Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Dragana Živković, Office Manager, Direct Media Serbia
Peter Drucker once said that organizational culture eats business strategy for breakfast, and we witnessed it in the examples of many successful companies whose internal climate changed for various reasons, and they irrevocably plummeted. Simultaneously, there are shining examples of those who have resisted market and internal turbulence, and stayed true to their culture. They remained at the top by living the intangible set of values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors, packaged under the umbrella of the company’s mission and vision, and reshaping them and upgrading when it was necessary, because the company culture is a living thing. It’s something that must be cared for.
Organizational culture in Direct Media System was like a family from the very start, which is not surprising since the agency was created as a small company which numbered only a few employees. The family is the basis of everything. That’s from where you build. And if you really make an effort to keep the family together, you realize its needs, you do your best to do what’s best for the welfare of your ‘family members’ and the community, and then you don’t need to worry.
When I say family, I first of all mean the sense of belonging and trust. I remember my first day in Direct Media and the colleague who made an effort to explain to me “how this all works” and how and in what way I will become part of the modus operandi. Then followed the instructions: “no T-V distinction, no high tone in the halls, you can come to work until half past nine, but when the work is on, it’s on, you have an hour break … Everything here is based on trust…”
As someone who had worked in large corporations before that, I could not imagine how it is to work in a small company like the Direct Media was back then. Then it all became my everyday life for the last nine years: a smile from early morning when you are greeted by colleagues, “my friends”, a smile over Daca’s coffee, a smile when you get an email invitation to have the tenth cake this week, because once again there’s a birthday or a new baby at the firm … Every day. Simple, nice and sincere.
The interesting thing is that the core of such corporate culture has been maintained by the system even fifteen years later, as it grew and spread to eight countries. This year we hired new, young people and the only difference is that the core values of the system, underlying our culture, today they can learn through experience (and many anecdotes J) of the senior colleagues – us. They also learn the ins-and-outs of this system from the Code of Ethics of the company. Those who know how to read (and who know how to read between the lines), will realize that the corporate culture of Direct Media System is devoid of stiffness in relationships, but is also devoid of deviation from the standard of quality of work, procedures, ethical norms and rules. Things are relaxed here, but the results are measured in millimeters. Here we insist on work for the client and for the company, but you better work on yourself as well, for your own sake in the first place. Working for others, through volunteerism and contribution to the community? If you haven’t done it before, maybe it’s time to start it with us…
And on top of it all there’s trust. Even today I think from time to time how little is needed to give in order to be a part of a whole. The trust is enough for start. We trust in each other and help each other, and we confide in each other when things aren’t going as they should, same as we rejoice together when we are great. We live our culture and maintain it. Regardless of the fact that most of us don’t substantially change during our lifetimes, circumstances do change, and we grow with them, cherishing what we are – a family that is moving forward decisively and without hesitation.