The Culture Day and value definition process was successful in turning Makery’s previously sensed but not verbally expressed culture into something more tangible. By the end of the process, the team had clearly defined values, vision, mission and aims for the organization.
In addition to the tangible outcomes of the project, the process gave an opportunity for team members to feel involved and connect to the culture even more. The Culture Day was a chance for newcomers to get an intense understanding of how people do things as Makers, and they could hear old stories and the meaning behind a few catchphrases and "insider jokes".
The stories and insights we gathered during the Culture Day created a solid base for the rebranding process.
Even though the journey of Makery took another turn, my favourite story about the impact of our collaboration came a couple months after we finished this collaboration. I was invited by the team to be a speaker at their onsite event with TIER, where I could finally meet some of the team members in person too. As we had a chat, one of the founders recalled how the outcomes of the culture definition process were a piece of the puzzle when they made a decision about the acquisition.
It turned out that TIER was going through a similar value definition process at the same time. When they took a look at the values of both companies, they saw that they basically overlapped.
Among the many aspects one has to consider when making a decision about such a life-changing event in the history of a company, the results of our culture and values definition work could serve as an extra reassurance.