This presentation was first given at Catersource / Event Solutions 2016 and discusses how a company of any size can build it's culture by using some of the things we've learned at Social Tables along the way.

1. Culture Trumps Strategy
Dan Berger
Founder and CEO
Social Tables
March 2016
How to inspire hospitality in your business

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Audience-Presenter Agreement
● Leave at any time. ⏳
● Join the conversation using #CSES2016.
I’m @danberger.
● Steal everything.
● Participation encouraged.

3. I am a participant.
I am a planner.
I am a believer.
I am a vendor.
I am an HR lady.

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5. 4,000 customers
100 countries
3 languages

7. Over 1.5 billion sq. ft. of event space
Over 1 million events created
Over 100 million attendees impacted

8. #3 Best Place to Work (WaPo)
Hottest Culture Award (NVTC)
Best Company Culture (SmartCEO)

9. 120 employees
Raised $10 million
Founded in 2011

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92% millennial (born 1981 or later)

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Learning Objectives
● Learn how to deliberately develop your company’s culture.
● Learn how to make hiring a competitive advantage.
● Learn a new set of tools for today’s executive.

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Turn to a neighbor and
describe your culture.

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As soon as the a team has
more than one person, it has
a culture.

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The Shared Values
also known as Core Values

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If you don’t address cultural
issues, you will start accruing
cultural debt.

19. Shared
Values

21. • Customer First. We are a customer service company that happens to do much more.
• Teams are Families. We care for one another, trust each other, and empower each other.
• Decidedly Determined. We pursue our goals with passion and purpose.
• High Quality. Done is better than perfect but we don’t stop until we over-deliver.
• Every Day is a School Day. We never stop growing through feedback and learning.
• Constant Innovation. We build the best to be the best.
• Stay Lean. We snack small but dream in 10 courses.
• Always Honest. We are transparent, ethical and open in our communication.
• Be Outrageous. A little weird and always fun.

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Shared values are not
something you settle on.

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The Mission and Vision

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As a team grows,
subcultures develop.

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33. # GTC
Title
● Text

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Company culture is iterative
because it’s constantly
evolving.

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It All Starts with Hiring

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Person-Task Fit Person-Job Fit Person-Supervisor Fit
Person-Team Fit Person-Vocation Fit Person-Organization Fit
The Person-Environment (P-E) Fit Construct

38. 2x
Recommended Reading: Who

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Hiring Best Practices
● Open every position to internal candidates.
● Use interviewing as a reward for top performers.
● Interview for culture fit, not just job fit. Weigh them equally.
● Don’t override interviewers.

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Why I Interview Every Employee
● Shows that we care.
● Get to know them.
● Set performance expectations.
● Collect feedback on interview process.
● Insight into our employer brand.

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Make hiring a competitive
advantage.

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Know Yourself First

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What are your operating
principles?

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Come Up With Your Operating Principles
● Operating Principles are decision-making guidelines.
● Share them with everyone.
● Ways to come up with them:
○ Write your eulogy
○ Interview a future version of yourself

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My Operating Principles
● Be an Employer of Choice for the right people.
● Build a product people love, backed by unparalleled customer service.
● Maximize shareholder value for all.

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The Manager’s Modern Toolkit

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The DDO

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● A social contract with employees.
● An opportunity to be yourself.
● The idea that work shouldn’t only make you a better
professional but also a better person.
The Deliberately Developmental Organization

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Social Tables

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Connecting | Q&A
email: dan@socialtables.com
twitter: @danberger
snapchat: danjberger