MEMBER PERSPECTIVES
CONTINUED
Communicate and Flex
At Anatomie , a luxury apparel brand based in Miami , CEO Kate Boyer spent the early days of the pandemic scrambling to keep the company alive . The sudden loss of nearly all the brand ’ s wholesale business led to drastic , difficult staffing cuts , and morale among the remaining employees could have easily bottomed out . In the face of these challenges , Boyer relied on her governing belief that the same transparency and open communication practices that had created a culture of trust at the company would be more critical than ever . “ I think that some companies tried to hide the bad stuff last year , and I was very open about everything ,” Boyer says . “ I explained to them that we need to reduce payroll for this time , for this reason , and that they ’ d get it back . Being open and transparent about the good and bad is good for the culture . Wouldn ’ t you rather deal with it and know what ’ s going on versus not being told ? Part of our culture is that problems can be talked about together .”
Not only does this spirit of honesty improve workplace culture in Boyer ’ s view , it also gives her team the confidence to be honest in return — about their work , yes , but also about how their lives outside of Anatomie impact how , where and when their work gets done . During the pandemic , Boyer quickly recognized that responding flexibly to her employees ’ shifting needs was as important as communicating transparently with them . A one-sizefits-all approach simply doesn ’ t make sense to her when
“ You really need to nurture your team , if you want them to stay with you .”
— CATHERINE DAVALLE , Acqualina Resort and Residences on the Beach
Collaboration is key for the team at Acqualina Spa , where employees are always involved in the development of new treatments .
every employee is facing a different ( and evolving , in many cases ) set of demands in their day-to-day lives . “ I think you have to embed flexibility into the company culture . It ’ s okay if your kid is stuck on Zoom and you can ’ t make it to work . If somebody is sick or they have somebody in the hospital , you can ’ t say , ‘ You can ’ t come to work for a week ? You ’ re fired ,” says Boyer .
Of course , every leader has to decide exactly how flexible they can be with regard to things like employee schedules , and Boyer points out that flexibility is far easier to embrace when employees and their managers have established a high level of trust . Honest communication can help create that trust , as can showing faith in team members by resisting any temptation there might be to insert yourself into their work unnecessarily . “ You can ’ t micromanage people through a crisis . There ’ s only so much handholding you can do ,” says Boyer . By trusting the team to do the work they were hired to do ( while also providing support when it truly is needed ), leaders can instill confidence in their employees and give them room for growth — a key factor in retaining good workers .
A Collaborative Experience
Honest communication and trust are essential to building a strong culture , agrees Catherine Davalle , spa director at Acqualina Resort and Residences on the Beach . For Davalle , establishing a culture where honesty and trust are truly valued begins with making sure employees feel
40 PULSE ■ AUGUST 2021