culture code

we are a culture of helpers

We offer help via the Eggschange or by showing up for our colleagues in a workshop or internal Egg Lab. We encourage and make connections with each other personally and as a team. We grab coffee together – whether that’s in-person or virtually. Importantly, we are individuals who accept help as well – which can be a difficult thing to do. Burnout benefits no one – not Egg the company nor the individual, so we embrace the practice of asking for and accepting help. We can’t promise that there won’t be a tough project or a late night here and there, but we’re aiming to help one another work smarter, not harder. We actively prioritize the important bits and try not to get lost in the details. Raising a hand to gather the collective, we can get through the tough spots without sacrificing our mental and physical health.

we show up as a team

We work hard and we’re nice to one another. Nice isn’t about people pleasing. Nice is mutual respect – creating space for one another to show up, and being open to one another. Doing great work without being nice creates negativity and drama – it’s not aligned to the vision of a space where people can do their best work with colleagues who embrace and support them. And when we show up as a team, that doesn’t mean that every member does the same thing. Team leaders will prioritize who’s doing what at different stages of a project – but the mindset is the same: we’re stronger together, particularly when we lean into our unique strengths and aptitudes.

we practice freedom in a framework

Now that we’re working remotely so much of the time, our projects rely on teams having the freedom and flexibility to approach challenges from any number of angles. We have strategic frameworks that are a core suite of tools to work from, but freedom within the framework is what gives our work tremendous impact. We believe when teams have the trust of their colleagues and clients, they rise to the occasion for spectacular results. We’re all professionals at Egg, and you have the freedom to act as you see fit for the best outcomes for your clients and teams.

we take responsibility for our actions

That freedom, of course, comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility – Egg’s clients entrust you with their extremely sensitive data (and their budgets) to help get them closer to their goals. Colleagues entrust you with their time and career development. And the company entrusts you to always prioritize overall project success and a team win. A system based on deep mutual trust only really works when people take ownership and accountability for their actions. Accountability becomes a powerful counterbalance that helps us weigh our actions and potential outcomes. At Egg we agree to be accountable for our actions. To treat this data or this budget as our own, and to make decisions in the best interest of the client and collective.

we make mistakes

At Egg, we’re not looking for anyone to be perfect. It’s not possible and if you think you’re perfect, you’re actually stuck. We value a growth mindset – an openness to trying new ways of doing. No one knocks it out of the park at the first try of anything, but it’s the act of doing that helps you learn and grow.

we embrace continuous improvement

The experience, even a stumble or a failure, is all a reminder that we must never rest on our laurels and there is always something new to learn. At Egg we believe in experimentation with how we do things – like using innovative ways to apply familiar methodologies that bring our thinking to new heights. In fact, this spirit of experimentation is how some of our current tools and methods were created. Being fearless in the pursuit of new skills and approaches is what makes Egg a dynamic place to grow, and we support each other along our individual paths.

we do great work

We value the team’s commitment to doing great work. Work that impacts our clients, the world, and one another in a positive way. Sometimes performing at a high level can take a lot of time and effort, and sometimes high impact can be achieved more easily. We want teams to commit to doing great work, and to approach that work with the right amount of effort. Working smarter, not harder is our mantra – using our frameworks and tools for effective outcomes without reinventing the wheel each time.

we’re building a successful company

We keep in mind that Egg is a business. That means our commitment to great work is in the service of improving the key performance indicators (KPI’s) that define a successful business. We have investors and shareholders and a Board of Directors that are counting on the Leadership Team to improve profitability and revenue. We believe it’s possible to have a great culture with people doing great work inside a business that’s hitting KPI’s if our people embrace this broader view of performance.

we are streamlining our business

A certain amount of process is necessary to ensure efficiency, but too much process can create onerous tasks for teams and lead to inefficiencies as well. As Egg evolves, we’re continually exploring ways to streamline our business to ensure things can run smoothly for teams and maintain financial stability for our company.

we seek balance

Over the years we’ve evolved from spreadsheets to platforms in an effort to build a connected infrastructure and help provide a comprehensive view of our projects and performance. Adoption isn’t easy and initially brings its own extra work. But we will continue to find the balance between process that is necessary for efficiency weighed against the burden on the team.

