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SHARETHE CHOSEN ONE. I’ve been an Executive Assistant and Office Manager for approximately 10 years, mainly within the IT industry. When I interviewed at Traction I knew (as cheesy as it sounds) that it was different than other workplaces. My interviewers were so passionate about their jobs and adamant about finding just the right cultural fit. I was the lucky girl.
MY ROLE: When I tell people my title is Manager of Office Happiness, I usually get a smile and a comment on how it must be hard to make an office HAPPY (like it’s a strange concept). Because of the people here, it’s not that difficult at all. I’ve only been here 3 months, but like everyone else here, it certainly feels like a lot longer.
LEADERSHIP: We really believe in the work we’re doing. One of the reasons for this is that we greatly admire our President, Greg Malpass. We appreciate the responsibility and trust he gives us. While Greg has a pulse on what’s going on with employees and clients, he doesn’t micro-manage. This provides us with ownership of our projects and the ability to take initiative. Every morning we have a staff huddle where we review good news, our top 3 daily goals and/or roadblocks, and who can help us overcome them.
PERKS & FUN: We relish in some employee perks, such as:
- iPads for every employee for note taking and sharing apps to increase efficiency.
- A fitness allowance every quarter (from purchasing running shoes to a gym pass).
- Our endless supply of drinks, snacks, and fruit – and last minute lunch orders, among many other things.
- A wakeboard boat at our disposal in the summers. When the sun is out and the water is flat, our “team meetings” occasionally end up in the ocean.
LEARNING: Traction encourages learning and development. Every Friday a different employee presents a SalesForce application that they’ve discovered or created. This exercise promotes discovery and discussion. We also have an expanding office library. I am currently reading “Delivering Happiness” by Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh and look forward to applying my learning’s. We have already implemented Zappos “the offer”: Every new employee is offered $2,000 to leave Traction within the 3-month probationary period. So far no one has taken it! A good representation of our dedication.
VALUES: Traction has grown quickly, from 3 employees 18 months ago to 17 today. Greg knows that retaining quality employees and building a positive culture will drive our success. We recently had a facilitated “Core Value session” to discuss our personal values, how they align with Traction’s, and how we can achieve them as a team (not a lot of bosses would do this on company time in fear of loss of profitability). During the session, we were a little shy at first, but slowly realized that we have similar and complimentary core values, which brought the team even closer.
Traction also launched a community program called Traction for Good, which supports non-profit organizations that align with our values.
GOALS: My goal for the new year is to kick start Wellness Wednesdays and Fitness Fridays to encourage the healthy lifestyle we all value. I also want to become Salesforce “certified” so I can maximize support for our team. And, I’d like to do my part in ensuring Traction is recognized as a “top employer” as it certainly deserves to be! I write this as I sit in my Traction holiday gift, a cozy logo’d lulu lemon hoodie.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about our products, services or corporate culture. Stay tuned for monthly blogs of what is going on here.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Mitchell, Manager of Office Happiness
