KLONDIKE’s FAMILY CULTURE

What does our Vice President think about Family Culture?

“We’re like a family at work.”

While many of us may have heard a friend or relative say something like that over the years, I’m proud to say it’s something that we work hard at making a reality here at KLONDIKE Lubricants.

Which is why it’s important to take a few minutes to celebrate the success of our KLONDIKE family as we approach BC’s official Family Day (February 12).

For us, our work family is a lot like our home families: in both cases they’re the result of a caring, supportive environment. For our work family, it’s also how we work together day-to-day.

So how do KLONDIKErs do this in today’s fast-paced world?

In some cases, it can be “bigger” things like bi-monthly lunches. I look forward to these each month as they give us all a chance to take time to check in with each other over a good meal.

In other cases, it’s “little” things. Things like making sure our staff have coffee, snacks and other hearty food freely available in the office kitchen any time they need it. Or flexibility to leave work early to take care of a sick child. Or support for staff education and schools and other charities that our staff want to support.

While we believe that proper self-care is important for all of our staff and do our best to help make that easier, we feel creating a family environment takes more than just eating together more often.

Over the years, we’ve made conscious efforts to create an environment where we can all thrive. But also one where we actively support one another when life’s inevitable potholes show up.

From family illnesses and deaths to mental health challenges, I’ve witnessed our staff doing amazing things, helping each other through struggles that, in some circumstances, could have been very lonely, difficult situations. It’s this kind of mutual respect and compassion that people share so willingly when they feel appreciated.

Like our home family, we know it’s important that everyone has a chance to be heard. Anyone who comes from a larger family knows that, some days, it can be hard to be heard amidst a big group of family members.

So, we do our best to try to give everyone a voice. Over the past couple of years, we’ve started using Office Vibe, a handy tool that helps staff give feedback – anonymous or otherwise – to the rest of the team. By listening to, and doing our best to address the issues raised, we feel each of our team members becomes an active contributor to the KLONDIKE culture.

So, as we all prepare for a long weekend – that I hope will include some quality family time for everyone – I’d ask that all the staff to take a few moments to think about ways we can strengthen our company?

It doesn’t need to be a grand, expensive gesture. The first step in this kind of journey can be big or small: it’s the destination that matters.