Creating a competitive advantage for your firm through your work culture!

Now, let’s talk about something we all crave – belonging. Why does belonging matter? It is how a firm ensures that people don’t just show up for a paycheck but choose to be present, contribute, and grow.

To belong, we need to feel psychologically safe. Safe to ask questions. Safe to surface ideas that might be a little unusual. Safe to challenge. Safe to take calculated risks and make thoughtful mistakes without fear of losing our jobs. With mental well-being a top concern among Millennials and Generation Z, psychological safety is where it starts in the workplace. Before your leaders roll their eyes, it is important to understand that psychological safety isn’t just a cushy, nice-to-have. It’s smart business. Studies show that psychological safety is critical for innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving.

To feel like we belong, we need to feel like we are valued, known, and seen. This is where recognition, feedback, and development come into play. When a firm and its leaders see our great work, tell us the many things we are doing well, and contribute to us through their time and investment in our growth, it tells us we matter. Leadership isn’t just about fancy titles; it’s about creating an environment where everyone’s talents shine.

The last aspect of belonging? It’s a tool so simple, yet so powerful. It creates stickiness. It differentiates our work experience like no other. Session two of our upcoming webinar series will spill the beans on creating a work experience that’s not just a job but a journey that teams take together.

Culture is about how stuff gets done.

In our work with many AEC firms, we discovered that most have focused on the functional aspect of culture more than any of the others. Even so, we discover ways of operating that leaders are unaware are getting in the way of, or could further, a firm’s success.

The truth is, your firm may have a lot of policies and procedures, or they may have few. As much as these may guide how work gets done, the reality is that the unspoken norms and rules are the not-so-behind-the-scenes reality of how firms really work. Do team members need to arrive before the partners and leave after? Do people need to be available 24/7 via cell phones or Slack? Do people only speak up if they agree with one of the Sr. Leaders? Is Slack or Teams used by everyone or everyone except the Sr. Leaders? Uncovering the unspoken rules and norms is a great first step to understanding the functional health of your firm.

Another big part of getting stuff done is decisions. Decisions, decisions! In some A/E/C firms, all decisions are top-down. In others, it’s like unraveling a mystery to figure out who holds the authority, how decisions are made, and why it matters. There are seven different decision-making models, and yet many firms lean into just two as a default, versus a conscious choice. Many a bottleneck and fire drill comes down to decision-making.

Last, but not least, how we convene and collaborate is a big part of the functional aspect of how our firms operate. This is an area that has proved one of the most challenging with hybrid or multi-location work. The way we collaborated or shared information in person may not translate as effectively to video meetings. Does that mean, as some executives have asserted, that we need to be in-person for our culture? No. It means we need to be intentional to reflect on, design, and evolve how we work so that it functions in hybrid or multi-location workplaces. It also means that everyone needs to be willing to adapt. Sharing meeting notes or client updates on Slack or Teams is only effective to keep everyone on the same page if everyone is willing to use the tools.

Ask yourself, as a marketer, can you make a compelling and concrete statement about your firm’s culture? As an employee, does your culture make you want to give your best and support your growth? Does it attract and retain the best people to work with, employees and clients alike? How strong is your culture in its alignment, sense of belonging, and how it works? Do the leaders within your firm understand your firm’s culture in a tangible, actionable way and are they accountable to lead it?

Depending upon the answers to these questions, consider attending our upcoming webinar series. This webinar series is your guide to moving well beyond mission statements to cultivate cultures that create differentiation and competitive advantage. Because in AEC, it’s not just about building structures; it’s about building a culture that stands the test of time.