While speaking in San Diego recently, I had the fortunate opportunity to interview Reid Carr, the President and CEO of Red Door Interactive. The
recipient of many "Best Places to Work in San Diego" awards and
accolades, Red Door Interactive is a company that puts a premium on its
culture, focusing relentlessly on their five core values. One of their
company values in particular caught my eye: "We're 100% Jerk Free"
What a concept! It's fun, it's simple, it's direct, it's easy to
understand and it captures what so many employees or wannabe employees
desire in their workplace.
Imagine you are a hard-working, creative person looking to work in a
dynamic environment - would the promise of a jerk-free workplace not
catch your eye?
Reid Carr explained that the value is used in their hiring approach
and in how they maintain an atmosphere of trust and teamwork. And the
value extends beyond their employees - Red Door has fired clients or
vendors who partake in jerk-like behavior. Carr stresses that there is a
difference between having a disagreement with a coworker and behaving
like a jerk. Healthy conflicts are part of any healthy team and
workplace, whereas being a jerk is simply not tolerated.
So have a look at your workplace values. Are they as simple and
direct as "100% Jerk Free"? Do they speak to what your employees and
potential employees really want in a thriving workplace?
