Workplace Culture is Key to Our Success

Talented, smart, creative individuals in marketing can work just about anywhere. But why do they choose one particular company over another?   

Workplace culture is key.   

A good fit into the company culture is a necessity for survival at busy and thriving companies. When someone leaves a company, it is often not a failure. It is just a matter of fit. 

M3 Group is a fast-paced marketing and branding agency. We are constantly in motion developing projects for our clients. Our leadership team is focused on mobilizing to create the best environment for high productivity, growth, accomplishment and inclusivity. 

One of our topics for our team learning sessions in 2023 focused on listening to concerns, encouraging feedback and understanding how we could improve our own company culture. 

We asked our team during this session what M3 Group meant to them through the placement of anonymous sticky notes on a whiteboard. Among the key words posted: growth, teamwork, impact, creativity, purpose, connection, collaboration, benefits, teamwork, inclusivity and flexibility.  

In short, our staff expressed enjoying the work because: 

• It is constantly challenging us to grow, which helps us improve our own skill sets.  
• We enjoy collaborating and appreciate feeling validated by the success of our projects. 
• We feel connected to our co-workers and have each other’s backs.  
• We appreciate the benefits and flexibility our line of work gives us. 
• We recognize that we are all unique individuals and honor inclusivity. 

We also spoke as a group about how we could grow and improve our company culture. One of the biggest asks by our team members related to validation. Our combined love language is clearly words of affirmation. One of the ways we are working with our team is by sharing successes together. 

• We show our best work in a weekly meeting. 
• We are creating an acknowledgment board for kudos. 
• We spend time together outside of work with sports teams and get togethers. 
• We are bringing in more tools the staff has been requesting to allow them to do the best possible work.  

Recently, we have run some productivity contests. All staff who met particular goals set out for the entire team were rewarded with tickets to the Lansing Lugnuts clubhouse for dinner and a game. Staff who reached specific goals were also rewarded with gift cards.  

We also celebrated the first day of summer with a cookout and potluck party, allowing team members the afternoon off for the party. 

We set aside an all-staff in-service day to catch up and support each other on in-house projects, get a state-of-the-state on how the agency is doing, and — as we are known for — shared some treats together. 

We are not done growing, literally and figuratively; but keeping an eye on company culture is one topic we are focusing on in 2023-2024. We understand that at a busy agency like ours continued development in this area is key to our success.