BACK IN MOTION /

Back in Motion is a full-service rehabilitation, disability management and vocational services

company in British Columbia, Canada. Back in Motion has two primary locations (in Richmond
and Surrey) and several smaller sites that provide select services. The two primary sites each
provide state-of-the-art gym
and rehabilitation facilities, offices, physical examination and assessment rooms, work
simulation facilities, and offices.According to Ken Hemphill, one of the managing directors, the
company was startedby a multidisciplinary group of four health care professionals and an
administrative specialist in 1993. The company’s ownership and senior executive team represent
the disciplines of psychology, vocational rehabilitation, physical therapy and finance. In 2006,
the company reported its size as 57 employees. Back in Motion was honored as one of the 30
“Best Workplaces” in Canada in 2005 by Great Place to Work® Institute Canada.
THE CULTURE
The organizational culture of Back in Motion is based on teamwork and achieving goals through
open communication and respect for staff and clients. Staff describe it as productive and
professional, fun and friendly. The staff represents a number of disciplines, including physicians,
occupational therapists, psychologists, registered clinical counselors, physical therapists,
kinesiologists and vocational rehabilitation counselors. This team of professionals appreciates
the needs of both employers and workers as they support clients’ progress toward returning to
the workforce and independence. Communication is a vital part of the culture. In a health care
environment, communication between staff and management is just as important as the
communication between staff and clients. Sensitivity to the needs and expectations of the client
and the business are paramount for reaching goals at all levels.

KAHLER SLATER ARCHITECTS INC. /

Kahler Slater Architects Inc. is a creative, interdisciplinary design firm with clients around the
world. The firm has four locations: Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay, Wisconsin; and
Burlington, North Carolina. “We work with our clients to create a holistic experience that
encompasses all realms of an organization—perception, people, products, services and place.”
The company has been recognized for three years in a row (2004–2006) by the Great Place to
Work Institute® as a Great Place to Work in the U.S. One hundred fifty employees comprise this
creative community of architects, marketers, researchers, graphic designers, branding specialists
and consultants. The firm will celebrate 100 years of business in 2008.

THE CULTURE
According to Kelly Gaglione, principal, director of client services and communications strategist,
Kahler Slater has a unique, creative culture that is friendly, collaborative, nonhierarchical and
driven by the passions of the firm members. Referring to the company web site, the company is
described as “a close-knit group that works hard and plays hard. Our work inspires us, and our
play invigorates us.” The concept of collaboration and teamwork extends well past the nature of
the design work to the structure of the company itself. Three CEOs share the executive
leadership of the firm. According to Gaglione, this was a deliberate decision on the part of the
leadership when the firm was reorganizing. The CEOs—or “3EOs”—share the responsibility of
company leadership. Each has a specific portfolio of responsibilities. Communication—internal
and external—is the one facet of organizational leadership for which each of the CEOs is
responsible. Communication and leadership are inseparable. Employees embrace the company
vision. Because collaboration and teamwork are keys to the success of design work and the
company at large, buy-in on decisions is highly valued. Employees enjoy a great deal of
autonomy in this process as evidenced by the flexible work schedules.

COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Communication is part of everyone’s job—from the CEOs to the principals and team leaders. In
this culture, formal and informal internal communication practices are used. To keep employees
up to date on company business, a number of regular meetings are held—all-staff meetings, team
meetings, and principal and owner meetings. During the monthly all-staff meeting,locations are
linked by either video or audio conferencing. These meetings are expressly for celebrating
success and project advancement, i.e., progress reports and news of the firm. The meeting
agenda is driven by the employees and the projects of the firm; special discussion topics may be
suggested by anyone in the firm. Every team holds weekly meetings to keep projects on track
and people connected to one another. Through the use of these face-to-face meetings,
information flow is cyclical and builds a community of understanding: What is discussed in a
team meeting may become the basis of a special topic discussion at a monthly meeting. The
direction articulated at a principals meeting will be addressed in monthly meetings and further
discussed at the team level as projects progress. The firm holds an annual staff retreat at which
the leadership delivers the “state of the firm.” This retreat provides a forum for addressing the
firm’s vision and direction, special topics and employee camaraderie. “The 3EOs go all out to
make the event fun and educational. Their presentation is themed: One year they came dressed as
ship captains to discuss our course and direction; another year it was mountain climbers.”
Interaction between members of the firm is also encouraged through the physical design of the
work space at Kahler Slater. “As architects and designers, our research and work focus on the
place—workplace design that contributes to employee communication and employee
satisfaction. We live that everyday.” When the firm remodeled the office space, “we turned the
office inside out.” Since collaboration is key to the culture, an open office work environment was
created with lower partitions between individual offices, the development of team collaboration
spaces (TCS)—conference areas that invite interaction from the firm as a whole—and open areas
—pin-up spaces where staff may share their work and request critiques from everyone in the
office. Even the CEOs have open offices (cubes). Electronic communication practices are an
expectation for facilitating immediate, real-time information. The company intranet is used for
formal communication like policies and procedures typically found in an employee manual. E-
mails are an expected form of communication and are used most frequently to keep the members
at the four office locations connected on a minute-by-minute basis. Traditions have been
modified in the age of electronic communication. According to Gaglione, the firm has a tradition
of announcing new commissions by the ringing of a large antique ship’s bell that is located in the
Milwaukee office. To share this protocol with the other three offices, an e-mail titled “the ringing
of the bell” is sent concurrently with the traditional announcement. A teleconference call may
also be set up so that the members across the firm’s four locations can share in the celebration
and hear the bell. Print communication is used on a limited basis for official information like
OSHA regulations and confidential information like compensation reviews.
Informal social gatherings are also encouraged on an irregular basis. These events are sponsored
and organized by staff. Dubbed “Fridays at Four,” these social gatherings offer an opportunity to
network with other employees and share creative ideas, snacks and refreshments. Held on-site in
a creative café room with white boards and comfortable furniture, these gatherings are a chance
for staff to brainstorm and unwind.