National Post (National Edition)
A CULTURE OF CARING
[OUR TEAM MEMBERS] STILL WANT TO SUPPORT AND BE PART OF THE THINGS ODLUM BROWN DOES —
NOT JUST IN THEIR WORK, BUT IN HOW WE TRY TO BE GOOD CORPORATE CITIZENS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
THAT TELLS ME THAT WHEN PEOPLE GET UP IN THE MORNING AND START WORKING, WHEREVER THEY MIGHT BE, THEY’RE AT ODLUM BROWN. — ODLUM BROWN PRESIDENT AND CEO DEBRA HEWSON
At Odlum Brown Limited, corporate culture is not simply about ensuring team members have what they need to perform their role at the firm – it’s about giving them what they need to move through life in a positive way, says Debra Hewson, president and CEO. “You can’t be happy at work if you’re not happy in life. We’re really saying to people: we care about you, and not just when you’re here from 8 to 4.”
Employee-owned since it was established in 1923, Odlum Brown is an independent, full-service investment firm with a team of over 300 people. A continuing culture of excellence has earned Odlum Brown a second Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures Award in the Mid-Market category, having first achieved this recognition in 2017. The firm also recently attained a 9.2 out of 10 corporate culture rating in Investment Executive’s 2020 Brokerage Report Card, well exceeding the performance average of 8.5, as well as an exceptional 80+ Net Promoter Score on Waterstone Human Capital’s ENGAGE Mini Survey.
“All of our culture initiatives are anchored around our belief in having meaning and purpose in your work, and we’ve found that translates to a really rewarding employee experience,” says Barbara Bahry, vice-president of organizational development.
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic required Odlum Brown to shift the majority of its team members from six locations across B.C. to remote working within days. During this unexpected challenge, the company focused not only on how to continue to serve its clients but also on how to keep its familylike culture alive and strong and continue to support local communities.
Many things have helped navigate the firm through the past year: its long history of experiencing and learning from historic events (Odlum Brown will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2023); a culture of accountable leadership; a ‘we’re all in this together’ ethos stemming from a commitment to remain an employee-owned firm; and the deeply held value of taking care of the communities where its team members live and work. By focusing on innovative solutions to nurture its culture, the company has confirmed what it has always known: the Odlum Brown culture lives beyond the four walls of its offices.
“I’ve found there’s a real continuum of how people have reacted to COVID. Our goal is to keep moving the business forward while being mindful of that continuum and trying to include everyone,” Hewson says. “Leading through crisis is about being genuine in your communications, and we try to foster that throughout the organization. I hope no one would say I’m a different leader in a crisis than the rest of the time. This past year has been challenging, but in terms of leadership, it has really been about doing more of what we already do.”
Over the past several years, Odlum Brown has invested significantly in leadership as a core competency, anchored around the belief that leadership is a mindset, not just a role. Team members are oriented to this mindset through The Leadership ContractTM workshops, based on the book of the same name by Dr. Vince Molinaro. Ultimately, participants create a personal leadership roadmap and commit to the four principles of the contract: leadership is a decision; leadership is an obligation; leadership is hard work; and leadership is a community. The program does not take a ‘one-hit-wonder’ approach, however. Bahry affirms, “It is woven into everything we do, from our performance management program, to rewards and compensation, to the value proposition for our team members.”
The firm’s #OBStrong communications initiative has provided a unifying message throughout the pandemic and accompanying uncertainty. “Initially I was saying: we’re going to get through this. We’re resilient.
We’ve been around for nearly 100 years, we’ve made it through a lot — and we’re going to do it again,” says Hewson. “That culminated in signing off communications with #OBStrong. It became a touchstone.” Under the catchphrase, video messages from the CEO were distributed to the Odlum Brown team to provide updates, acknowledge their hard work and creativity, and to simply help everyone stay connected.
The success of communication initiatives such as #OBStrong, and the solid foundation of the firm’s culture as a whole, was validated through regular pulse checks with team members. And, when it came time to reimagine a soft return to the office, these tools were used to open and further discussions about safety and how things might look. In one instance, Hewson provided a video walk-through showing the new workspace features to help familiarize everyone with the setup, which provided peace of mind to returning team members and reaffirmed that Odlum Brown cares about their safety and comfort level. This allowed team members to focus on the truly important part of returning to the workplace: connecting with each other. “When cohorts came back to the office during a period of looser restrictions, the excitement and enthusiasm of our team members when they saw each other really demonstrated the strength of our culture,” says Bahry.
Amid the pandemic, notfor-profit organizations have been facing particular hardship. Odlum Brown’s commitment to philanthropy and local communities has not waned, however. The firm supports over 150 charitable organizations across British Columbia and nationally, with corporate donations and sponsorships now exceeding $1.4 million annually. During COVID-19, virtual event alternatives, such as those presented by Bard on the Beach, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and Easter Seals BC & Yukon, were also sponsored by Odlum Brown.
The Odlum Brown team, as a collective from their remote locations, has also continued fundraising through special virtual events such as CKNW Kids’ Fund Pink Shirt Day and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Jean Up. “The amount of engagement we get from these events doesn’t surprise me, but it warms my heart every time I see it,” says Hewson. “People still want to support and be a part of the things Odlum Brown does — not just in their work, but in how we try to be good corporate citizens and community partners. That tells me that when people get up in the morning and start working, wherever they might be, they’re at Odlum Brown.”
When it comes to the health and wellness of its 300-member team, Odlum Brown nurtures the employee experience in five key areas: I matter; I belong; I’m enabled; I contribute; I’m respected. “We take a holistic view that includes not only physical and emotional wellbeing, but financial and personal health as well,” notes Bahry. “Mental health, mindfulness and managing one’s self go beyond a dedicated week or month. They are part of a continuous journey throughout the year.”
To that end, Odlum Brown has offered ongoing webinar series to team members on topics such as mental health, mindfulness and financial wellness, supplemented by emails with tips on working remotely and taking care of our mental health. Because relationships are so fundamental to both personal wellness and Odlum Brown’s culture, this was also a priority, and a ‘Staying Connected’ survey gathered and shared strategies on how team members were staying connected with one another and loved ones during the pandemic. Recognizing the importance of gratitude, an #OBGivesThanks initiative gathered material from team members and their families — think photos of the 7 PM cheer or kids’ hand-drawn hearts displayed in the window — to share appreciation with one another and pay tribute to the community’s frontline heroes.
Odlum Brown recognizes that its people are one of its greatest competitive advantages and that retaining top talent is paramount. The significant investment in its corporate culture has rewarded Odlum Brown with an extremely low employee turnover rate and an average tenure of 11 years. Currently more than 43 per cent of the workforce has been with the firm for 10 years or more, and 22 per cent for 20 years or more. As of February 2021, the company manages over $16 billion of client assets.
Indeed, Odlum Brown has emerged from the pandemic on strong footing — importantly, with its team and culture intact. “That sense of caring I talked about before is something that attracted me to this firm 30 years ago,” says Hewson, “and we’ve continued to build on and nurture that feeling. That’s really the big success of the firm.”
THAT SENSE OF CARING ... IS SOMETHING THAT ATTRACTED ME TO THIS FIRM 30 YEARS AGO, AND WE’VE CONTINUED TO BUILD ON
AND NURTURE THAT FEELING.