Paddy Moogan - How to build a team culture that people leave - and then come back to (Turing Fest 2019)

Culture decks have become a common feature in large tech companies like Netflix and HubSpot — but codifying your culture and company values is an important step for companies of all sizes, and in all industries.

Aira co-founder Paddy Moogan explores the impetus behind the creation of their culture deck and the principles that underpin it, and explains why it's so important to articulate your values to your team, customers and prospective hires.

Transcript

1. TURING FEST How to Build a Team Culture That People Leave — And Then Come Back To Paddy Moogan, Co-founder @paddymoogan
2. TURING FEST
3. TURING FEST
4. TURING FEST
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8. TURING FEST Two people left and came back
9. This all happened without defining our culture TURING FEST
10. TURING FEST “Culture happens”
11. TURING FEST We were doing just fine
12. TURING FEST But I started to worry
13. What got us here won’t get us there TURING FEST
14. TURING FEST The same approach won’t work for the next four years
15. TURING FEST I’m going to share the approach that has worked for us so far
16. TURING FEST And how we plan to not lose what we’ve worked hard for
17. TURING FEST
18. TURING FEST All companies are people
19. Let’s take a step back TURING FEST
20. TURING FEST What is culture?
21. TURING FEST From cultus in latin - care
22. TURING FEST
23. TURING FEST It’s the way we do things around here
24. TURING FEST Culture happens as a result of our skills and behaviours
25. TURING FEST Common misconceptions
26. TURING FEST Perks are not culture
27. TURING FEST Speaking opportunities Opportunities to speak at industry events and our own MKGO event Mental health support This is thanks to our strong partnership with Sanctus Annual training budget This is to spend on your personal development in any way you see fit. Unlimited holiday Yes, unlimited paid annual leave once you pass probation Free eye care We pay for your eye exams once a year Free parking We provide a permit for central Milton Keynes Birthday off It goes without saying! Celebrate your birthday! Endless supply Tea, coffee, biscuits and healthy snacks!
28. TURING FEST You’re building a team, not raising a family
29. TURING FEST Having a successful culture doesn’t mean being nice
30. TURING FEST People will always leave
31. TURING FEST “What got you here won’t get you there.”
32. TURING FEST When should you think about defining culture?
33. TURING FEST It’s going to happen anyway
34. TURING FEST The question is when do you take a step back and need to make it concrete
35. TURING FEST “35 to 100 people & four offices in a year”
36. TURING FEST We messed up
37. TURING FEST “Are we a performance based company or a happiness based company?”
38. TURING FEST “I’m finding it hard to give honest feedback because it may conflict with our culture”
39. TURING FEST
40. TURING FEST It hurt
41. TURING FEST I made an assumption
42. TURING FEST All companies are people
43. TURING FEST It validated that we needed to make everything concrete
44. TURING FEST Luckily, I’d already started!
45. TURING FEST It started just under a year ago
46. TURING FEST We’d grown fast
47. TURING FEST 35 people in 4 years
48. TURING FEST We had something special
49. TURING FEST
50. What got us here won’t get us there TURING FEST
51. TURING FEST I knew we needed something
52. TURING FEST “You need to define your mission, vision and values.”
53. TURING FEST We sat in a room for four hours to figure it out
54. TURING FEST Just don’t go bust?!
55. TURING FEST Values were my favourite
56. TURING FEST Passion Innovation Teamwork Drive Ambition Fun Initiative Integrity
57. TURING FEST Bullshit
58. TURING FEST Kind of
59. TURING FEST Yes, bullshit
60. TURING FEST It isn’t about abstract words which you call values
61. TURING FEST It’s about behaviours which you value
62. TURING FEST I was really struggling with the whole thing
63. TURING FEST
64. TURING FEST I didn’t buy into the whole mission and vision stuff
65. TURING FEST I hadn’t needed it so far
66. TURING FEST How we got to here
67. Progression TURING FEST
68. TURING FEST Everyone needs a next step
69. TURING FEST SEO SEO Executive SEO Consultant Senior SEO Consultant Management Track Individual Contributor Track Senior SEO Strategist SEO Team Lead SEO Director Head of SEO Progression Path Example Career progression paths
