Laura Warby has just taken the role of Head of Culture at research agency D+M. Not only has she been charged with enhancing and evolving an agency culture, but also creating the role as she goes. In this run of pieces, she will outline the challenges, triumphs and learnings she encounters on the journey. 

Many companies say they prioritise internal culture but how many commit to creating a brand new role and investing in a salary to ensure that it is taken seriously? I'd say not many, and even fewer in the fast-paced world of agencies, where work is delivered at breakneck speed, often at the expense of work-life balance and the resources to be intentional about company culture. 

Nine weeks into the job I now have a better appreciation of the phrase ‘building the plane as you fly it’ - one thing is certain; this role has been a hugely exciting and rewarding challenge so far.

Any company looking to go on this type of journey needs to lean into openness and recognition and understand that growth isn't about rigidly defending past company culture but about embracing new perspectives and fresh energy to diversify and enrich what already exists. I admired this about d+m from the start, and the opportunity to shape and co-create a workplace that aligns with both my vision for agency life and the aspirations of others was too good to pass up.

Without a blueprint to follow, I spent my first month doing what anyone new to a job like this should do, I listened and observed. I asked lots of questions to start establishing the lay of the land and took time to get to know the team and their ways of working. From experience, I’ve learned that it’s vital to resist the urge to implement new things immediately, which can be a challenge, especially when you want to demonstrate your value. But, taking the time to build trust first, and understand the people who shape the company culture is crucial for the success of any new initiatives and lasting change. Once trust is established, it creates a fertile space for introducing new ideas and innovations that can transform the culture.

Alongside this, collaborating with Tom and Shaun, the Managing Partners, to unpack and prioritise the tasks at hand was a huge help. High up on the list was to define an aspirational and exciting cultural vision for d+m to serve as our North Star as we grow - everything we do will now ladder back to getting us closer to this vision. Another top priority for any workplace that wants to thrive is ensuring Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) is embedded in everything you do. For us, as we begin to develop our roadmap for achieving this over the coming months and years, we've already partnered with a number of organisations to run both foundational and industry-specific workshops for the entire company. These workshops have kick-started the process, opened up vital conversations, and helped us begin formulating actionable steps to achieve our DEIB goals. Next, as a qualified coach with a business outside of d+m, I’ve started coaching sessions with the leadership team to support them in managing their teams and establishing sustainable working practices. 

One of the many things that attracted me to d+m is their Employee Owned Trust (EOT) status, which means that as of last year, everyone owns a stake in the business. This puts all of us in the unique position of having a say in both the major and day-to-day decisions that take place in the company. So, I’ve been working with the newly formed Employee Council to help them establish a clear sense of purpose and strategy that ensures d+m feels truly employee-owned. Even without the EOT structure, a working group that authentically represents the voice of the employee can be an immensely impactful way to foster engagement, drive meaningful change, and create a more inclusive and supportive workplace environment.

Last but not least for anyone thinking about company culture is not to forget about your physical workspace. We’ve placed a greater emphasis on light, sound, and visual elements in our office. This transformation has made it feel more inspiring and homely—a place where people want to spend time and, most importantly, feel energised to do their best work. 

When I was asked to write this article, my first thought was one of panic - “I haven’t done enough yet." Though on reflection, I realised that while there is still a lot to do, much has already been accomplished and it is important to celebrate that. On a personal note, this new role has required me to coach myself through many of the same challenges I address with my clients—embracing uncertainty, breaking tasks into manageable chunks, and dealing with the occasional appearance of imposter syndrome. One piece of coaching advice I've really embraced is to measure success by the gains (what's been achieved) rather than the gaps (what's left to do).