How We Continue To Work

In February of 2024, I wrote an article for Perspectives entitled How We Work. I wrote about how Netflix’s creation of their Culture Deck in the early 2000s when they were around our size (~ 200 people) inspired me to do something similar at our 2023 Strategic Planning Meeting. I gave everyone a marker and colored piece of paper and invited each of them to reflect on and write down a single word that captured the behavior they admired most in a Greenleaf teammate. Like Netflix, I wanted everyone to think about real life behaviors they admire versus values. The thought was that values can be aspirational whereas behaviors are more reflective of how people really act.

The energy in the room was palpable when everyone held their answers in the air and had a chance to see what their teammates wrote. The most frequently chosen words included honesty, trustworthy, integrity, helpful, kindness, respect, supportive, empathy, active listener, positive, caring, reliable, accountable, and dependable.

After people saw the words used by their teammates, their beliefs on how we worked together at Greenleaf Trust were immediately validated. Up to this point, it was just a feeling we all had. Something we mentioned casually to new hires. Now, we actually knew why we worked so well together as a team. The values that we had in common. How we could support each other. What we desired from our relationships with each other. We became compelled to write it down and share it with each other to remind us all what makes us unique in our own words.

So, in 2024 we created a book, In Our Own Words, to memorialize our work culture feelings. The book elaborated on the words we all used to describe how we value each other, how we support each other, how we connect with each other, and how we work together. Each team member also received a framed word cloud in the shape of our company logo. This artwork serves as a daily reminder of the importance of being a valued, supportive, inclusive, connected and committed teammate. As a final touch, a large-scale word cloud will be displayed on the walls of each of our market locations. This installation will greet team members each day, reinforcing the essential qualities that define a great teammate.

Below are excerpts from the four guiding chapters of In Our Own Words.

How We Value Each Other – Our Shared Values:

Honest | Trustworthy | Integrity

Greenleaf Trust teammates are driven by honesty, trust and integrity. We value the input other teammates bring to the table. We hold ourselves to a high standard in our work and our relationships with each other.

How We Support Each Other – Our Focus on Others:

Helpful | Willing to Help | Kindness | Respect

We are an inclusive team that acts with kindness and respect towards one another. We are service minded, others oriented and committed to helping our fellow teammates. We work hard together to achieve our goal of premier client service and great company culture.

How We Connect with Each Other – Our Relationships:

Supportive | Empathy | Active Listener | Positive | Caring

We are not machines. We understand that life will have ups and downs, and we support each other during the good times and bad. We have empathy and caring for each other and lay those as the foundation of our relationships. We work in good faith and give each other the benefit of the doubt. Greenleafians look for the positive others bring to the table and actively listen before adding input.

How We Work Together – Our Commitment to Each Other:

Reliable | Accountability | Dependable

As a talent-based organization, we understand the importance of being a dependable resource, accountable for our commitments and reliable when needs arise. We collaborate most effectively when we understand that everyone is committed to achieving collective goals.