Company cultures making you feel home

by Sidsel Lindsø, CEO of ExploCrowd

Have you ever walked into an office building, perhaps a meeting room, and you could almost feel the hostile environment? Have you been in meetings where the main target of some people was to find weaknesses by the presenter that could be attacked?

And have you joined a group of people or visited a company where you just ‘felt good’ to be there and be part of it? 

I have. Both.

It’s about company culture, and how we among ourselves create the structures, norms, the values that form the basis for the company and the mindset of the people in the organisation. We are all culture builders in how we act and work together as a team, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the people at the helm to set the direction of the company. 

Not everyone is conscious about how much company culture is impacting their everyday work lives, and it can be really challenging for especially young graduates to dechiffre how things actually work in a workplace. It is not something we geoscientists learn at the universities, but it is more a valuable skill that we acquire through learning by doing, through working in different organisations and cultures. Here, I think that we who are more experienced have an obligation to fasttrack the younger generations within this field.

What I find really fascinating is how powerful an organisation that moves in the same direction can be, when all stand together and have the back of each other. And I find it fascinating how you can be with a team of people that you barely know - and feel safe. I have felt this famous psychological safety with new people numerous times, but there are two companies that I would like to highlight for this occasion: our friends in Eliis, our friends in Qeye and our friends in DUG Insight.

For both companies there is something about the positive atmosphere and the ‘lets figure this out together’ attitude. But it is much more than that, and you feel at home amongst these people. If you are at the EAGE conference in Amsterdam right now, you can test it out for yourself by visiting their booths: just hang out, observe and feel the atmosphere. Kudos goes to to Sébastien Lacaze and his team in Eliis, Anders Bruun and his team in Qeye and Matt Lamont in DUG and his team as culture builders.

I think and hope that the future younger generations will be much more conscious about the competitive element of company cultures in the future - about selecting the employer and a culture that is right for them and their personal development. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced many to rethink their work and life situations, and many people will find new places to work. 

Fundamentally, I believe that company cultures can impact the bottom line, both positively and negatively.

With a rising oil demand there will likely be competition for the brightest minds that can thrive and come up with the creative ideas we need to live from in the future. This is where the competitive edge of company cultures can come into play if you work consciously with it.

God arbejdslyst!

// Sidsel