Our Common Core: Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit

Positivity is a big word these days.

We write down things we're grateful for; we lift our eyes to the sky and give thanks to whoever is up there; we instill positive attitudes in our coworkers, our kids and ourselves. Zappos is no different when it comes to building each other and creating a family spirit.

Core Value #7: Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit

At Zappos, we place a lot of emphasis on our culture which, in turn, brings us together like a family. An environment that’s friendly, warm and exciting allows every Zapponian to show up and bring about their very best. In fact, many of the company’s finest ideas have been the direct result of informal interactions outside of the office. To create this, we work together, but we also play together. Our bonds and ideals go far beyond the typical coworker relationships found at most other companies.

Aside from companies like Zappos, there are several celebrities and high-profile business executives who also profess their love for their fans and employees. Take a look at who tops our list by building a positive team and family spirit!

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks loves his family, loves his kids, loves his fans. Have you heard the story about the couple getting their wedding photos taken in New York’s Central Park? Hanks was jogging by, stopped and crashed their pictures. He also happily hammed it up with a fan who was pretending to be hungover and went above and beyond with one autistic superfan at his Broadway show, "Lucky Guy." In many cases, Hanks interacts with his fans, whether they like his movies or not (he refunded a couple $25 because they told him they didn’t enjoy the film "Larry Crowne"). Now that's some straight-up real talk!

Taylor Swift

TayTay, er, Taylor Swift, embodies every one of our core values without any trouble. But when it comes to Core Value #7, it’s a “love story.” Swift is a tremendous role model for girls everywhere, and she doesn’t exploit that in any way, shape or form. She’s pitched in to help others pay down student loans, participated in a fan’s pregnancy announcement, and took 125 people on vacation to an island in Australia. Swift was raised by a supportive family who instilled strong, honest values. And despite her ever-growing superstardom, Swift continues to treat her fans like family.

Laszlo Bock

Sure, one could say Google’s CEO had a hand in building company culture, but it’s Laszlo Bock, the former Chief People Officer, who took it to a whole new level. Bock implemented free employee haircuts, gourmet food, on-site doctors and their most notable perk, death benefits. If any employee should die while still employed at Google, their surviving spouse or domestic partner will receive a check for 50 percent of the deceased’s salary every year for 10 years. Amazingly enough, you don’t need to have any tenure for this benefit. If you join the team and die within two months, your family will get this benefit. Bock was very passionate about his team and stated that “it’s important to the company to help our families through this horrific if inevitable life event.” Bock built an empire based on team and family spirit. My hat is off to you sir!

Scott Scherr

The beloved Scott Scherr is the CEO and cofounder of a dot-com in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. When the internet boom crashed earlier this century, their stock plummeted from $15/share to $-2/share. Despite losing millions, Scherr didn’t lay off a single employee, and everyone kept their very generous benefits package. To make this happen, Scherr pivoted his business strategy to an on-demand service provider and raised tens of millions of dollars in additional financing. Today, Ultimate Software employees continue to enjoy several benefits, along with free breakfast, lunch and ice cream. “There’s a big difference between founders and professional managers,” says Scherr. “This [company] is my baby. And now there are 900 of us. I take care of it — and them — like my kids.”

Do you have what it takes to build a positive team and family spirit? Do you see yourself chanelling Hanks, Swift, Bock or Scherr? What are some ways that you positively build up the people around you?