Here’s a little secret…I like weirdos. For me, I think everyone has a little bit of weird in them. I like to call this being your true, authentic self.
I remember a time when I was just starting out in the digital marketing world. Whenever I had to go into a meeting for a Fortune 500 client I felt so intimidated. I was intimidated by the name and status of the company whose projects I was working on, but I soon realized that sitting around the meeting table with me were just regular people, doing their jobs. Just like me.
Each person around the table suffered at times from the same nervousness, dealt with the same day-to-day minor annoyances, and had a life outside of the office. Each one is a unique and interesting person in their own right. And I probably had more in common with them than I had originally imagined. Understanding that all businesses are made up of people who are just trying to do their jobs was one of the most important things I have learned in business.
“Great minds might think alike, but diverse minds bring forward great innovation and creativity.”
I believe the best corporate cultures are those that allow people to bring their true, authentic selves to the forefront at work. Maybe they are introverts, maybe extroverts, maybe somewhere in between, who really cares? All that matters is that the company’s culture cherishes people for their uniqueness and talents.
Great minds may think alike, but diverse minds bring forward great innovation and creativity. And don’t be fooled into thinking that developers are not creative. I guarantee you that development requires high-levels of creativity, innovation, thinking around corners and yes, perhaps, a healthy dose of weirdo. (Why do you think I married a developer?)
Throughout my professional career I’ve often thought of the children’s holiday programme “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Remember that oldie-but-goodie? In the show there is a place called the Island of Misfit Toys. It is a place where Santa sent all the toys that had slight imperfections which stopped them from being given to a child at Christmas. But this island was a place of magic. Where perfectly imperfect things were, together, able to achieve heights they could not reach individually.
This is the type of company we strive to achieve at Ike. A place where you are welcomed to be your perfectly, imperfect self. A supportive, high-achieving, 100% no-assholes-allowed culture. Chock full of real, authentic, nice people. Working with real, authentic, nice clients.
We are Ike. And we like it this way. You will too.
Find out more about us, and our Rules of Client Service.
