What is Our Culture of Care?

At Fractured Atlas we are committed to cultivating a culture of care. We understand that work is just one part of life and support team members having full and robust lives outside of work. We also know that work takes up a good chunk of people’s days, so finding ways of cultivating rest and joy and giving people what they need in their jobs is also important. Care can look different for each individual and team, and we acknowledge this while also centering collective care.

At Fractured Atlas, the following principles are the foundation of our culture of care:

Trust

We expect that people understand their own needs and expertise best, so we aim to:

• Provide guard rails as opposed to micromanagement. This doesn’t happen all on Day 1, or even on Day 90, but we strive to get you up and running with the skills and tools you need to be successful.

• Guide employees first through lots of leadership and then provide management only when you need it. Our recruiting process is carefully calibrated to find and hire amazing people. Everyone was hired for a reason and while we will provide support and guidance when needed, we don’t want to overburden people who don’t need help.

• Avoid creating unnecessary rules by design. You are a talented person, and we trust you to learn what’s important, set your priorities through the OKR process, and ask for help when you need it. We also know that asking for help can be hard and is dependent on your relationship with your manager so we build in regular touch points to reduce this effort as much as possible.

Responsibility

We are the people who make up Fractured Atlas. This is our organization.

Everyone is encouraged to speak their mind, so there are always lots of suggestions on how we can improve our company and culture. Whether it's a process change or an idea for a new team bonding activity, if it's worth doing, we try to find a way to do it. If we can't, we ask why not.

If you ever find yourself thinking, "I wish Fractured Atlas would… ," we encourage you to take a moment and ask yourself what you can do to get that ball rolling and who can help make that goal a reality. 

You don’t need an invitation to present an idea, bringing you on board was that invitation. 🌻

Sometimes suggestions don't work, but many times they do. We're always working to make Fractured Atlas better. Have an idea? Toss it out during our monthly staff meeting, bring it up on Slack, chat with your manager, create a proposal as part of the consensus process, or speak with a member of the People team. 

Autonomy

Along with trust and responsibility comes autonomy to make decisions. You're not likely to have this right out of the gate. We want to provide you with the necessary background, context, and skills to make the most informed decisions you can. Knowing when to ask for help and when you can safely follow your own compass comes with experience. We don't want to set you up for failure when you first start. 

It may help to think in terms of The Decision Tree Model. This four-level model presented by Susan Scott in Fierce Conversations can be useful when working with your manager to set clear expectations and boundaries for decision-making as you grow in your position and at Fractured Atlas. It outlines the scope and potential effects of varying types of decisions.

• Leaf: A leaf level decision is going to have little or no effect on the overall tree. You are autonomous and empowered to make a leaf decision without consulting others or telling your manager.
• Branch: A branch level decision carries more risk than a leaf decision. You are empowered to make a branch decision and take action but must report what you have done to your manager.
• Trunk: At the trunk level, the risk to the tree’s health is much higher. You can make the decision but before you take any action, you must discuss it with your manager.
• Root: At the root level, the wrong decision can be life threatening and even terminal. You must discuss the pros and cons with your manager and others before you make a root decision.

Recognition

Because we often focus on how we can constantly improve things, we can forget about the huge effort and emotional investment people put into their work every day. We're busy, focused, and mean well, but sometimes need a little reminder to say, "Thank you for doing what you do to make Fractured Atlas, well, Fractured Atlas!" We know that people have different preferences when it comes to recognition and we ask that managers touch base with direct reports to get an understanding for these preferences.

With that in mind, we encourage everyone to take the time to celebrate one another through:

• Giving them some recognition through Bonusly
• Shouting them out on Slack
• Sending them a direct message
• Saying something in a team meeting

We all want to be kind and caring and supportive of those we work with. Sometimes negative feedback is necessary, but let’s try to give out positive feedback and recognition as well.

Resiliency, Self-Care, and Collective Care

At Fractured Atlas, we believe that it’s important to embed resiliency, self-care, and collective care into the workplace. We want the stellar people at Fractured Atlas to take care of themselves and to take care of each other. Moving forward in a constantly changing environment can be stressful and anxiety inducing even in the best of times. Finding time to increase personal and collective resiliency, making sure that we make sure that each of our individual and collective needs are met, and finding ways to care for ourselves and each other can help us in managing this changing environment.

If you find that you're consistently ending the day exhausted, having worked hard all day, and yet frustrated that you didn't get to the "real" work on your list, you're not alone. It's called the battle of The Urgent vs. The Important. We get it, and have found strategies to help quiet the noise and get the work done that will move the organization forward. Having trouble with this? You're not alone! Talk with your manager or the People team. We have tips, tricks, and tools that can help. Can't wait? Check out this guide.

We aim to offer each person the ingredients they need for a happy and humane work environment. Though care is unique to the individual, we believe one of the biggest ways to help maintain staff wellness is by offering flexibility in where, when, and how we do our work and that is reflected in how we shape our compensation & benefits.