Investing in Our Culture
At HydroEQ, we want our values and culture to be more than abstract ideas – we want them to be tangible, real, and lived out by every member of our team, every day. Our team of dedicated geochemistry and water quality professionals is the backbone of HydroEQ and the work that we do. How we work together, how we communicate, and how we show up for our colleagues and clients are all pieces that come together to support our development as whole individuals and our success as a company. As an employee-owned company, our people are our company, and every team member is invested in HydroEQ’s success.
Over the past year we’ve added three new team members, growing to a group of nine talented professionals located across Canada. For our anniversary gathering in Calgary, we came together with the entire team in person for two days of events. Since we want to cultivate an inclusive work environment where every voice is valued, we decided that company culture would be a guiding theme for this celebration.
Celebrating Culture: More than Just a Buzzword
Reflecting before the anniversary celebration, we knew that we had great people, but we also wanted to be proactive and mindful about building a great culture from the start, especially because our mix of hybrid workers and fully remote workers may experience culture differently. Culture happens even when we’re not looking, and great culture doesn’t just happen on its own – it’s something that we can actively nurture and intentionally shape.
We were lucky to have the insightful Simone Brown host an afternoon seminar in Calgary on building a company culture. It centered around psychological safety – the feeling that one can speak up, make mistakes, and be their authentic self without fear of judgement or retaliation.
Psychological safety isn’t just a nice-to-have for us; it’s a must-have to foster creativity, innovation, and open communication. As Simone shared, teamwork is a great concept but can be tough to live out daily, and vulnerability-based trust is the foundation of teamwork. Simone’s workshop encouraged vulnerability among us and uncovered the essential elements of culture we need to focus on as we move forward.
One of Simone’s opening remarks was that “magic happens with small teams,” and that perfectly describes what happened in Calgary. Upon reflecting on the seminar the next day, the team felt noticeably closer than 24 hours previous – and not just because of the bowling hilarity over dinner the previous night. We felt empowered by the work we did with Simone, sparking a dynamic brainstorming session where team members collectively shaped HydroEQ’s employee social contract. This contract will help to drive the formation and continuation of a culture where every team member is appreciated, celebrated, and respected.
Culture Building Session with Simone Brown: deep concentration as we are designing an “appreciation rock” for a teammate
Looking Ahead: Intentionality and Lasting Impact
We know that our goal to develop a company culture centered around psychological safety is a long-term commitment. A healthy workplace doesn’t happen by accident, and requires effort, intention, and learning. We want to strive to create a culture that will be more than just a reflection of who we are, but will also be a beacon for the kind of company we aspire to be. We are confident that the dividends of this effort will continue to provide fuel to our work.
Our journey is just beginning and we are driven to create a culture that will be a source of strength.