Business
Sarah Rice
11
24:11
Handbook
Sarah Rice is the Chief People Officer at Skynamo. Passionate about people and culture, she unpacks her recipe for building a healthy company culture.
Sarah Rice Teaches
Culture is the pulse of your business. It sets your business apart and is what attracts the right kind of people to your business. It can also be toxic and serve little to no purpose for what you want to achieve as a business.
As a founder, you are not only the basis of that culture, you also have to be deliberate about how you go about creating a culture for your company. Sarah Rice reveals the makings of a healthy company culture.
Culture and Teams
See moreEp 1: How Did You Become So Passionate About Culture?
Sarah was highly inspired by Christo Davel, whom she worked with at 22seven.
He purposefully created a very unique culture for his company that then Sarah hoped to emulate one day.
A book on Steve Jobs also influenced her outlook on culture.
Ep 2: What Does Culture Mean?
Sarah believes culture is the heartbeat of a business.
It is born out of the dynamic between the founder and the first employees.
The founder though is the blueprint for every business' culture.
Ep 3: How Can Businesses Foster A Strong Culture In Remote Working Environments?
Remote working has been especially challenging for businesses with a culture based on being in a space together.
Sarah's company is one such business - pre-COVID the team worked in close proximity.
She's had to come up with new ways of making remote work fun as that is a key element of her culture.
Ep 4: How Important Are Well-Defined Values To A Great Culture?
Your culture is a reflection of what your company truly values.
While culture is based on values, it is displayed through the behaviours of your business.
A big part of Sarah's company values is humility and it's clearly displayed by the behaviours of her team.
Ep 5: What Is A 'Kak' Culture?
It's important to understand that a culture being unpopular does not make it kak.
Truly kak cultures are toxic and serve no purpose for the business.
Driving your employees to burnout is one culture that Sarah completely abhors.
Ep 6: Can You Explain Why Culture In Startups Does Not Mean #StartupCulture?
#StartupCulture is sort of your stereotypical modern office.
A gimmicky tech startup office comes to mind - foosball, beer, pizza, coding.
Sarah thinks this sort of culture is unrealistic and likely a PR gimmick.
Ep 7: What Are Some Great Examples Of Great Culture?
Netflix's culture is the current shining example.
Sarah is a huge fan and recommends Patty McCord and Reed Hastings' books.
Be wary of trying to copy and paste that culture to your own company - it's not one size fits all.
Ep 8: Is Culture Driven By The Company Founders?
Culture is absolutely driven by the founders.
It reflects who the founders are and how they present themselves within the workspace.
Employees literally follow the leader when it comes to the behaviours that ultimately shape culture.
Ep 9: How Does One Scale Culture?
Sarah believes culture can be scaled in two ways.
The first is to create rituals and habits for your employees that bring them together.
The second is to use storytelling to impart and entrench your company values with new and existing employees.
Ep 10: How Can A Business Codify Its Culture?
As the founder, you are the basis of the culture so start by taking an honest look at yourself.
Know the kind of stories that are being told within your business - are you proud of them?
Speak about your values in the language of your business - don't be formal where there's no need.
Ep 11: What is Your Secret Ingredient?
Sarah Rice shares her secret ingredient.