What we believe #3: Ravneet Gill
There are certain core values that make us, us. They help to form the principles that guide everything we do: our True North. More than that, though, they are what we believe would guide any organisation to be the kind of place where people would love to work. And you can’t really ask for much more than that.
No jerks allowed.
Many moons ago, I spent several weeks in a remote exploration camp in the Yukon with a team made mostly of folks I’d never met before. Four weeks of long days, almost-as-long hikes, bags filled with actual rocks and the occasional polite run-in with a bear will teach you a few of those life lesson things.
Perhaps the most important of them was coming to understand the true value of assembling a group of people who know how not to behave. Yes - how not to. It takes all kinds of human beings to make something amazing work, and to achieve that they simply have to be able to be themselves - that’s why you wanted them onboard in the first place, isn’t it?
The trick is to try to recruit those who have an inherent understanding of the exact point at which one crosses over to the jerk side of the Force. Because no one wants to have to put systems in place to police how people behave.
Looking back now, the powers that brought us together were incredibly mindful of sticking to a "no jerks policy”. We had such an incredibly successful field season in which new friendships were formed and no one was (severely) injured precisely because of their experience in ensuring none of us would make the rest of us feel like idiots for climbing up the wrong side of the wrong mountain.
You see, it’s when you’re trying to figure out on the fly how to best face a protective mama bear or code a new product feature that this duty of care to find the right people shows its worth. When the deadline’s looming and you need to figure out which of the right ways is the best way, personal interactions and connections matter.
At REW, we're incredibly mindful of this. We want the very best CREW and the very best experience for those of who choose to be on this adventure with us. Our aim is to build a team where everyone is empowered to contribute their best work; to feel comfortable taking risks and trying new things.
Simon said it first: “A “business” is only ever the aggregate of the people who build it.” What a jerk 😉
Ravneet Gill
Chief of Staff
