You saw that right. As of today, we've made a somewhat radical change to our corporate policies. Every single full-time Social Strata employee now has access to unlimited paid leave. Why would we take such a step? It's because we are building a culture of discipline, as defined in Jim Collins' seminal books, Built to Last (co-authored with Jerry Porras) and Good to Great.
Ted & I have been fans of the principles outlined in those books for years now, and our copies are dog-eared, highlighted, and sticky-noted all over the place. We may sometimes fall short, but we are always striving to align with the bedrock concepts of Good to Great companies. One of the key tenets is the "Culture of Discipline." Here's a great quote:
"Disciplined people who engage in disciplined thought and who take disciplined action—operating with freedom within a framework of responsibilities—this is the cornerstone of a culture that creates greatness. In a culture of discipline, people do not have “jobs;” they have responsibilities."
In that spirit, we decided that, if we have the "right people on the bus," i.e., people who are passionate about what they're doing, we don't need to set artificial limits on the amount of time they can take off, or why they can take time off. Disciplined people will ensure that their responsibilities are handled, and still be able to recharge their batteries with time off. Undisciplined people who take advantage of the system will reveal themselves and be naturally sorted out.
What all of this means for our customers is that our products and services are conceived, developed, managed, and marketed by a smart, disciplined, and passionate group of people. I feel that sort of culture will result in amazing service, from the inside out.
Ted & I have been fans of the principles outlined in those books for years now, and our copies are dog-eared, highlighted, and sticky-noted all over the place. We may sometimes fall short, but we are always striving to align with the bedrock concepts of Good to Great companies. One of the key tenets is the "Culture of Discipline." Here's a great quote:
"Disciplined people who engage in disciplined thought and who take disciplined action—operating with freedom within a framework of responsibilities—this is the cornerstone of a culture that creates greatness. In a culture of discipline, people do not have “jobs;” they have responsibilities."
In that spirit, we decided that, if we have the "right people on the bus," i.e., people who are passionate about what they're doing, we don't need to set artificial limits on the amount of time they can take off, or why they can take time off. Disciplined people will ensure that their responsibilities are handled, and still be able to recharge their batteries with time off. Undisciplined people who take advantage of the system will reveal themselves and be naturally sorted out.
What all of this means for our customers is that our products and services are conceived, developed, managed, and marketed by a smart, disciplined, and passionate group of people. I feel that sort of culture will result in amazing service, from the inside out.
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