ZAPPOS CULTURE
# 4 - Be Adventurous , Creative , and Open-Minded
If people aren ’ t making mistakes , it means they ’ re not taking enough risks . Zapponians are expected to be bold and take risks every day . They ’ re encouraged to make mistakes as long as they learn from them , and they ’ re given the freedom to come up with creative solutions . Unconventional solutions allow the company to rise above and stay ahead of the competition .
# 5 - Pursue Growth and Learning
At Zappos , employees are always growing and learning . They ’ re encouraged to stretch themselves to unlock their full potential . This conditions them to take on new challenges and to help the company break new ground , continue to grow , and become the most popular online shoe store .
# 6 - Build Open and Honest Relationships with Communication
Openness and honesty lead to trust and faith in the company and in each other . Strong relationships enable Zappos to accomplish more because everyone feels valued , seen , and heard from a place of authenticity .
# 7 - Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
This value speaks volumes about the culture at Zappos because it identifies the team as a family . The company recognizes that often the best ideas come from the bottom up , so they implement Hsieh ’ s idea of “ holacracy ” or a flat work hierarchy that eliminates assigned roles and increases flexibility . This makes everyone on the team feel equal and encourages each employee to take ownership of challenges the company is facing .
# 8 - Do More with Less
Like Tulip , the team at Zappos is always trying to find better ways to do more with less and using mistakes as learning opportunities . They actively set out to exceed their own high standards , raising the bar for both competitors and themselves .
# 9 - Be Passionate and Determined
Zappos values passion , determination , perseverance , and a sense of urgency . Zapponians are inspired because they believe in what they are doing and where they are going . They are excited because each team member has a tremendous impact on the work the company is doing as a whole and that inspires the positive and optimistic attitude you ’ ll find in every Zappos employee .
# 10 - Be Humble
While they always celebrate team accomplishments , Zapponians carry themselves with a quiet confidence because they believe , in the long run , their character will speak for itself .
HOW ZAPPOS TEACHES CORE VALUES
Zappos has a dedicated team to train employees in each core value . This means that each employee receives the same message and learns consistent behavior to live values out in their everyday work .
If you are hired by Zappos , you can expect to spend your first three to four weeks in the call center . This teaches new employees how to respond to customer needs and introduces them to the soul of the business and the essentials of delivering happiness , which is the heart of the business model .
Unhappy employees are paid from $ 2,000 to $ 3,000 to quit because it ’ s important to Zappos that employees want to be there . The initiative called “ Pay to Quit ” is designed to weed out employees that aren ’ t in alignment with the Zappos culture . Ultimately , this improves team morale and productivity because everyone knows their teammates value their position and are committed to the same values .
TRANSFORM YOUR TEAM WITH TULIP
In 2009 , Hsieh sold Zappos to Amazon for $ 1.2 billion . The immense value was derived from the tremendous culture he had cultivated in the company . A strong culture has enabled our own company to grow exponentially in the last two years , and we are eager to help our Client-Partners see the same results .
When you commit to a marketing strategy with Tulip Media Group , you ’ ll be privy to new ideas for improving the team culture in your company as well . We know from experience this drives sales and is essential to securing word-of-mouth referrals . If you ’ re interested in learning more , book a demo with us online at TulipMediaGroup . com to get started .
Erika MacLeod is the Managing Editor at Tulip Media Group and best-selling author of The Ultimate Culture . With over 15 years of organizational experience , Erika works closely with Client-Partners and is Tulip ' s liason with their renowned national contributors . Erika ' s first book , co-authored with Stacey O ' Brien , is available on Amazon : tm . media / ultimateculture
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