Supporting a People-Centric Culture

Laura Eickhoff | Senior Director, Human Resources & Learning

At BioBridge Global we often talk about our commitment to nurturing and supporting an organizational culture that puts people at its center - employees, donors, and customers.

What does that mean, and why, in particular, is this important for us team members?

First, individuals who feel valued and respected are more likely to be engaged in their work and eager to produce great results. Everybody wants to be part of a winning team that does meaningful, life-affirming work! Work requires effort and sacrifice but can be incredibly rewarding when we are proud of what we do and feel fulfilled by doing it.

Furthermore, a culture that promotes human dignity, as we do through our ASPIRE values, provides opportunities for growth for each of us. The collective knowledge and skill set of our team represents an enormous competitive advantage for BBG. That’s why we emphasize the value of learning, continually improving technical training programs and offering many leadership development opportunities.

A people-centric culture is like a coin that has two sides: respect and accountability. We need to honor the humanity in each of us by consciously practicing behaviors that lead to better communication and collaboration. But, as professionals, we also need to readily admit when we fall short on expectations and aim at continuous personal growth through learning and experience.

In our culture journey and through our Seneca Roots training, we have become acquainted with six accountability statements that can guide us in our contributions to a people-centric culture, a culture where managers and direct reports have trusting and transparent conversations, and where team members are rooting for their coworkers and not only focused on their own success.

Our six accountability statements are:

1) I will put others’ needs first. Am I anticipating what my team or customers need? Do I wait to be told?.

2) I will assume good intent. Am I jumping to conclusions about my teammates’ motivations?

3) I will look for the good in others and the weakness within myself. Am I aware of my own mistakes? Am I forgiving of others?

4) I will not ask others to do something I am not willing to do myself. Am I aware of the impact that my requests have on others?

5) I will be humble and practice gratitude. Am I willing to admit I am wrong? Am I appreciative of others?

6) I will choose honesty over harmony. Can I respectfully provide constructive feedback without fear of being disliked?

Practicing these behaviors is not always easy. It requires constant reflection on our part, and the willingness to change when what we do is not working. A culture of love and respect grows on the contributions and mutual help provided by each of its members.

We look forward to partnering with each of you in support of an organizational culture that attracts and retains the best talent, makes everyone a winner, and allows each of us to reach our highest career potential!