The not-so-secret ingredient to a great company culture

We’re pretty damn proud of our culture. If you take a look through our blog you’ll see there’s no shortage of culture-related content. Get shit done Wednesday, 360 reviews, career conversations, and blogging schedules are just some of the aspects we’ve blogged about. Basically, we can’t shut up about it.

It didn’t happen overnight and it definitely isn’t something we can set and forget. It’s an ongoing process with tons of honest discussion and analysis. We work hard to make this an environment we’re proud of. There’s not a single decision we make — from buying office furniture to hiring new Stryvers — that doesn’t undergo the underlying question, “Is this us?”

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So what’s the secret?

Identifying the current state of your culture and how it came to be is crucial to understanding your potential. It can also be incredibly difficult, especially if you’re wanting to make changes to it. Luckily, we’ve been able to pinpoint one of the key things that drives us.

While your grandmother might be taking her secret cookie recipe to the grave, we’re opting to let you in on the key ingredient of our culture. It’s the secret sauce, the driver of our dynamic office vibe. Are you sitting down? Because here it is:

Culture starts with everyone.

Revolutionary, right? Culture starts with everyone. It’s simple and it works, but what does it mean? What does it look like and how does it play out?

Put simply, it means no one is above any task. It doesn’t matter what your job title is or how long you’ve been here, we all take initiative. Whether it’s client work or grunt work, no task is too small for a Stryver. Dishes piling up? Someone will load the dishwasher. Big client meeting? Someone will make a coffee run. Office craving donuts? Someone’s on their way to Debrodniks.

These little things matter. Tasks that might be brushed off as menial or unimportant are actually the foundation of an empowering and positive culture.

Think about it, what happens to productivity when the office is a mess? It’s a little hard to focus when that kitchen garbage smell wafts through your work area, isn’t it? And what about your clients? How do you think they perceive the sights and smells of an unkempt office? Sure, your work speaks for itself, but a clean and organized boardroom says something, too.

These tasks are free game to everyone, which means nobody is explicitly asked to do them. We take them on voluntarily — not for any kind of praise or self-gain — but because it’s who we are.

The outcome translates directly to our client work. We trust each other to share workloads when things are crazy, celebrate client wins like they’re our own, and ultimately make decisions that benefit Stryve as a whole. From keeping the office plants alive to keeping the client happy, you’re never left on an island because someone always has your back.