A New Chapter of Company Culture & Community

Celebrating World Book Day with Actual Size

“An office is a place to live life to the fullest, to the max, to… an office is a place where dreams come true.” That might be a bit of a stretch, but Michael Scott was on to something.?

While the concept of “company culture” has become somewhat of a buzzword, the focus on employee happiness has been gaining popularity since 1980. In recent years, there’s been a shift, spotlighting the importance of the company community as well.?

Company culture describes general company philosophy and how it translates into the working environment - and it’s impactful. The likelihood of job turnover at an organization that prioritizes company culture is less than 14%. The probability jumps to nearly 49% in companies that place little emphasis on employee satisfaction.?

Unfortunately, the collective identity falls a bit short of actually creating a community. Communitas, the Latin word, emphasizes a shared public spirit, and that’s basically what we’re looking for: something in common, something that connects.?

Culture and community are deeply intertwined. You can have one without the other, but it won’t feel quite as authentic. Building a community sets the foundation for a strong company culture.?

But what do our software developers, designers, and project managers have in common??(Besides their creative genius, fantastic senses of humor, and hearts of gold, obviously.)

On paper, it might not be much… but books can bring us all together.?

A New Chapter of Culture, Community & Creativity?

The 2020 pandemic spurred a renewed interest in reading, boosting US print sales by nearly 9%. People were feeling isolated and a little lonely. Reading provided an escape from the current reality, enhancing happiness, connection, and, in some cases, a newfound interest in faeries.???

During this time, #BookTok gained rapid popularity. With over 2 billion views, the hashtag was dubbed a “best seller machine” by 纽约时报 . Book lovers took hold of the social media platform, welcoming new and veteran readers alike.?

And what happens when people find something in common?

They talk about it.

They share perspectives.

They open up.

Reading expands our horizons and fosters empathy. This cultivates a sense of community - in living rooms, chatrooms, or, in our case, Actual Size’s comfy, cozy conference room.?

As #BookTok built the following, so did Book Clubs! Bolstered by over 150 million Goodreads members, book club event listings saw a 24% increase in 2023.?

As a tight-knit group of creative minds, we’ve always shown appreciation for a good story. A strong narrative leads every creative effort - tapping into strategic design, user experience, and communication. It’s only natural for us to start a book club.?

How to Start a Workplace Book Club

Actual Size’s book club is led by Director of Operations, Larissa Sweitzer . As a self-proclaimed “people manager”, her strengths lie in the 3 C’s of office culture: communication, creativity, and community. Each month, Larissa flexes her deck-making skills to create an interactive book club guide, complete with celebrity castings, discussion questions, and info about the author.?

This facilitates conversation between departments and provides a space for creative exploration outside of client projects. It gives Actual Sizers time to channel imagination and expression into something new, something personal, something to be shared with our band of book lovers. These factors culminate in boosted confidence, self-esteem, and trust in the workplace.?

Actual Size’s Reading List?

• Our Man in Havana by Graham Green
• Sacred Smokes by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
• The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
• Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
• Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake?
• Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley

Reimagined book covers by Designer, Clare Connell .

“Stories activate anything your brain can do.”

The benefits of reading have been praised for decades - reduced stress, better sleep, increased empathy, enhanced cognitive function - but Story Science is relatively new. Angus Fletcher is a Professor of Story Science at 美国俄亥俄州立大学 Project Narrative. Here, he combines his background in neuroscience with his love of literature to study the impact of storytelling in the workplace, collaborating with everyone from Fortune 50 companies to the U.S. Department of Defense.?

Through narrative theory, Fletcher’s team identifies an organization’s pain points and recommends books to help fill them. This breaks creative ruts and routines that are otherwise incongruent with their mission and vision. The most popular book to boost creativity? A little story about a bear who loves honey and his best pal Piglet.?

“Anyone who reads Winnie the Pooh will instantly feel more creative.”?

So let’s take a little advice from the big man himself: “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”

Creativity has no shape, size, or scope. It’s not limited by department, tone, or type. We’re looking high and searching low, finding GoodReads and good graces to let your brand shine, form connections, inspire, and engage.?

Stay tuned for more creative strategy, branding, technology, spatial and motion design. And in the meantime, read along with our next Actual Size Book Club pick: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.

(Don’t worry, we’re reading this one over a few months).?

Written by Cecily Milligan