His staff were unmotivated and didn’t perform. To find a solution, he closed the door to his office and tried to devise new strategies for success and growth. However, it was only when he realized his leadership affected the corporate culture, that he could turn things around to build a stronger business. In this year’s first episode of Stjärnsäljarpodden, CEO Linus Wennerström tells all about what’s behind the amazing corporate culture of Future Media Group.
FMG having corporate culture at the center of operations is no coincidence. CEO Linus Wennerström has been refining the culture since day one, and in the episode of Stjärnsäljarpodden released in January, he explains why he believes culture will always trumph strategy – and how he came to that realization.
CEO at Future Media Group
Corporate culture is an often brought up phrase when talking about Future Media Group; whether it’s the staff themselves describing their workplace, or partners coming to visit, the atmosphere is characterized by openness, friendship, helpfulness and cooperation. Most all parties agree that this is a pleasant work environment.
—I started a business in Amsterdam in 2012, but it didn’t take long before the numbers started to dwindle. The staff was unmotivated, and I felt stressed. To turn things around, I withdrew from my colleagues and tried to figure out strategies which would bring us forward. If it hadn’t been for an employee actually telling me that I —and my leadership— was missing from the everyday work of the team, I really don’t know where we would have ended up. It was a true slap in the face to realize that regardless of how amazing your strategies are, your business won’t succeed if the employees don’t feel at home or get the tools they need to prosper.
The FMG Culture is embedded in the walls of both the Stockholm and Oslo offices, and it’s emphasized already during recruitment. Linda Wells has been helping FMG recruit new talent for many years, and she highlights that the responsive leadership, the great team spirit and the total lack of sharp elbows are rare – but that it’s evident in everything FMG does.
“I can find amazing sales representatives who would make the company lots of money, but at FMG it’s more important to find people who would add to, and enjoy, this culture. This might make the recruitment process more complex, but ensures that the employees recruited into the business are “FMG People”, who strengthen an already great culture.”
That being said, building a first-rate corporate culture is an ever on-going effort. In Stjärnsäljarpodden, Linus shares several insights he believes are crucial to build a successful culture for the team. Among other things, he mentions defusing the stigma surrounding making mistakes, creating a sense of “we”, focusing on wins and celebrations, encouraging positive feedback and making sure everyone feels seen and heard – not least through individual leadership for each employee – as well as having executives who keep their promises.
– We aspire to be each other’s role models, and our leaders lead by example. When we win, it’s as a group, but we always make sure to celebrate individual performances as well. To ensure we continue to focus on everything positive, we have long-standing traditions involving Monday Upstarts and Friday Highlights. It’s an effort we’ll never cease, and we’re extremely proud of the amazing results, he says.
Listen to the episode of Stjärnsäljarpodden where Linus speaks about FMG culture.