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A successful company is a calm company
Common sense and a lack of greed lead to calmer, happier and more productive employees.
We've touched on the definition of success in this newsletter a few times, but lately, I've been thinking a lot about work environments.
Most of the times you get people that are under pressure, chasing deadlines and complaining (why is this the norm!?) that work is crazy and somehow that goes as a sign that things are getting done and folks are being productive.
Let's call it for what it is - BS.
Besides the needed financial parameters for a business to be sustainable, a successful business in my mind is one that creates a calm environment for everyone involved.
Most companies are not great at creating great workplaces (free snacks, Friday drinks, and table tennis shouldn't be the leading points by HR when talking about company culture) and I think the ones that are successful should be more vocal. A good example is Basecamp.
They are very loud about being extra careful when making process and culture decisions, the ultimate goal being to always move in a direction of calmness and common sense. Calmness definitely leads to happier more productive people and what more can you want for a business.
They cover it well in one of their latest articles and also published a book recently on this exact topic (haven't read it, but I've been following them for a while and the title is enough for me to get the gist).
It would also help if more leaders/managers adopt this understanding and follow in Basecamp’s footsteps allowing people to have more freedom, instead of counting hours and presence in a chair.
We've (me and Marin) adopted this mindset very naturally from the get-go and will definitely do our best to preserve it going forward. If we are so lucky that we need to expand the team, creating a calmer working culture for more people will always be the focus of running this business. Calmer, happier people.
Have a calm weekend and be more demanding from your workplace, everyone deserves a change in how we work. If you're a leader/manager make this your focus, instead of BS business KPIs.
J.
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