Take Me Seriously

Yesterday I shredded my last copy of an old orientation manual I had lying around.

This spiral-bound workbook on thick card stock stuffed full of definitions, graphs, and worksheets, wrapped in our brand's color palette was the accompaniment to our three-hour orientation process.

We touched on our company history, service model, mission, vision, values, coffee tasting, coffee processing, benefits packages, how to craft a pitch to bring a new idea to the table, and the list goes on.

Laughably, this was scaled-down compared to orientations we’d used at previous organizations. We thought we were keeping it simple, but it was a tidal wave of indigestible information.

As ineffectual as it was, it took us years to shake that model, partially because having a big fancy orientation made us feel like a big fancy organization.

Our goals with orientation are:

• Introduce you to our mission, vision, and five values

• Set expectations for the employee/employer agreement

• Leave you feeling inspired

Our orientation is currently a one-hour, conversational gathering with no booklets, slideshows, or videos. By focusing on delivering on our promise rather than maintaining a certain appearance, we’re able to accomplish our goals and make the experience more enjoyable to boot.

It’s the difference between doing the work and making it look like you’re doing the work. They both take effort but only one pays off.