Culture can be a competitive advantage.  A positive, dynamic culture is critical to achieving the sort of momentum and movement I described in my prior post.   Even more important than any particular project or metric, a CEO needs to tend to the culture of her company, to make sure that it is a force for good.  Crafting and nurturing the culture is one of the most important goals of a CEO. At MDeverywhere we focused on creating a culture where  transparency and accountability was valued across the organization.  Where performance was the first and final arbiter.  Becoming a purely performance-driven organization is a journey where the goal post is always moving. There is always more to do as you protect against stasis and dilution.   We started with a value statement crafted to clearly delineate the values that defined what it meant to be an MDer. 

Core MDeverywhere Values:

Ethics

Candor

Rigor

Exceptional Quality

Intellectual Curiousity

Excellence

Sharing

Creativity

Service

The most important job of an organization's leaders is to help every member of the team live and breathe these values and demonstrate them every day. At MDeverywhere, we worked hard to make sure that we only had the best people and that we gave them the freedom they needed to accomplish great work.

Hiring was a rigorous process as we took seriously the responsibility to ensure that every MDer was surrounded by colleagues that were exceptional at what they did and who made us all better as a result. At MDeverywhere, performance was the only yardstick and excellence the only acceptable standard. Achieving this often meant making tough people decisions at times. It  also meant achieving exceptional success.

To reinforce these values, we made two key changes in our HR policies. We abolished our PTO policy and replaced it with a discretionary policy. As we were only focused on measuring outcomes, we got out of the tedious business of tracking and monitoring how people spend their time. All individual and team goals and deliverables were stretch by definition and accountability to achieve them non-negotiable. With that as the standard, every member of our team was given maximum control over their time. It wasn't about how many hours you worked, or even how hard you worked; it was only about what you accomplished.  I believe strongly that we don't pay people for their time or even for tasks but for accomplishing the outcomes and goals that are important to the company.

We instituted an MDe Elite award - a peer and client-nominated award to cheer on exceptional performance. The quarterly prizes were significant and the annual award sought after.  

All of this helped MDeverywhere punch way above our weight as an organization.  We were able to attract and recruit exceptional people as we became a destination employer.  People loved working for a company where politics were not tolerated.  Where people were respected and treated as adults.  Where expectations were clear and called for the best in people.  Where people could expect to be surrounded by people they were proud to call peers.   I know that I was proud to be part of a high-performing team where everyone took such pride in their work and in our Company.