'Decisive Meetings'... 6 Keywords for Smart Working Companies

KCCI Releases 'Corporate Culture Insight Report 2'... Sharing Core Keywords by Compiling Best Practices in Corporate Culture
① Sharing Core Values ② Establishing Code of Conduct ③ Autonomy ④ Communication ⑤ Decision-Making Meetings ⑥ Learning

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] In the era of COVID-19, finding 'smart' ways to work has become even more important. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) revealed six strategies of companies that work smartly in its 'Corporate Culture Insight Report 2' released on the 14th.

The report contains execution strategies of companies striving to create excellent corporate cultures. Based on outstanding cases from eight companies (Neowiz Play Studio, Dong-A Socio Holdings, SmartStudy, Orange Life Insurance, KT, Toss Lab, Fursys, Pulmuone) presented at the KCCI's self-operated 'Corporate Culture Coffee Salon,' six core secrets were derived.

The Corporate Culture Coffee Salon is a meeting for sharing best practices hosted by KCCI since 2019 to support the improvement of corporate culture in Korean companies. Previously, in September 2019, KCCI released the first 'Corporate Culture Insight Report' presenting 'Six Keywords for Corporate Culture Innovation.'

① Sharing Core Values = Establish and share core values before working

The first secret to working smartly was identified as 'Sharing Core Values.' If members have different thoughts or do not empathize with the core values, the organization will continuously drift away from its goals. Therefore, companies and employees must establish and share core values before starting work.

Pulmuone created five core values called 'Passion with TISO' with participation from all employees. They also strive to embed these values into the organizational culture through initiatives like the Best Practice Contest (Find the Hidden Hero) and pledge ceremonies.

Neowiz Play Studio, an online game development company, fosters a one-team organizational culture through five core values: 'We do not settle,' 'We express honestly,' 'We act professionally,' 'We work together,' and 'We trust each other.'

② Dos & Don'ts = Establish behavioral guidelines to practice core values

Next, 'Dos & Don'ts' are necessary to concretely practice core values. When members set ground rules themselves, it creates an atmosphere of voluntary participation and implementation.

Dong-A Socio Holdings has a behavioral code called 'DoDon't1010,' consisting of '10 things to do' and '10 things not to do,' which was proposed and voted on by all employees.

Pulmuone collected behavioral standards for practicing core values from all employees and finalized them through a '1 day Green Meeting' with internal experts. They continuously monitor implementation through team activation programs like 'Green Box.'

③ Efficiency through Autonomy = Increase efficiency by autonomously utilizing time and space

Increasing efficiency through autonomy was also highlighted as a secret to working smartly. It is time to discard implicit norms without clear reasons and the fixed idea that work must be done at set times and places.

SmartStudy, a content company, entrusts working hours, workspace, and vacation days to individual autonomy. Employees can freely use work assets and are provided with corporate cards to independently decide on their scope of use.

Fursys has divided all floors into shared spaces, meeting rooms, lounges, etc., optimized for mobile environments, and introduced a flexible seating system to establish a work style based on autonomy and communication.

④ Communication & Co-working = Mutual feedback based on trust

Companies with excellent corporate cultures emphasized communication and collaboration in work execution. Rather than competition, mutual trust allows members to naturally give and receive feedback on work, optimizing the entire organization.

Toss Lab, a software development company, maintains constant communication through the collaboration tool 'JANDI.' They create 'topic-specific chat rooms' to quickly discuss related tasks and have minimized unnecessary meetings by using video conferencing and calls even before COVID-19.

Neowiz Play Studio holds monthly 'Check-in Meetings' between leaders and members to exchange feedback and set future tasks. During these meetings, they pay attention to considerations such as open-ended questions, active listening, and maintaining balance to ensure productive discussions.

⑤ Meetings with Conclusions = Rapid decision-making to respond to change

Companies working smartly also strive to improve meeting culture.

Dong-A Socio Holdings runs the 'HoebaHoeba (If meeting culture changes, the company changes)' project, operating the 'Conclusion-driven Ten-Ten Meeting Rules.' These are ten rules each for meeting organizers and participants, serving as a self-diagnostic function for efficient meetings.

KT's 'First-Place Workshop' is an innovative program where intense two-day discussions derive solutions, and the decision-maker sponsor immediately decides on implementation and enforces it.

⑥ Learning & Development = Motivation through self-directed learning

The report identified growth through diverse learning as the final secret to working smartly. Instead of the company setting learning content, employees themselves set learning directions and content to improve their capabilities. Voluntary learning motivation enhances individual participation and skills.

Orange Life Insurance operates over 200 diverse training courses involving internal and external experts. Programs include 'Orange Class,' an advanced training for field experts, and 'Orange Open Learning Center,' held twice monthly.

SmartStudy continuously operates 'Rollo Day,' a session where members can freely share any topic. They share knowledge with colleagues or invite external instructors on topics of interest.

Park Jun, head of the corporate culture team at KCCI, said, "Looking at the six know-hows of companies working smartly, it can be summarized as value sharing through active participation of members, maximum autonomy, and smooth communication. As the management environment has changed with millennials making up half of the workforce, referring to smart working company cases and starting with small changes in work methods will help improve efficiency and corporate culture."