The Importance of Company Culture

We recently produced a series of 7:47 virtual gratitude experiences for a company with a 600-person product team.

In the Slack channel, weeks leading up, one employee wrote: “This feels like a mass layoff event.”

What should have been an incredible social opportunity—where colleagues would connect and deepen their relationships—turned into a terrifying moment for some employees.

It made me wonder, “Why wouldn’t employees feel safe to attend an event centered on connection?”

Well, not all gratitude given is gratitude heard. And if we’re receiving gratitude in a way that’s never been seen before, it might seem insincere.

When companies are ready to make the jump and prioritize team-building and connection, they should also reflect on their internal culture first.

Does the company actively promote having authentic conversations and expressing gratitude? If not, how will a 600-person connection conversation feel to them? Genuine, or contrived?

In your experience, leaders, how can leadership teams best promote a culture where gratitude is regularly given, so that it doesn’t come off as inauthentic or out of the blue?

(For the record, the experiences ended up being PHENOMENAL. It is not at all impossible to make 600 people feel connected. It simply takes intentionality and the willingness to show up.)