In our Creative Cultures series, our writers day inside companies to learn how hiring, onboarding and company culture play a role in employee happiness. From startups to design firms and all in-between, we’re pulling back the curtain on what it’s like to work in inventive and productive environments. Today, writer Crystal Henrickson takes us through a day at Left.
Building an office environment, rich with meaningful and impactful work is no easy feat, but what happens when more than half of your team works on the other side of the planet?
At Left, everything is possible. Headquartered in Maple Ridge, BC, with a team in Khulna and Dhaka, Bangladesh, “Lefties” approach business and life with values top of mind, and the evidence is everywhere.
Fusing culture with respect
Like many startups finding their footing, Left started out working with contractors across the globe, soon discovering an affinity for the Bangladeshi’s they worked closely with. “[The Bangladeshi people] are some of the most passionate, talented, warm people as far as a culture and a community,” shares CEO, John Lyotier. “When we started, we had to be very mindful and respectful that we didn’t try to impose North American norms on the Bangladeshi people. All of the core values that we live and breathe by, they go through the exact same training on the core values over there. How they interpret those is up to them.”
Flexibility is a way of life
When co-founders, John Lyotier and Chris Jensen set off on a quest to “Imagine if…” a short six years ago, they honed in on a core set of values first: Be incredible. Keep score. Take responsibility. Think different. Little things matter. Impact your community. Imagine the impossible. Family is important. Make your mark. Failure is an option. With a guiding set of principles firmly rooted, Left evolved into a multinational media and technology company with holdings in mobile and Internet-based businesses.
Working at Left isn’t just a job; it’s a way of life. Encouraging and empowering employees to think differently about situations and solutions, to give back to their families and communities.
Self described as a hyper agile development group, Left plays business with an interesting twist; a 24-hour cycle of work woven into their DNA based on their team’s geographical locales. The day begins in Khulna where Skype video calls keep the project teams on the same page. Employees in Maple Ridge enjoy the flexibility of working evenings and at home so they can finish a bit earlier during the day, allowing for family time.
Driven to care
Caryl Longden, Project Manager with the Stays team, enjoys the flow. “It’s up to you to plan your days and your weeks.” She continues, “Everyone pitches in and gets their hands dirty. We share the workload, everybody collaborates.” Timezones haven’t slow this results driven team down, they’ve made the best of their unique team, facilitating 24-hour hackathons which alternate start times from location to location and making frequent visits to Khulna.
Caring for those in their employ has been important from the start. On one of the first visits the founding team made, the goal was to ensure company culture alignment. While it may not be the business norm in Bangladesh, Jensen and Lyotier met with each of their team members one on one to learn what each person valued most, professionally and personally. When they discovered that Bangladeshi people rarely travel further than 15 miles from their home, and that many of their employees had dreams of seeing their country, they promptly arranged a sundarban cruise as a token of appreciation for their hard work.
Working at Left isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life. Encouraging and empowering employees to think differently about situations and solutions, to give back to their families and communities and find creative ways to leave their mark wherever they go, Left has been awarded in Canada and Bangladesh for its forward-thinking approach and great place to work. For the library bursting with books on an array of topics that anyone is free to use, to every employee having veto power over any new hire, to the newly minted “Wall of Strengths” outlining each team member’s core strengths, Lefties know without question who to turn to when there’s a specific skillset or trait they require to help them move forward.
When you visit this office, you’ll be welcomed by inspiring people, proudly telling stories, sharing experiences, and decorating the office with meaningful mementos like kites. When I asked about this, I was treated to a story that synthesizes Left’s ethos: John and a colleague were brainstorming ideas with sticky notes on the wall. Upon standing back, they marveled at how the brainstorm looked like a kite’s tail, reminding them of an old Hawaiian proverb: Don’t ignore the small things — The kite flies because of its tail.
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