70. TURING FEST What it means to be a Consultant at Aira Summary ! Everything we expect from an Executive ! We expect you to complete any deliverables to a level where they are client-ready ! We expect you to consistently be looking for ways to improve our knowledge, processes and deliverables ! We expect you to assist with digital strategy, working with Account Managers to understand and meet client objectives across a range of digital marketing channels ! We expect you to have excellent communication skills, building trust with clients and making it easier to get our job done ! We expect you to have good commercial awareness of both client business models and our own tldr: You are accountable for producing client-ready deliverables, helping define client strategy and communicating well with clients to get work done 1. Excellent client deliverables We expect you to complete any client deliverables to a level where they are client-ready Expectation documents for each role
71. TURING FEST SEO PPC Social Email Analytics Content Digital PR Technical SEO Account setup General Copy GA Installation Editing Media relations Keyword research Key metrics Analytics A/B Testing Organisations, accounts, properties, views Writing Writing press releases Keyword mapping Keyword planner UTM Tracking Automation Audience reports CMS Usage Writing supporting copy International SEO Display planner Organic Lead capture Acquisition reports META Data Reporting on succes Competitor analysis Extensions Scheduling UTM Tracking Behaviour reports Spelling Quick & efficient communication Link auditing Campaigns Sendible Content offer generation Conversion reports Grammar Working on deadlines Screaming Frog Ad groups Copy/Creative Hubspot Dashboards Tone of voice Spelling Sitebulb Ad creation Paid Mailchimp Custom reports Idea generation Grammar Search console Remarketing A/B Testing Segments Idea validation Evaluating risks in media opportunities Digital Marketers Skillset Core competencies by discipline
72. TURING FEST 360 feedback which relate directly to our expectations
73. TURING FEST “Anything you measure will automatically create a set of employee behaviours”
74. TURING FEST We use scorecards to show our company objectives
75. TURING FEST Company objectives are included in 360 feedback
76. TURING FEST How to get promoted guidelines
77. TURING FEST What it means to be a Consultant at Aira Summary ! Everything we expect from an Executive ! We expect you to complete any deliverables to a level where they are client-ready ! We expect you to consistently be looking for ways to improve our knowledge, processes and deliverables ! We expect you to assist with digital strategy, working with Account Managers to understand and meet client objectives across a range of digital marketing channels ! We expect you to have excellent communication skills, building trust with clients and making it easier to get our job done ! We expect you to have good commercial awareness of both client business models and our own tldr: You are accountable for producing client-ready deliverables, helping define client strategy and communicating well with clients to get work done 1. Excellent client deliverables We expect you to complete any client deliverables to a level where they are client-ready The team can see all expectation documents
78. TURING FEST 1. Job has to be big enough 2. Person has to be a superstar in their current role 3. Extraordinary role model of our culture and values
79. Recognition TURING FEST
80. TURING FEST IDFIU Award
81. TURING FEST Monthly shout outs in our newsletter
82. Health and wellbeing TURING FEST
83. TURING FEST Mental health coaching for the team
84. Behaviours TURING FEST
85. TURING FEST We give a shit
86. TURING FEST We take ownership
87. TURING FEST We don’t settle
88. TURING FEST We support each other IDFIU AWARD
89. TURING FEST Trust each other
90. TURING FEST We feedback early and often
91. TURING FEST The key point here...
92. TURING FEST These behaviours made us what we are today, but we had to look really hard for them
93. TURING FEST We didn’t make them up whilst sat in a room (we couldn’t, we tried)
94. TURING FEST You have to really think about this, they’re more than words
95. TURING FEST We asked the team what words they’d use to describe Aira and it helped, a bit...
96. TURING FEST The behaviours are the things we’ve subtly pushed and let develop over four years
97. I’ve made all of this easy for you TURING FEST
98. TURING FEST aira.net/secret
99. TURING FEST How we get to there
100. TURING FEST The next phase of our culture started with three questions
101. TURING FEST What do our team need from us? 1
102. TURING FEST What do we need from our team? 2
103. TURING FEST What behaviours do we really value and make us Aira? 3
104. TURING FEST This led to this…
105. AN AGENCY YOU’LL ENJOY WORKING WITH OUR CULTURE CODE Our Culture Code
106. TURING FEST Company Handbook 2019 Internal company handbook
107. TURING FEST Repeat, repeat, repeat
108. TURING FEST To wrap up
109. TURING FEST Map out what your team need from you 1
110. TURING FEST Map out what you expect from your team 2
111. TURING FEST Look for the behaviours that make you what you are 3
112. TURING FEST Your culture is happening, observe it, shape it and make it concrete as you grow
113. TURING FEST aira.net/turing-19
114. TURING FEST Thank you! paddy@aira.net Paddy Moogan, Co-founder @paddymoogan