we value individuality

We are all puzzle pieces, unique combinations of all of our lived experiences – from our individual upbringing to our work history, no two of us are alike. At Egg we value our uniqueness – it helps our culture continue to grow and change. It deepens and sharpens our thinking and makes our work stronger. We aren’t looking for “culture fit,” but rather “culture add” and we look for people who are wired to listen and learn from one another and the world around them.

we respect our differences

We’ve also broadened our minds to respect a variety of character “types” at Egg. Some folks are extroverts. Some are introverts. Most are a unique combo of both. People have different super powers and there’s an additive effect on our teams when we have a diversity of profiles. That’s not to say that we don’t lean into specific dispositions and talents at various stages (e.g. a workshop needs a dynamic leader), but we recognize that all personalities and proclivities have unique places to shine.

Living into our values, we are actively seeking inclusiveness and opportunities to embrace a more equitable approach to our work and our industry. Currently, we don’t reflect the diversity of the culture around us so we have work to do. We want to be better. And we want our company and our influence in the broader world to be a force for goodness.

we have an “everyone can win” attitude

As with life in general, we tend to find what we’re looking for… meaning if you’re looking for what’s wrong in a system, you’ll probably find it. And if you’re looking for what’s right and good, you’ll probably find that. We embrace a mindset of looking for the abundance around us versus the scarcity. That doesn’t mean we can’t be critical of our business or point out missteps in our relationships. It means we approach each other with an “everyone can win” attitude. Everyone at Egg is trying hard to do great work – from how we do projects to how the leadership team is trying to lead. As we navigate the difficulties of being colleagues and consultants in a complex world, we come with the belief that within the tension is an opportunity: As stated by our friends at Google… “A scarcity mentality refers to people seeing life as a finite pie… so if one person takes a big piece, that leaves less for everyone else.” A scarcity mindset is what keeps many of us from achieving our goals. An abundance mindset refers to the paradigm that there is plenty out there for everybody.

we offer solutions with our criticism

So how do we challenge ourselves to do better while still keeping a mindset of abundance over scarcity? We are solution oriented. That means when we encounter challenges, we’re constructive in our response by proposing actions and attitudes that help us grow and evolve. We also recognize our individual influence on the collective culture and ethos at Egg. We avoid water-cooler chat that isn’t solution minded and we encourage our colleagues to take concerns up the chain of command versus sideways or below.

we’re embracing new levels of transparency

Egg is seeking a balance of transparency and discretion that engenders trust throughout the organization. This is an ongoing journey for us as we’ve discovered the catalyst for trust comes from understanding and context. (Or, said less optimistically, people tend to doubt an equation if they haven’t “seen the math.”) In the past, our Leadership Team has launched initiatives with good intent but without making an enough effort to explain the logic and help people understand the “why” behind these decisions. Similarly, in the absence of understanding, water-cooler conversations can perpetuate mistrust and doubt.

we’re designing alliances through understanding

The solution is to double-down on having conversations that bring clarity and context to decision-making. It means we actively look for where the “Egg Consumer Journey” (which we’re all on) can hit a pothole or speed bump. And we have courageous conversation, saying “Help me understand the broader initiative this fits into so I can help others understand too.” As a Leadership Team, we commit to providing new levels of visibility so everyone can understand the rules of the game. And as team mates, we commit to intentionally raising a hand to better understand and pulling our colleagues forward in the journey.

we value flexibility and fortitude

On both a personal and company level, we’ve found that a combination of flexibility and grit (our definition of resilience) is the key to forward progress and how we enjoy the journey. Each of our projects typically start by staring into the unknown of our clients’ businesses. Each endeavor is typically undertaken with a slightly different Egg team. Each year of our company’s journey is accomplished in a new and evolving marketplace and cultural context.

we keep our perspective amidst the struggle

Candidly, this business is not for the faint of heart… there are always hurdles and challenges. But we’ve been successful (personally and at a company level) because we’ve created a designed alliance of well-meaning colleagues who take each day as it comes with good intentions, determination, and an ability to pivot and flex through the obstacle course. And you know… that’s part of the fun. None of us would be here if we thrived in an automated or boring context. So we bring our resilience in and share it with our colleagues. We keep our perspective. And together we go far.