I really thought COVID was coming to end, I’m sure you did too.
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But sadly, it appears that we are not quite there yet which means more virtual work for everyone.
I’m always fascinated how some leaders are able to build, scale, and sustain virtual teams, especially as they get to be larger in size. After all, there are so many factors and variables to consider! Robert Glazer is the best-selling author of Elevate: Push Beyond Your Limits and Unlock Success in Yourself and Others. |
He’s also CEO of Acceleration Partners, a company that manages affiliate and partner marketing programs for well-known brands like Adidas, LinkedIn, and Target. He has a 99% approval rating on Glassdoor, 90% of employees would recommend the company to a friend, and it has an overall rating of 4.6 stars.
But here’s the best part…Robert and his hundreds of employees are all remote!
Listen to his interview on The Future of Work with Jacob Morgan or click here to get the transcript and listen to your favorite player
The lesson from Robert is how he manages to create and scale an amazing culture for a workforce that actually doesn’t work together in person.
Robert shares that the key to having a successful remote team is to start with the core values of the organization. Once you know your core values, you can intentionally attract and hire the right people. Contrary to what happens in most organizations, Robert and his team understand that not every person will feel like the company is right for them.
A lot of organizations try to be the best place to work for everyone. But just like not everyone likes the same food or the same music, not everyone is going to be a good fit for your company. Leaders and organizations need to learn to embrace that fact. We need to be open and honest with potential hires about what it’s really like to work inside the organization. It isn’t effective to sugar coat what their experience might be.
Robert says staying consistent in your core values is very important for building that culture. Acceleration Partners rewards and punishes based on the company values, which are Own It, Embrace Relationships, and Excel & Improve. Leaders and employees consistently talk about and support these values. There’s no question about what the company stands for and what it looks for in employees.
For people who feel it is a good fit, the company has a lot of tools and resources to help everyone feel connected. Employees use Slack to communicate and have frequent video calls, plus they have regional in-person meetups and a companywide in-person summit at the end of each year.
But ultimately it’s the people who create the culture. So having those core values set up from the beginning and using those for attracting and hiring is critical.
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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.
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