The building blocks of strong, collaborative culture

At Siamo, we create space - space to work, grow, and succeed.

But what is space? We created an acronym to remember the key components, and each can be thought of as a layer, building on one another like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

SPACE is:

Safety
Purpose
Autonomy
Connection
Emotional Intelligence

Safety (physical and psychological) underpins any great culture - there is safety to experiment, debate, collaborate, and, in short, succeed. However, these results will be out of reach without the layers underneath.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the capacity to manage, be aware of, and work with our emotions as well as empathetically work with others. This forms a strong baseline for individuals looking to work effectively with others. Our ability to work with our emotions (taking them as additional data for our decisions rather than defacto truths or ignoring them entirely) while accurately understanding and working with the emotional reactions of others is what forms our basis for meaningful connection.

Connections

While as a society we hold on to the notion of work-life separation, we resist the reality of our situation - namely, that we are the same human in the office (or dining room table, these days) as we are watching Netflix on the couch. As such, we have the same basic emotional desires and reactions. As social creatures, we need connections and work best when we feel a kinship with our colleagues. While it is unrealistic to expect deep friendships with every co-worker, it’s easier (and more rewarding) to go the extra mile for a team we care about and one which cares for us. Emotional intelligence expedites this journey to connection, which fuels collaboration and trust.

Autonomy

As we connect with others and begin to feel a tenuous trust build, we relinquish the impulse to control as much as possible. Allowing for autonomy gives team members the ability to use their expertise more freely. Not only does this better utilize the skills of a diverse team, independence is also a significant pillar of internal motivation (Daniel Pink - Drive).

Purpose

The other pillar of human motivation is purpose - the “why” that connects us to our work and makes life feel meaningful. We can only feel this when we have the chance to explore and experiment. Exploring with autonomy and carefully listening to our internal reactions will naturally lead us towards the things we find meaningful. Experiencing satisfaction with our work saves us from burnout and naturally promotes retention - there’s no rush to leave work we want to complete.

Safety

Finally, we reach the glue for any strong culture, the piece holding the other tenants together: safety. When a team feels safe, it can move independently, take risks, and make autonomous decisions. Safety allows for conflict when necessary, rather than avoidance of crucial discussions. True comfort allows for collaboration - a concept much more potent than cooperation. In collaboration, teams can experience friction and differing viewpoints without threat, allowing for better solutions, strategic growth, and sustainable connections.

With the right SPACE, culture can grow and take on its own life, sustained with a natural ebb and flow rather than being stifled by confinement.

Cultural Hierarchy of Needs