Culture Quartet: 4 Steps to Unify Your Company

A year ago, Digitaria absorbed a digital company in Minneapolis to help us expand our skill sets and our Midwest presence. The agency was already a good business, but we wanted them to think more like entrepreneurs and broaden their offerings to better service the regional marketplace.

When Digitaria first discussed this transaction as a management team, we had reservations. Our biggest concern was culture. We believed their culture needed to change, and the company we absorbed was very much not accustomed to change -- especially the rate at which change happens at Digitaria.

Going into the transition, we felt if we just left them alone, kept things as-is, we would never be one company. Knowing we’ve built a strong culture at Digitaria – we call ourselves Digitarians, like citizens of a private nation -- this transition would be crucial to the future of both offices. If we could figure out how to blend these two very different cultures together, we would be able to advance the scale of the company.

It’s one year into the transition and there have been some bumps along the way, but the transition has worked. Here’s why, and the role culture played to make it happen.

1) Digitaria’s core culture is focused around empowerment. By treating all Digitarians as adults with easy access to C-level management, we believe they will take ownership and seek out ways to improve not only themselves, but also the company as a whole. This is true in our Minneapolis office. The team has taken ownership; they care, and therefore want and feel like they can make changes.

2) Digitaria has created the right work environment. The Digitarians in Minneapolis shifted from a very quiet cubicle environment and now have an open floor plan. The same person who designed our San Diego headquarters designed this office as well; now, regardless of which office clients or employees go to, they feel comfortable. An open environment for an agency is critical; it has made a huge impact on the energy and collaboration.

3) We can make the tough decisions. The most difficult part of two companies coming together is putting the right team in place. The team needs to be able to maintain the culture while bettering the business. I am a huge believer that bringing the right people together and putting them in the right environment is critical to success. It is never easy and it is personal, but in the end, you need to be decisive and make bets. Watching our team today, clearly, we have put the right team in place. They work together to solve tough problems and will drive this company into the future.

4) Give a damn about people and they will give a damn back – When we made this deal, I can only imagine what they thought about me and the executive team from Southern California: arrogant and cocky. But in reality, we are learning from them. They are making us a better company and helping Digitaria’s culture evolve. They are bringing skill sets we never had before and they are further representing what it means to be a Digitarian. For the second summer in a row, I relocated to Minneapolis, and have gotten to know the team. I think that is critical. If you are going to war, you want to know who you will be fighting beside you.

In conclusion, I was reminded that culture is not something you can bottle. It can’t be found in a manual, it cannot be artificially created. It has got to be real. Culture is everything, it is about caring, empowering others, being respectful, and most importantly, supportive in a time of change.