Building a Culture of Collaborative Teamwork
Collaborative teamwork helps EILEEN FISHER thrive both culturally and financially.
How would you define the company culture at EILEEN FISHER? The EF culture is rooted in collaboration. Just as our clothes express a system of interdependence, always evolving, so do we as a community. Our company mission captures the essence of our culture: To inspire simplicity, creativity and delight through connection and great design. Our foundation is built on values intuitively wove into the company from the very beginning: Individual growth and well-being; collaboration and teamwork; joyful atmosphere; and, social consciousness. We honor openness, constant learning, and a shared experience of holding the work. Our mantra— together, we are greater than the sum of our parts.
What does it take to build a distinct company culture? Nurturing a healthy collective identity is a cultural hallmark for us. Our purpose and values are held close by everyone. When asked recently if it is challenging to hold onto our culture as we grow, our chief
Eileen Fisher, the creative genius behind the fashion retail brand eponymously named after her, is the driving force behind the clothing company’ s distinct EILEEN FISHER( EF) culture of“ collaborative teamwork.”
She embodies and emanates the company values, and has a magical way of bringing people together around a big vision. The designer and entrepreneur supports the organization to think of themselves as a collective; she sometimes likens it to Bauhaus because it’ s about how the whole community comes together.
Here, she defines the elements that make the company and brand culture distinct as well as shares best practices that help weave the EF culture into the team’ s system so that it becomes simple, natural and intuitive.
culture officer, Susan Schor, responded that it is exactly the opposite— the more people we welcome, the more we’ re able to share and grow the culture across the company. Hiring for culture fit is vital and we often prioritize that over specific kinds of experience or expertise.
How are leaders in your team setting the example of living the elements of your company culture on a daily basis? Leaders set the tone in every organization. People look up to leaders to provide context around the direction that a company is moving. We have a collaborative model of leadership and, rather than a more traditional approach, we’ ve designed a leadership system comprised of several cluster teams who facilitate key aspects of the work— from financial management to business, creative and cultural initiatives. A good example is our Leadership Forum, a group of 23 leaders representing major areas that spend a full day together every third week [ of the month ] to share highlights from their worlds and engage in important discussions that move us forward.
The group is a“ forum” rather than a“ team” as guests from various parts of the company participate— being porous and open is a strong value. Facilitating is a central principle for leadership at EF. Gathering the people closest to the work and thinking through the possibilities to solve a challenge or enhance an opportunity is our path.
We have a set of Leadership Practices we embrace: Communicate our vision; keep it simple; inspire creativity; team with people; engage people; communicate openly; tell the truth; nurture growth in others; nurture growth in yourself; and, create a joyful atmosphere. In support of our commitment to openness and con-
44 PULSE ■ August 2011