Would it be possible for a company’s operational model to transform the way their people connect to their purpose?
I recently told you about Arionkoder’s new operational model: The Flow, and what it entails in terms of innovation and storytelling. While that’s transformative, we believe The Flow’s real power is how it impacts people, and that’s what I want to share with you today.
Arionkoder is, by design, a distributed company. Being spread out globally helps us find the best talent, no matter where they are geographically. In this context, it’s more important than ever to craft and share the stories that move our people. Other companies do this by gathering around the water cooler or sending occasional emails to keep everyone in the loop, but we feel that’s just not human enough.
We think that to truly engage people, we need to connect with their human side, the most basic and instinctive part of all of us. That’s why we’ve created rituals of engagement and closeness where we gather around a virtual fire to connect, vibe together, and share stories that shape our culture. This helps create ambassadors for the company and, most importantly, instills pride in our team. It’s all about encouraging our Arionics to give their all, their best selves, as we work towards our purpose of creating better futures for humanity. This isn’t about compliance; it’s about igniting a genuine fire in each of us.
To connect with people on this human level, I often think about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Recognition is crucial at both the self-esteem and self-actualization levels. At the self-esteem level, recognition validates the contributions and achievements of our team. At the self-actualization level, it helps people realize their personal potential. This aligns with our goal of identifying talent and potential, understanding what makes their eyes light up, and saying, “We see you, go in this direction; we trust you.”
Our focus should be on creating rituals and stories that people are so excited about that they share them with their families at dinnertime. For our current Arionics, it reaffirms their identity and bond. For new team members, it helps them understand where they are and what opportunities lie ahead. This is especially important since they’re experienced professionals who have worked with many other companies. We want them to know that we’re different, and what they can and cannot expect from us.
A significant part of this is about vulnerability—sharing with each other what truly makes us human. Giving our hearts and minds to one another, and receiving the same in return. Come join us as we embark on this journey together.