I was listening to The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast, which I’ve been doing obsessively since I discovered it this spring, and an avalanche of ideas and reflections came out of a recent episode—#57 Culture Hacking: Insights from Zappos and Beyond.
In the episode, host Alex Raymond sat down with former Zappos culture strategist and “culture hacking” expert Robert Richman, who shared how he and the late founder and CEO Tony Hsieh approached culture at Zappos.
Culture is constantly shaping and evolving in every part of your business—from the way you recruit, hire, and onboard new team members to the way you serve your clients. Some leaders see culture as a “nice-to-have,” but at Forte Commercial Real Estate, we’re intentional about growing a culture that’s fundamental to who we are.
Whether you want to prioritize it and make time for it or not, if you’re leading a business, “you’re never not doing culture.” – Robert Richman
You may recognize Zappos for its legendary customer service as I did, so I expected the episode to focus on that. Instead, Richman’s insights centered on recruitment, establishing a culture from day one, team member development, and explicit agreements – all defining a team’s values.
At Zappos, culture was a living commitment, not just an idea. For example, they hired for alignment of values, not just skills. I’ve started to brainstorm some questions we can include in our process that reflect our company values. I also loved the anecdote Richman provided about learning from the new hire. Richman suggested when first meeting with a new hire, to say, ‘Before we dig into your orientation, what are your expectations?’, thereby co-creating the conversation.
Here are some additional takeaways that stayed with me from the episode. (I’ll be re-listening soon with a notebook close by):
- Culture is shared by the full team. Every team member has a role to play in creating a culture that’s felt by everyone.
- Stay true to your commitments. In a vibrant culture, Internal Commitments are just as important as the commitments we make externally with clients.
- Respect and trust must go both ways. One way to demonstrate shared commitment to the culture is by holding yourself accountable to your team as much as you would to external clients. For example, showing up on time to meetings with your team in the same way you would expect from your team members.
- Internal communication is where culture comes alive. Most companies excel at external communications, and it is just as important to have an internal communication strategy supporting culture, seeking feedback, and closing the loop; this is a responsibility that should be distinct from HR.
At Forte, our culture centers around stewardship and allyship. Our commitment to clients is driving their mission forward. We don’t just offer Best-In-Class real estate solutions, we’re stewards of their vision, as if we were a member of their team delivering on real estate needs.
Our culture of stewardship extends to our communities and how we do business — each team member is expected to serve on a local board, ensuring our impact goes beyond the workplace and that the selfless, careful values learned in a board setting translates to the service we provide clients.
Listening in on this conversation sparked some clarity and the opportunity to reflect. As much as we’re proud of our culture, there is room to grow. We’re working hard to build a culture that others will model someday.
So, I’m curious—what values do you prioritize in your company culture? What values do you look for in companies you want to work with?
(If you’re interested in reading more about this topic, you can find Robert Richman’s latest book The Culture Blueprint here).