Summary
At Wizeline, our success is based on hiring high quality talent and providing an exceptional experience that enables this talent to thrive, reach their greatest potential and deliver outstanding value to our clients.
Our unique culture serves as the North Star for this talent experience. So, in order to stay true to our culture when crafting our plan for increasing in-office attendance, we realized that we had to move beyond the parameters set by other companies and away from any one-size-fits-all model.
With this in mind, we have created We Are Supercharged, a dynamic new initiative designed to advance our vibrant culture and create excitement and purpose by focusing on the collective energy or “supercharge” that comes from being in-person together.
The Power of “Why”: Reconnecting with Culture
We Are Supercharged goes beyond simply encouraging people to return to the office. It’s about fostering an environment and starting a movement to energize and inspire our talent. We believe that by immersing ourselves in the energy and camaraderie of being together, we unlock the full potential of our culture, promoting the kind of inclusivity, opportunity and continuous growth that is vital to furthering this culture. This approach reflects our values of community, innovation ownership and further differentiates us in the market with both talent and with clients. When we come together in person, these values take on a new dimension, with increased collaboration and a shared purpose that deepen our sense of belonging, and lead to creative insights that drive business objectives. We Are Supercharged is not just about getting Wizeliners back in the office. In fact, this initiative touches our remote employees as well by emphasizing the importance of connecting with the unique culture that sets Wizeline apart.
We Are Supercharged is a powerful testament to Wizeline’s commitment to its origin story and core values. Pauline Brown, former chairman of North America for luxury goods company LVMH and author of the book Aesthetic Intelligence: How To Use It In Business and Beyond, elegantly explains in her book and in an article for HBR that in addition to traditional and emotional intelligence, great leaders also need to develop aesthetic intelligence. Brown is referring to knowing and thinking about how to delight stakeholders by providing a human experience that lifts them in ways that are authentic, unique and aspirational. It starts with a value system that reflects the vision of the founder and flows throughout the organization in a powerful and consistent way. Her argument is that in a crowded and noisy marketplace, it’s this kind of ‘AI’ that truly sets companies apart.
This concept of an “aesthetically intelligent organization” perfectly encapsulates the Wizeline culture. It emphasizes staying true to our aspirations, value system, and the vision laid out by Bismarck Lepe, Wizeline’s founder. This dedication to authenticity is what differentiates truly great brands like LVMH, Nike, Disney, and Starbucks – brands that remain deeply connected to the spirit of their founders.
A Movement, Not a Mandate: Empowering Leaders and Influencers
We Are Supercharged isn’t a top-down mandate. Instead, it’s a grassroots movement. We understand that the power of cultural change lies in its organic adoption. That’s why we’re focusing on engaging leaders and influencers within our organization – those who play a crucial role in modeling desired behaviors and championing the benefits of in-office engagement.
This approach aligns nicely with the principles outlined by IDEO’s Bryan Walker and Stanford Dean Sarah Soule in a Harvard Business Review article that highlights the importance of prioritizing talent-driven movements over mandated changes to cultivate lasting cultural shifts.
We Are Supercharged embodies this spirit by reconnecting us with our original vision and values and fostering an environment that reflects our commitment to talent. Wizeline could have taken an easier route and simply mandated a return to the office. Instead, we have chosen a different path, one that reflects an understanding of what truly works for our talent and distinguishes our company.
A Talent-First Approach: Resources, Support, Amplification & Reinforcement
We recognize that creating a thriving office environment requires more than just an invitation. We’ve empowered leaders and influencers with the resources and support needed to achieve our office attendance goals. This includes a number of in-office events like professional tech talks and cooking demonstrations, training for leaders in how to plan events for their teams, various office improvements, and special benefits for those who actively participate in the program, including assigned parking spaces and participation in office menu selection. These initiatives make talent feel welcome and engaged and are designed to build meaning around in-office experiences, while also providing opportunities for spontaneous interactions that can spark creativity.
And we continue to build the movement by amplifying these initiatives and by implementing a communication campaign that disseminates critical information. Our campaign emphasizes both the importance of flexibility and autonomy, and the reality that face to face connections deepen our personal connections, lead to creative insights and help drive business objectives.
Co-Creation: Building a Program With and For Our Talent
One of the core strengths of We Are Supercharged is its collaborative foundation. The program was developed hand-in-hand with a diverse group of Wizeliners representing different geographies and functions. This co-creation process ensures that we have essential buy-in for the program and that it resonates with our talent, addresses their needs, and is set up for success from the start.
We Are Supercharged is more than just an idea or a rallying cry; it’s a commitment. It’s a commitment to our culture, to our talent, and to fostering an environment where our talent can thrive, grow and bring their best selves to Wizeline’s ongoing success.
