Ten Rules for a Kinder Workplace

By Andy Burness, MBA ’81

SMITH BRAIN TRUST -- Nearly 30 years ago, I created a company with me as the only employee. The idea was to take little-known ideas that can benefit humanity and develop public relations plans for scaling them up. Since then, Burness has helped its clients protect the Amazon rainforest, fight hunger and childhood obesity, advocate for progressive health reform, promote agricultural research for African families, and showcase innovation in community colleges. Along the way, we have grown to more than 60 employees, but with virtually no turnover in the senior ranks. Part of the reason is the emphasis we place on fostering an exceptional work environment.

On four occasions we have been named one of the “best places to work” in the Washington, D.C., region by either The Washington Post (No. 8 in the 2014 ranking) or Washingtonian. I like to think it’s because we walk our talk. Borrowing from David Letterman, here is our top 10 list for how to build employee engagement while retaining and growing satisfied clients:

10. It starts and ends with values. Few people at Burness would see themselves as “working in PR.” They are driven instead by a higher purpose, which we define as “empowering people with information to improve the human condition and advance social change.” If this company closed down tomorrow, I would be surprised if any would stay in the field with a traditional, take-any-client PR firm. They would seek jobs at global NGOs, think tanks, universities, foundations or advocacy groups grounded in scholarship or activism of some kind.

9.  It’s not about the money. No one wants to be underpaid, which is why we try to err on the side of generosity. But money is just one element in recruiting and retaining exceptional employees. People also need to feel valued, challenged and appreciated.

8. Anticipate. Don’t wait to be asked. When employees go on maternity leave, work seven straight days on an international trip or outgrow their positions, pay attention to their needs and initiate appropriate action. Slow reaction time leads employees to question their value and provides an excuse for disgruntled behavior.

7. Follow the Golden Rule. If an employee wants something, first consider, “What would I rightfully expect if I were the employee and not the boss?” This doesn’t mean that every desire will be met, but managers should make a good faith effort to provide an empathetic response.

6. Be a family. The workplace is not home, and colleagues have boundaries. But, to the extent possible, work places should reflect a functional family environment. At Burness this means that some employees have a tradition of going out on Fridays for Peruvian chicken — with each new hire immediately integrated into the club. It also means saying what you think and expecting to be heard.

5. Share ownership. Workplace culture belongs to everyone. Good things happen when people view their jobs as more than just a source of income. Last year at Burness, about 10 staff members started a volunteer brigade, with a plan to organize a companywide service project semiannually. Several others have flown to Zambia on their own dime to support a coworker’s NGO that she started in college.

4. Be present. The modern workplace includes technology-based communication and flexibility to work from home. But there is no substitute for relationships established face-to-face. I recently bought a FitBit to push myself to move around more, and discovered that I log 5,000 steps a day in my office alone. I’m regularly up and about, skipping emails for quick personal conversations, taking people’s temperatures about their projects and sometimes their lives, and doing what I can to show that I am available.

3. Share credit. The San Antonio Spurs did a lot of things right to win the 2014 NBA championship. Chief among them was being true teammates. As quickly as they moved the ball during the games, they deflected credit when the games were over. Humility ruled. No Spur accepted a reporter’s compliment about his own performance without first giving due credit to someone else. In the healthy workplace, where an employee is appreciated and fairly paid, there is nothing to be gained by being recognized as more important than someone else.

2. Throw a good party. The last thing we want is for a company event to be a bummer or obligation. With careful planning and consideration of employees’ likes and interests, our events have consistently been spectacular successes. The bar gets higher each time, but we have yet to disappoint.

1. High standards are non-negotiable. In exchange for good pay, benefits, flexibility, challenging work, openness and informality, we ask only three things of the employee: Work hard, do great work and be a team player. Our company’s well-being and livelihoods are in the hands of our clients.  They can always go somewhere else, so we must be excellent at what we do.

Since 1986, we have employed nearly 200 people and served nearly 500 organizations. Nearly all would attest to our commitment to these 10 principles. If we’re pushing for social change that results in a better world, then the least we can do is to model kindness in our own company, recognizing that caring for others starts at home.

Andy Burness is a 1981 MBA graduate of the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. Prior to starting Burness, he was liaison with the public and primary spokesperson for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the largest health philanthropy in the United States. He also served as public information officer for the President’s Commission on Medical Ethics.

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