Team Connective Tissue

by | Jul 14, 2017 | Core Values, Training

connective tissue noun; physical or functional supporting tissue; matrix that connects, supports, binds, nurtures, and forms organized structures.

 

WHY CONNECTIVE TISSUE?

Without healthy connective tissue, organisms don’t thrive. Neither do organizations. Organizations, like organisms, support healthy diversity. At Versado, each Learning Producer, Strategist, Programmer, Writer, Editor, Talent Development Specialist, Partner, and Account Director has a unique job to perform. Our connective tissue strategies connect, support, bind, nurture, and form the synergistic organization that is Versado.

A key element of Versado’s organization is ownership of and flexibility regarding where and when we work, balanced with what needs to get done. In addition to working from our Durham office, Versado team members can work from home and focus with fewer interruptions. This provides flexible family time and the most suitable work hours for each team member.

Acknowledging that this flexibility means we are not always together in the same space at the same time, we strive to be intentional and creative in the ways we nurture the connective tissue that keeps our company culture thriving. Our connective tissue strategies have their roots in our core values and each strategy enables us to embody these values. We are constantly honing and evolving these strategies based on creative ideas from the team.

CONNECTIVE TISSUE STRATEGIES

Weekly Team Calls. We start each week with our Team Connect call, an opportunity to connect and share. The components of this successful strategy include:

  • Sharing photos from fun weekend events
  • Switching on the webcam to say hello—bedheads encouraged
  • Enjoying the unique perspective of a different presenter every week
  • Presenting nuggets of interest ranging from conference highlights and project debriefs to best practices for developing and deploying content
  • Engaging virtual team members through screen-share polls, fun quizzes, and brain breaks

Celebrations. We purposefully set aside time to celebrate with one another.

  • Every week we celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, babies, and accomplishments together on team calls or via email
  • Each month we select and celebrate a Versado Values Hero—someone colleagues feel has uniquely embodied our core values during the past month
  • Every quarter we gather to enjoy seasonal celebrations and family fun days

Learning and Service Opportunities. As a training company, Versado enthusiastically embraces a culture of continued learning and service and we set aside time to learn and serve together.

  • VersadoX is our hybrid training model we employ once a month after regular business hours to hone our virtual and live training skills and to perfect our soft skills as an internal team; we keep these sessions fun by including games, food, interactivity, and small group breakouts.
  • Friday Fun Days are optional virtual lunch and learn sessions held from our home offices and focused on internal training initiatives
  • Service Projects are a unique way to learn and grow together as we share and embody our core values while offering our services within the community or to organizations abroad

Monthly Newsletters. We revitalize our connective tissue each month through a monthly newsletter that includes:

  • Exciting happenings from areas of practice throughout the company
  • Fun facts and trivia about our industry
  • Work tips to save you time
  • Ways to save money
  • Fun activities taking place in our communities
  • Personal and office photos