STEVE
iAM Culture
Thomas Edison was a smart cookie, wasn’t he? The originator of the original lightbulb moment, as you’d expect, since he invented the lightbulb. And he was right about the above quote, too. Here at iAM, we think the same way. We work hard, but we also have fun. Professional, of course. But not corporate. And we certainly didn’t want a hierarchy – great ideas should always be adopted quickly.
This Culture Book is a reflection of our evolution over the last 3 years. We’ll never be perfect (and that’s okay), but we’ll always be aspirational. After all, being curious and learning is in our DNA. We question, experiment, and innovate at every opportunity. More than that, we’ll celebrate our joint achievements and learn from our missteps – both hold tremendous value.
Finally, like all good books, this is a living, breathing thing; and with your help, it will change and grow, as we do. Carry this book around with you (maybe not literally), have a good read, let us know your ideas for the future (for the next edition of this book) and let’s continue to evolve our culture – together!
Tom 1 & Tom 2
“I never did a day’s work in my life. It was all fun” Thomas Edison.da boss
“Making Workplace Learning Fun Again”
It’s taken us a fair while to put our purpose into words; we wanted to get it bang on, something which concisely captures what we’re all working towards, what unites us. Something we could come back to for inspiration, to guide our decisions and keep us on track in times of change. We’re super proud of our enjoyable content and passionate team - this recipe is intrinsic to effective learning and we’re putting that message front and centre. How will we deliver our purpose?
Firstly, and this is a common theme, by having lots of fun and bringing imagination, energy and curiosity to everything we do. This is why our culture is so important – it fuels how we feel, behave and create. It’s how our purpose comes to life and we convince businesses everywhere that enjoyable learning is the shit (well, not in those exact words), because it’s integral to driving retention, engagement and real behavioural change.
Our Anchors Fun Trust Quality Team Work
These anchors (or values, if you like) permeate everything we do, from communication and working together, to our partner and customer experience, and even how we socialise. They represent the kind of business we are and aspire to be. Our anchors (much like their physical counterparts on ships), help keep us steady when change (or the storm, if you’re really enjoying this metaphor) hits - good ol’ immovable principles. If we stay focused on what really matters and sing from the same hymn sheet, we can collectively achieve our purpose.
We can’t make workplace learning fun again if fun isn’t our North Star and we’re not enjoying ourselves. Alright, that’s management speak, sorry. But it rings true. It’s what our customers love the most about us and what we love most about working here.
THIS MEANS WE:
Ringfence time for creativity and imagination – time to shake things up, time to challenge, time to seize an opportunity
Reject over-laboured processes, barriers and corporate hierarchy – let’s keep things simple, seamless and open. All ideas are welcome and team meetings are accessible to everyone
Encourage curiosity – if there’s something you want to learn, question or understand – let’s get the conversation going
We like real, self-motivated, passionate people who make mistakes sometimes (so they can learn from them), share their experiences and inspire how we grow
Socialise and celebrate with a difference by exploring the full spectrum of what’s on offer, including those classic after-work drinks (which if we’re honest, we’re also fond of. *Hic!*)
TEAM WORK
We shine brightest when we collaborate, and our best ideas have bloomed from gathering the troops and bouncing thoughts around.
THINGS CAN GET BUSY AND COMPLICATED, BUT WE REMEMBER TO:
Shout out when colleagues have done a great job and help them when times are tough and they need us
Take the time to pay attention to who they are and what they like. We take an interest, listen and respect boundaries
Share our knowledge and expertise – you’d be surprised what weird knowledge (and useful skills) the team have from previous roles and in our real-life hobbies. Whether qualifications, fascinations and enthusiasms, we aspire to harness them for the greater good
Welcome fresh perspectives to avoid being echo chambers. We’re all different, we’ll disagree sometimes, but we always hear people out and discuss opposing viewpoints
Recognise how our tech can enhance how we work, without it taking over and making everything transactional. We assign Asana tasks which start life as a conversation and pick up the phone once in a while if we need more clarity
Keep connected and invigorated – we’re not sticklers (life happens), but we want you to be in the office a few days a week so we can work together and generate the magic that can only come from collaboration (oh, and on Wednesdays, there’s breakfast, not that we’re bribing anyone…). If you need to work remotely, make sure this is something you agree with your Manager. We’re all different!
