The Slack Channel That Changed Our Culture for the Better

High-performing teams are built on trust, and trust requires vulnerability and revealing more of oursevles.

During my time as CEO of Acceleration Partners (AP), the goal was to foster a bottom-up culture in which teams feel empowered to help shape our organization.

In fact, our first company core value is "Own It."

One of the best examples of this was when one of our employees created a Slack channel called #WhatMadeYourWeek and shared this simple note:

Happy Friday!!! What made your week? Did your kid say their first word or score a goal in a soccer game? Did you go on your dream vacation? Did you sign up for a marathon? Complete a life-long goal? Big or small, share it with us! Pictures are not required but highly encouraged!

The first reply was from an employee who shared that she had been accepted to participate in the Boston Marathon.

From there, the posts kept coming, and the channel has been a key fixture in our culture ever since. It's now our most popular Slack channel by far more than five years later.

Here's what made it work.

It's organic and authentic.  

#WhatMadeYourWeek was not a top-down mandate; it was an idea that came from one of our employees. Participation was--and still is--completely optional, and the content is user-generated.

What's even better is that the organic nature of the channel makes it both genuine and fun to read. It's also become a great way to learn more about colleagues as well as to share in each other's joys and accomplishments.

It encourages vulnerability and engagement. 

Since the inception of the channel, employees have freely shared all sorts of insights into their lives and interests.

They share pet pictures, kid videos, and stories about volunteer work. Recent topics range from posts about cheering for a favorite NHL team, struggling with postpartum anxiety, and enjoying a heartwarming reunion with a former teacher.

This channel has helped us build a sense of community throughout the company because it encourages employees to get to know each other in a way that's really not possible in more professionally focused channels. These personal touches, too often missing in our day-to-day interactions, cement the kinds of relationships we all rely on--at work as well as in our personal lives.

High-performing teams are built on trust, and trust requires vulnerability and revealing more of our true selves to others.

Therefore, it might be worth asking your employees: #WhatMadeYourWeek?

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