What Would She Do? Breaking It Down: How I Would Run My Company

Earlier this year I participated in What Would She Do’s 365 day project – highlighting women from around the world and answering the question, “How would you run your business as a woman?”

Their mission and belief is simple, yet profound: We believe women will revolutionize the workplace and create a new concept of career. And we want to help make this happen sooner rather than later. We’ve set a challenge for ourselves to help women create this model: interview 365 women. Our mission: as Clarissa Pinkola Estes wrote, “to sing the flesh back onto our bones” so a new organizational model can emerge that would have us all offering our greatest gifts.

Via What Would She Do

So when I read about a survey titled, Millenial, Inc., conducted by Mr. Youth which portrayed how Generation Y works and thinks, I was intrigued. Their findings were somewhat similar to what I wrote for What Would She Do, such as:

• Say goodbye to the long boardroom table and hello to the round table. Collaboration, shared responsibility and consensus rule Millennial Inc.

• Seniority and tenure are dirty words to Millennials. Authority is earned and proved through direct interactions, not given blindly based on titles and experience.

Along the same lines, I thought about what was most important to me and what made me a happy employee coupled with a vision of mine to one day run my own business (via my post on What Would She Do):

The People

I believe a core foundation of any company begins with the people. You’re building a team that should fluidly work together. I see a group balanced and mixed with creative, analytical minds, thought-provokers, hard-workers, charismatic energy, passion and a willingness to push beyond their boundary.

The Culture

There will not be an overriding feeling of hierarchy because equality spreads throughout the company. If you’ve just started your entry level position, you’re encouraged (and very much allowed) to stop into the CEO’s office, share or pitch an idea, ask questions and keep the conversation going. It works both ways. There won’t be a ‘clock-in-clock-out’ mentality. It’s a full day of work, but lunches are encouraged and flexibility for work hours and working remotely available. Providing benefits (in addition to health, dental, PTO) will be available with parking passes to the office and bus passes in the city. Taking vacation time off and unplugging, is recognized as important for employees to recharge.

Company events are monthly. Including (but not exclusive to): happy hours, group outings, trips and lunches. Above all, enjoying your work and bringing passion to your workplace is heightened with time to enjoy. Employees will not be afraid or fear-based, rather, they will trust their co-workers and boss(es).

Physicality Of the Space

Your environment can directly affect your work, ideas and daily interactions. There will be skylights and windows (that open) for ample sunlight and fresh air. The design will be funky, comfortable, yet environmentally conscious. The floor plan will be open – encouraging collaboration and sharing. Each employee is encouraged to decorate their office or space as they see fit. To each their own. In the office will have a (fully stocked) kitchen, to nourish and give back to employees. At the back of the office, there’s an inspiration wall, featuring our products, customer testimonials and pictures from company events.

The Belief

“Treat others as you want to be treated.” Employees and their opinions are valued, strong work positively reinforced, pervading respect and you can expect to be asked how your day was (inside and outside of the office), then in return, we will care to hear the answer.

The belief melds a focus on building company culture, a product/service that speaks to people and fills a need, listening skills (co-workers and customers) and practice the flexibility to accept and ride through change.

Have you ever considered your ideal work culture and environment? What about running your own company – how would you do it?