Appreciate one another’s time – sticking like glue to meetings, deadlines and expectations –but on the odd occasion we can’t, we hold up our hands, own it and make it right
Be one team regardless of location – our opportunities and celebrations aren’t locked to one place so we think about how everyone can benefit, no matter where they hang their hat
Our Anchors
QUALITY
IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE WE:
Prioritise people above all else – especially when it comes to work/life balance. We help, not hinder each other to be at our best: well, rested and energised. We are defenders of downtime
Are learn-it-alls not knowit-alls – we admit when we’re wrong or don’t know something. We’re not shy to seek out information and ask questions. We’re humble and on a quest for knowledge
Give and receive feedback, with consideration and care. Meaningful feedback is a massive part of how we learn and develop
Evolve and iterate – we’re still new and giddy to find out what we’re capable of –we challenge what’s gone before and what’s possible now. We wonder out loud if there’s a better way
Aren’t afraid to slam on the brakes when something’s not up to par – we call it out, build a new strategy and go again.
Make space for reflection, focus and life – we can’t produce top notch work if we don’t look after ourselves. Say hello to no meetings Fridays, iAM Wellness Days and no lunch hour meetings
We use the 24/7 nature of our freelancers to keep things moving. This means we divide up work if necessary to ensure important jobs can be completed. Even if its 16:58 on a Friday, and there’s an important project in our Asana queue, we shout up for help so the job can keep moving
We’re quality over quantity all day long, whether we’re creating a memorable 60 seconds of content, consulting with customers or writing LinkedIn posts. Sometimes this means we move slower, but boy, do we move with pizazz.
We hire great people and empower them to do great work. It’s as simple as that. But trust comes with time; it’s a privilege to be earned. If you’ve got any challenges around your workload or the hours you can commit (we know, life happens), just check in with us and we’ll do what we can to help.
Treat people as adults. Stuff happens; sometimes you need to start work at 10 am or get your dog to the vet. We’re outcomes focused not hours. Let’s agree to do good work and remove the faff. It’s a mutual respect thing
Keep your work location flexible. The exact logistics, just like your office days, are between you and your manager - but once that trust is built up, we aim to support you to work wherever you’re comfortable.
Give you the wheel. We like to help you get started, support, coach and lend a hand but micromanaging doesn’t help anyone. So as soon as you’re ready, we’ll give you autonomy and the room to crack on
Want you to take full advantage of your iAM time – share what’s on your mind, ask for what you need – take ownership and be self-directed
Are transparent – the directors are open and honest about the biz, and expect the same of all employees – even when we mess up.
STEVE
Does the term ‘performance management’ give you sweaty palms and nightmares about rating systems and endless objective setting? Yeah, us too. As we grow, it will probably make sense to add more guidance and structure, but we never just want things to feel formal and to be ‘all about the numbers’ around here. Of course, we value objectives and KPIs, but we’re also about conversations and personal development.
iAM Time is our version, which feels right for us. It’s the opportunity to talk about anything you want, for as long as you want, with your manager. If that stretches to goals, career development and performance, go for it. But we’re just as happy to spend time on your wellbeing, ideas and weekend plans. You can find a rhythm with your manager and change things up when you need to.
We’ve got an employees and managers guide if you want to get into the nitty-gritty about iAM Time. Ask your manager for a copy.
Final note
This book will evolve with us – as we grow, develop and learn. Think something is missing or have an idea? Speak to Gemma, our Head of People, and get involved. After all, we’re really nothing without you.
