A healthy, vibrant and supportive culture can be a tremendous asset to a firm of any size—serving as a magnet for both talent and new clients. But an exclusionary culture can begin to force out talented individuals, leading to the organization’s inevitable decline.
Too many big firms are unwittingly following this path, driving away good people who:
- Have reached an age where they seemingly don’t fit in with the younger, fast-chargers—their wealth of experience and wisdom is increasingly unappreciated and disrespected
- No longer want to be forced to sacrifice their health and/or family from stresses and requirements put on them from the “leaders” of their organizations
- Don’t agree with de rigeur political positions on social issues, increasingly feeling silenced and unwelcome
People who have been quite successful in their careers are being marginalized because they no longer fit in at firms that may talk a good game about inclusive values but in reality are pushing away good, talented people because of these differences.
In a professional world that has rapidly moved to embrace remote working during the pandemic, leaders should be working diligently to reinforce behaviors that promote and strengthen teamwork, collaboration and an “other focus” in which colleagues have each other’s backs—instead of making some people feel they have a target on their back.
This is the first in an ongoing series of posts about culture—healthy and unhealthy—and how firms like Virtas Partners can accelerate growth by becoming a safe haven, where good and talented people can prosper and realize their professional and personal goals. We look forward to this important conversation and welcome your thoughts and perspective.
–Tim Czmiel and Neal McNamara, co-founders of Virtas Partners