Take a look behind the scenes at Zenfulfillment and explore our company culture with us.
Many companies say they see themselves as a family. But we see some real risks and weaknesses in that. For one, family-like dynamics tend to tolerate the weaknesses or flaws of individual members; for another, the family construct isn't built for a competitive market. We see ourselves as a professional team that wants to play at the highest level.
That means we give each other constructive feedback, deploy each team member according to their skills and talents, try to bring out the best in every person, and work together to succeed as a team.
The cornerstones of this philosophy are recurring rituals and principles that give us the foundation to manage and deploy our resources as effectively as possible.
Our values are #CustomerWOW, #Teamspirit, #Initiative, #Focus, and #Innovation.
Before we start a new project, set up campaigns, or develop initiatives, we vet those activities against our company values. Together with our vision, they serve as a kind of north star that we align our work to. With so many options and decisions on the table, this helps us choose the strategically right path.
OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) are the foundation of how we work together. Clearly defined, measurable goals give us the focus we need to work on what really matters. Day-to-day, there's no shortage of distractions and topics that feel urgent but, in the bigger picture, aren't important — or don't align with our goals or values.
Every quarter, we set very specific goals and metrics that measure whether each goal has been hit. Every department (software development, engineering, product, sales, marketing, finance, etc.) sets its own OKRs based on the company goals, feeding into them. Every individual on the team is responsible for hitting their own goals.
Every two weeks, each team reports on the progress of their objectives and key results. That helps us regularly refocus on what matters, unblock anything getting in the way of progress, and celebrate wins together.
As we keep growing, it becomes even more important to clearly communicate the vision and updates across different parts of the company. Once a month, we all gather at our Berlin headquarters for our all-hands meeting. We highlight the Zenfulfillment vision and our mid-term goals, introduce new team members, and share relevant news. We also use the chance to celebrate wins. Afterwards, we get together for a shared meal and after-work drinks in the evening.
In a team setup with flat hierarchies, autonomous work, and clear ownership, trust is the most important foundation for collaboration.
That's why it's so important that we don't just work toward company goals together — we share other activities and experiences too. That strengthens team dynamics on one hand, and gives everyone the chance to get to know their colleagues better and build more trust within the team on the other.
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