Why does company culture matter? Practical tips and a compelling business case (ep 76)
Early in my career I was happy to say, “Yea, we all get on well, we’re respectful, we’re kind, and that’s enough!” But it isn’t. I now know, when it comes to company culture, that we have to be really intentional about designing it. No one understands this better than Justine Lamond, National Marketing and Business Development Manager with Nexus Law Group and, fortunately for us, today’s guest. As a networked law firm, Nexus is all about creating freedom for its employees – Nexus lawyers work when and where they want, define their own billing models and benefit from a national support network. This might leave some wondering how they tie it all together. The answer? An extraordinary culture. Justine’s largest responsibility – and the focus of this episode – has to do with defining the company’s values and bringing that culture to life. With this experience comes both practical and theoretical insights (which we go into in great depth for a 25-minute episode) and will be really helpful for anyone looking to boost their company’s sense of community and for my listeners who are seeking a job in a company that shares their values. Justine leaves no stone unturned, no term unexplained and no room for doubt when it comes to what she means about company culture. Our conversation goes something like this: * The importance of building a constructive culture and the consequences of not doing so (Justine makes a very compelling business case for taking culture seriously) * Nexus’ specific values and exactly what Justine does to make them concrete and universal * Finally, we speak more generally about what a supportive environment looks like and brush on the impact of all this on client on-boarding and retention As Justine puts it, “We’ve all been in a job at some point in our careers where the culture was toxic. You just think, ‘Why am I here? What’s the benefit in me being here when I could be doing something else?’” Enough said. This episode is brought to you by Nexus Law Group and LawCPD. About our guest Justine Lamond is a communications professional with extensive corporate and financial experience gained through over two decade’s experience in Australia and the UK; with over 15 years working in agencies and seven in-house. She has corporate, financial and investor relations communications experience across numerous sectors including public and private, B2B, financial services, life sciences and healthcare, consumer and IT. To learn more about Nexus, listen to episode 20 where I interviewed Principal Marcus McCarthy. Justine Lamond quotes * “We’ve all been in a job at some point in our careers where the culture was toxic. You just think, ‘Why am I here? What’s the benefit in me being here when I could be doing something else?’” * “Defining who you are and what your values are is a way of communicating to your audience – your clients, your stakeholders and your peers – this is who I am, what I value and how I do my business.” * “It’s important to be true to who you are because it’s too exhausting to be anything else.”