His solution for establishing a more collaborative and trusting culture was three-fold: to adopt a policy of broad and regular consultation, both informally and through regular, firm-wide polling; to be open and transparent, and to empower individuals with responsibility.
One test of such values is whether they apply to people’s wallet, and in this, the UK team now has full transparency, with all incentivisation decisions fully explained, discussed and shared, allowing disagreements to be aired if not always resolved. “It is a vision of trust and collaboration, and if you live it every day, and deliver on it, then scepticism dissipates.”
Both anecdotally and more formally, it appears to be a happy ship. “The feedback from the surveys has been amazing, and even during the Covid period, the culture if anything is even stronger, which is testament to individuals supporting one another. People are happy because they know they will be consulted on every major decision.”
In Steve’s view, the ability to stay fit for your market environment is dependent on a healthy culture. “We have created an environment where people feel safe to challenge each other, to share problems and ideas.”