Meet the Extraordinary Crew Driving Ngage’s Culture
Through each of our growth spurts, we assess the needs of our clients and work to ensure that every expansion of our team is strategic and purposeful. As CEO, Tobi Lyon has said Ngage creates positions to attain appropriate talent rather than onboarding employees just to fill a space. The intention behind this is to drive our values and deliver crafted solutions and collaborative support to our client organizations. A bonus outcome of hiring in this manner (and at this speed) is it necessitates culture.
As our clients will attest, we work to help groups establish and assess their cultures through best practices, branding, research, and engagement; we monitor effectiveness and implement change over time. While we are extremely proud of this work, we recognize a need to drive our own cultural initiatives and define who Ngage is. We have asked ourselves: Are we people, team, or outcome oriented? Are perks and benefits truly part of culture and, if so, how do we measure them? As we deliberate and consider these questions (among others), our unanimous goal remains: to drive engagement and employee satisfaction. Otherwise, what are we doing?
Call us crazy, but we figured the best people to consult with about employee satisfaction were our employees. As a strategic initiative (and good common sense), Ngage’s Culture Crew was established to help define our purpose and drive the mission through input and perspective. The Crew, which is comprised of 8 team members from various stages of their careers, meet regularly to discuss the integration of people, culture and change throughout the company. The team works collaboratively in a roundtable discussion to drive initiatives around DEI, wellness, volunteering, corporate social responsibility, learning, and spending quality time together. We don’t claim to be experts (yet) on culture – but we know the value of our people and the meaning of their professional lives and purpose. We do spend a third of our lives at work, after all.
To promote a culture that is rooted in respect, curiosity, and awareness, we focus on quality [of life] and our relationships. We work to understand each other and learn about our strengths, participate in activities, and expand our activism and allyship in the community. We exude passion, care and are eager to grow. Culture Crew is always up to something – whether facilitating wellness challenges, organizing staff social outings, or focusing on initiatives that help drive diversity and facilitate introspection, we are committed to honoring who we are so that we can define who we will become.
Meet the Crew:
Zach, Marketing and Analytics Strategist
Culture Crew is an extremely invaluable asset to Ngage Management. Every company generally has grand ideas of what culture should look like, but often lack intentionality and assume the values will eventually just trickle down through employees. The reality of company culture is that it needs to be exercised and asserted regularly to develop and flourish. Our Culture Crew is deliberate in opening the discussion and engaging proactively to drive what is important to us. Having a dedicated time and space for regular culture discussions allows it to move from a distant ideal to a tangible outcome which ultimately drives the company and our purpose within it.
Riley, Creative Designer
When I entered the 9-5 world as a young professional, I did not truly understand what work culture was or how it could and would impact me and the people I worked with. My experience with other companies and Ngage has helped me define culture as the true catalyst to a happy and balanced work life. Our Culture Crew is always looking for ways to build relationships within our company and form stronger bonds among each other that result in a stronger whole. It’s true synergy. Being part of this open forum has also helped my personal development and made me more confident in sharing thoughts and ideas.
Sarah, Event and Membership Specialist
I think most people would agree that company culture can ultimately make or break an organization. It is the difference between a job and a job you enjoy. Ngage has a culture that promotes appreciation, opportunity, relationships, and well-being. As a new member of the Culture Crew, I am happy that the initiatives taken by this group are what make people feel connected to their coworkers. I am excited to continue to work to create an environment where we can share ideas and build initiatives toward growth and engagement and have fun doing it.
Ken, Association Technology Director
One of the most important factors in employee satisfaction is culture. Whether it’s atmosphere, opportunity for advancement, people, or policies – employee happiness is the number one driver of retention. Ngage has done an incredible job putting together a team and atmosphere that we all belong to, and I am proud to have been a part of creating that team. We have challenging jobs, but there is never a moment someone doesn’t step in to help or strategize and that is a culture unlike any other I have experienced. I’m proud of who we are and who we will become!
Jillian, Digital Media Strategist
One of the first things I noticed when I joined #TeamNgage was how incredible the culture was. Beginning in the hiring process and continuing through my onboarding, it is clear that Ngage truly works to ensure every employee is a good cultural fit – in addition to their skillset. As a newer member to the Crew, I have to say that the community we continue to curate is a safe, fun place to craft innovative ideas and bring our team closer together.
Nichole, Chief of Staff
An organization’s culture is one of the most important drivers of success. It affects every aspect of a company and has a profound impact on our most valuable asset – our team members. A positive culture leads to increased employee satisfaction and engagement. Teams who enjoy their work and one another accomplish more and provide enhanced customer service. I am thankful that Ngage intentionally prioritizes a strong culture. Serving on the Culture Crew is fulfilling because of the beneficial impact it has on the day-to-day work for our entire team.
Mariam, Membership Manager
Culture is truly one of my favorite words. It holds so much promise and expectation. It has the power to unite and to divide. All of us come from a different cultural background, which enhances what we bring to the table. A positive work culture is truly the key to any organization’s success, and it is the main reason Ngage is such a unique place to work. Each of our extraordinary team members care so much about contributing to a positive culture that it has become an integral facet of Ngage’s overall success in the industry. Under the leadership of the Culture Crew, maintaining a positive culture has continued to remain a high priority, even with all the recent growth and change our team has experienced. Contributing to the crew’s ideas, goals and plans on behalf of the entire team is so rewarding.
Katelyn, Executive Strategist
To me, culture equals people. I want to look forward to coming to work in the morning and I do because of this team. The work itself is incidental – the authentic relationships we have built through establishing a culture and collaboratively defining it is what motivates me. We have a lot of intentionality in what we are trying to build, and our connections are rooted in genuine care. Look out world!
Jane, Executive Officer
The culture that surrounds our everyday work environment makes a difference in continuing one’s employment. Over the years I’ve worked in different environments none of them truly demonstrating the commitment to culture that Ngage exhibits. Culture is not only a business priority, but it has to come from within each person, and our crew has been exemplary of that. Serving on the Culture Crew has been a great opportunity to contribute to my organization, especially because I live out of state and work fully remote. I get to work with team members I may otherwise not and I get to influence a culture from across state lines! Our culture sets the tone for what we do at #TeamNgage and I am so proud to be a part of it!
