Why diversity and trust are key to creating highperformance culture
Anca Condrea , Director , The Up Group
Boukje Taphoorn , Chief Marketing Officer , bol . com
What impact does diversity have on performance culture and how can brands effectively speak up on social issues ? Anca Condrea , Director at The Up Group , caught up with Boukje Taphoorn , Chief Marketing Officer at retailer bol . com and 2021 Dutch Marketer of the Year , to find out .
What are the top three attributes of a marketing leader ?
A marketing leader needs to obsess over customer experience . I am not a detail-orientated person but when I see even a tiny part wrong in the customer journey , I have to get involved and ask questions . I am deeply convinced that there is no such thing as a small issue , because it all contributes and eventually leads to a negative view of the brand . For that reason , marketers should not just be responsible for brand campaigns , but also take ownership of the entire customer journey .
Second is curiosity . You should be open to the outside world and be curious about new experiences , new brands and new technology . Your customers will be confronted with it and raise their expectations accordingly , so marketers need to be aware of the trends happening around them .
Third , a great marketing leader should love to work with a combination of data , creativity and technology . That is where the magic happens so having an interest in – or ideally , a love for – all three is a necessity .
Why does diversity matter ? Have you seen tangible business impact from increasing diversity ?
There is so much research that proves that diverse teams are more successful . At bol . com , we have 12.5 million customers , so if , as a company , we only represent one type of person , it is not going to work . Having a diverse team is a better reflection of our customers and our society .
I also think that ideas are much richer if you have a diverse team . I saw this in action when I worked at Wieden + Kennedy . We had 150 nationalities working there and I was the only Dutch person in the Amsterdam office . It meant we created much richer global campaigns as we could draw on all those nationalities .
It also helps to set an example for those that do not fit the ‘ cookie-cutter mould ’ that we often see in boardrooms . All the director positions in my team are held by women as they were the best people for the job . By representing a more diverse team , it highlights the opportunities available to different types of people and ultimately benefits the business by having a broader talent pool .
All the director positions in my team are held by women as they were the best people for the job
How can leaders prioritise D & I in their teams ?
It may not be a popular opinion , but I firmly believe there should be quotas and measurable targets when hiring . I understand the counter-argument of people thinking you have got the job simply because you are a woman and have felt it myself , but I think we ’ re going too slow if we don ’ t set targets .
If advisory boards become more diverse , I believe that would reduce employment bias , because people are prone to hiring people that look like them . By having quotas now , it helps to create fair choices with more equally balanced teams . I also encourage everyone to say “ no ” to featuring on panels where diversity has not been considered or has been an afterthought .
What leadership lessons have you learned over the past year ?
The past year hasn ’ t changed , but has rather reinforced , my leadership style of focusing on people . I believe it ’ s my role to gather the best people and to give them the resources they need to do a good job . At the start of the pandemic , I put almost all work topics to the side and concentrated on how my employees were coping personally . If people know they have your trust and you provide them with an environment to flourish , that gives them the confidence to do a good job .
How do you create a high-performance culture ?
The first step is to have clarity on what you need to do as a team . I have a great example that I learned in my current role while at a team away day . I was asked to create a ‘ New Leader ’ s Speech ’ which outlined my vision , rules and what was important to me .
Initially , I felt uncomfortable as it seemed hierarchical , but it was a great exercise in providing clarity on where we were going as a team , how we could work together and what level of detail was expected .
I am proud to say that I have a high-performing team and I value members immensely . One of the things that helped create that was my belief in hiring authentic people who want to perform for the benefit of the team . To get a high-performing environment , people need to trust each other . If it becomes clear that someone is only in it for their own gain , that trust disappears and overall performance decreases . Building a team on trust and finding those authentic people is so important .
At the beginning of the pandemic , I put almost all work topics to the side and concentrated on how my employees were coping personally
Finally , it ’ s important to take a step back and let the people in your team flourish . I often advise hiring people who are smarter than you , but it takes self-confidence to do that . A leader ’ s role is to hire and support people to deliver their goals .
Brands are increasingly speaking up on social issues . How do you approach that ?
From an outside perspective , it wasn ’ t very clear what bol . com stood for . I had previously spent lots of time working with brands on finding their voice and I firmly believe that you need to have a point of view or opinion , which is often related to big social issues . So , the first thing I did was define our voice so we could take a stand on certain issues and formulate ambitions .
For example , in the Netherlands , there is the tradition of ‘ Zwarte Piet ’ ( Black Pete ), which has been a topic of debate in recent years . Our slogan is “ the shop of all of us ” and for that to happen we need to be inclusive , so we put a ban on selling any black-faced articles , images or toys . Part of the Dutch population exploded with negative reviews , but our social team responded exactly how you would expect a brand with a voice to do so – we were very sharp , aligned with our brand tone of voice and stood our ground on our point of view .
It also helped us to think more about the role we want to play in society . As we started as a bookstore , education is at the core of what we do . We zoomed in on supporting children because it fits with our brand , and launched a foundation to help support equal education rights for all children . Brands need to have a focus on what they are going to support , and the reason behind it .