I often think about a phrase my colleague and friend Megan Sul says: “Culture isn’t free.”
Any organization you hope to derive culture from—be it a rec league team, a community, or yes, even a place you work—requires that you inevitably give up a little bit of personal preference in service of the greater good of this thing called “culture.” I know, I know . . . There are just some days you’d rather not put on pants, but we all have our hills to climb, and generally, when you find the right place to wear pants, it’s worth it.
Not all workplaces are created equal, and some are downright soul-crushing—God knows I’ve worked in a few of them. The pandemic showed many of us that we could be happier, healthier, and similarly productive and have to wear pants less often if we didn’t have to return to said less-than-happy places. But while many people walked away with the lesson that they could work happily from home, there was another point a lot of people missed: Really, really great culture is an incredibly powerful force, and it was something we all really missed during the pandemic.
Human-to-Human
At our core, we are still creatures that need to see, sense, and occasionally bump into like-minded creatures in the real world for full effect. It’s why great concerts beat MP3s, live sports trump TV sports, and real art beats NFTs (come at me, crypto bros!). To feel in person is a different experience, and culture always functions on that premise. I’m not equating where you work to a great concert because I have no idea where you work, nor do I know your music preference. But some things are worth a little personal sacrifice.
Sometimes, those things aren’t even things you know for sure. It could be a small conversation that unlocks an idea, a dumb joke that becomes a bigger joke that becomes an inside joke that never ends, or a last-minute late night that produces unexpected magic. Heck, the other day, I drafted Tua Tagovailoa before someone else in our company’s fantasy football draft and heard them scream “F***!” from the other side of the office. You don’t get any of that when you outright dismiss the potential of being in person.
Great culture isn’t a 24-hour trip to Disneyland. It’s a place where there’s the opportunity to feel empowered, fulfilled, and hopefully learn how to get better. It’s a place where everyone understands it will take effort, vulnerability, and compassion to make it great.
For The Newer Folks
If you’re starting out in your career you won’t believe how much you can learn from being in person with your colleagues. From seeing not just the work people make but how they make it to witnessing a colleague navigate a sticky situation with a client effortlessly. You miss these beautiful learning moments that I promise are beneficial for your career.
Moreover, the good nonverbal skills you pick up are vital and will help you personally and professionally.
Related: Why CEOs want you back in the office
Further along in your career, it can get so easy to become set in your habits and beliefs without exposure to people with different habits and beliefs that you really like to be around. It can be easy to rely on tricks you know work well without ever seeing and understanding different ways to crack a problem.
Even as far into my career as I am now, I’m always amazed at how often I discover a new way of solving a problem simply by being exposed to someone’s process. When all you ever see is the final answer, you miss all the magic in the making . . . and that’s where the REALLY good stuff is. Zoom proved to be a capable tool for presentation, but it’s an impossible tool for conversation. There’s just something about those little boxes all staring directly at you that you just can’t overcome.
Ulterior Motive Disguised as Final Thoughts?
Okay, okay, we’ve reached the point where Shaggy and Scooby rip my mask off to reveal I’m an evil business leader telling people to get into the office, right?! Well, the business leader part is true, at least.
Am I saying you can’t do great work remotely? Nope.
Am I suggesting you must return no matter what? Not at all. If there is no culture to speak of, it’s an unrewarding hassle. If you’re somewhere that’s mentally, physically, or emotionally toxic (or all three), make a plan to remove yourself from that environment.
Am I saying great culture can’t be created in a remote workplace? At scale, I’d say I’m very skeptical it can. We are social creatures, and cool, inspiring things occur when we gather.
If you think work is meant to be a transaction of time and expertise for money, there isn’t much I can really say to sway you, and frankly, I’m surprised you read this far into this article. But if you think work has the opportunity to inform and fulfill more than that in your life, maybe it’s time to put your pants back on and see what’s out there for you.
Culture isn’t free, but it’s worth it.
Simon Bruyn is an executive creative director at Mother Los Angeles, working with brands such as Postmates and Sonic. Before Mother, Simon developed a set of baby supplies to help parents talk, read, and sing to their children that the Obama administration picked up and gave to new parents at hospitals nationwide.
