author, globetrotter, craft beer expert, and professional writer based in the US Pacific Northwest. When he’s not writing, Anthony is with his wife and two children, usually either cooking or going on some sort of adventure. Learn more or check out Anthony's Rucksack Universe travel fantasy series at anthonystclair.com.

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NIMBLE PLANNING AT THE STARTUP HEALTH FESTIVAL: HOW TO ADD CAPACITY & INGENUITY WHEN EVENTS DEMAND IT

6/5/2017

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Meeting Professional International recently highlighted our work at the 2017 Startup Health Festival in San Francisco in their article “Nimble Planning”. When Vice President, Joe Biden became a last-minute keynote speaker at this “go-to” event for healthcare innovators in January, expected attendance was already well over 2016’s numbers despite the fact that we were hosting the second festival in the same venue we used in 2016. Limited capacity, double the crowd – how did we do it?
We created a five-way solution:
  • Advance program registrations
  • A layout with a central aisle
  • Super-sized branded graphics
  • Adding a VIP lounge & projection screens
  • Establishing sound zones for audio reception & interview capture
 
Learn more…
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