At talent placement company Accent, three strong “action values” form the basis of a positive organizational culture. CEO Anouk Lagae (photo left) together with Nathalie Arteel (photo right), CEO of Arteel, share seven tips to build a strong culture.
1. Co-create clear action values
- Go pro. Act like a top professional. Always set the bar high for yourself and strive to improve continuously.
- Be a friend. Be a friend to everyone you work with, whether they are clients or colleagues. Make sure to support each other in both good and challenging times.
- Stay gutsy. Those who work at Accent dare to experiment and pioneer.
Because everyone contributed to creating these values, they are embraced by all. But what helps them come alive is that they are three concrete action values. “They invite action. They are tangible and specific,” says Anouk Lagae, CEO of Accent. “For example, if teamwork and flexibility are values in your organization, no one really knows what that implies for themselves. Our values live because they are so concrete.”
The three values form the foundation of Accent’s positive culture (named a Great Place to Work in 2021). They represent the head (go pro), the heart (be a friend), and the gut (stay gutsy) of the organization, connected by the backbone. In other words, it’s about autonomy, connection, and competence.
“It’s an easy trap to hide as a leader in meeting rooms.”
2. Give autonomy by investing in competencies
Go pro means giving your best, but it also comes with responsibilities for the organization and leaders toward their people. People can only give their best if they have the autonomy to experiment, share honest opinions, and develop the competencies they need to deliver top performance and continue growing.
“Every Accenter has the right to 200 hours of training at our own Accent Business School,” says Lagae. “With us, people can literally become whatever they want.” Each year, about a quarter of employees grow internally into new roles. This not only allows employees to develop themselves, but also promotes knowledge transfer, team collaboration, and understanding and respect for each other’s contributions to organizational goals.
3. Ensure a safe environment where failure is okay
Stay gutsy ties in with the autonomy employees receive and creates the space to experiment and pioneer. “This sometimes happens through trial and error, but that’s okay as long as you learn from it. There is a large buffer of support for failure, so people feel safe taking risks,” explains Lagae.
“That safe environment also implies that you can fully be yourself with us,” she continues. “And you cannot be the best version of yourself every day.”
“Too much data often gives leaders a false sense of security.”
4. Prioritize connection over data
Be a friend is partly about connection. It means that at Accent, you strive to be a friend to your colleagues, but also to your clients.
Lagae actively connects with colleagues and seeks connection with employees. “I am often in one of my offices, and once a month I have breakfast with twelve Accenters. We call these speak-up sessions because the goal is for them to speak up, share how they are doing, what works well, and what could improve… The more they share, the better I know where to focus attention.”
“Keeping a finger on the pulse is an attitude. It’s an easy trap to hide as a leader in meeting rooms, lost in too many Excel sheets and presentations. I gain insights faster by being among the people.”
Leaders, according to Lagae, focus too much on numbers and data alone. “Too much data gives leaders a false sense of security. Good results are the outcome of people being in the flow. If you want to create change and achieve plans, you must not only focus on output but also on input, on the foundation. And that is your people. Without people connected to your organization and its dream, you cannot execute plans or achieve ambitions.”
“In a company where people are no longer connected, often half of the resources are wasted on reporting, auditing, arguing, making beautiful presentations… Of course, processes must be in place and reporting done,” says Lagae. “But it should not come at the expense of connection.”
“Organizations are often reduced to processes, and people reduced to to-do lists. But it is not in processes or to-do lists that added value is created or that the magic arises which is necessary to realize ambitions,” Lagae believes.
5. Make a difference in times of crisis
Be a friend also means being there for each other, even in difficult times. “Your values must act as a compass, especially in times like these when a storm is coming and chaos threatens,” says Nathalie Arteel, co-CEO of Arteel.
The COVID-19 crisis is barely behind us when an energy crisis emerges – the storm Arteel refers to – there is war at Europe’s borders, all against the backdrop of the ongoing war for talent. “It is precisely when things are going less well that you must protect the positive flow,” she explains.
“Your employees also feel that it is difficult due to external circumstances. If they see that the crisis also impacts their organization and that significant cuts are being made, this is detrimental to energy and passion in your organization. Your people freeze, stop thinking proactively, and no longer radiate enthusiasm to your customers… While it is exactly that extra smile that makes customers choose you and not someone else.”
“When you express appreciation in monetary terms, it becomes remuneration.”
6. Keep investing in your people
Unfortunately, people and planet often move to the background in times of crisis. Leaders tend to focus – even more than usual – on numbers and profit. “In tough times, they focus on sales and marketing,” says Lagae. “And only if there’s money left over will they consider giving employees training or a small gift. And when things really go badly and cuts are needed, they first look at personnel costs.”
Of course, that is not the right approach. “Many organizations harbor toxicity because they view people solely through an economic lens, not through a lens of appreciation and respect. Head, heart, and guts must be balanced, but in many companies only the head counts,” says Arteel. “Companies focus on short-term results, which is a big trap. They are blind to long-term costs when they underinvest in people: sick leave, absenteeism, talent leaving just after training… With a positive culture, your company remains in a positive flow.”
“When your people thrive, growth comes naturally, and new initiatives and innovations emerge,” Lagae adds. But what does it concretely mean to invest in your people? At Accent, there is a recognition and wellbeing program, alongside numerous training opportunities. “But it is often the small, spontaneous signs of appreciation that work wonders,” she says. Lagae frequently sends handwritten cards to employees who are going through a tough period or have delivered an exceptional performance. “It costs me little, but it means a lot to the people. Genuine words of appreciation can sometimes achieve more than a bonus. They still remember that card years later.”
“Someone who believes in you gives you wings for the rest of your life.”
7. Give attention to what you want to see grow
“What you give attention to grows,” Lagae knows. “Positively, of course, but unfortunately also negatively. If fear dominates your organization now, you will transmit that fear to your people, and the negative energy will grow. I have clearly stated that we do not succumb to fear and that we will pursue our ambitions fully and with love.”
According to Arteel, positive attention should go beyond a bonus for everyone or the classic end-of-year gift voucher with a large amount printed on it. “When you express appreciation in monetary terms, it becomes remuneration. It is then seen merely as a transaction; there is no magic. You must make an effort and continually reinvent yourself in showing appreciation,” says Lagae. It is no surprise that Accent even employs a full-time Employee Experience Advisor.
A personal, unique sign of appreciation works wonders. A promotion has the same effect, according to Lagae. “With us, people can grow and flourish, whereas previously they may not have had the opportunity or support. Someone who believes in you, who sees something in you that others do not and expresses it, is priceless. It gives you wings, possibly for the rest of your life.”
