Colleagues and partners
11 | 2023 Sanna Valkeejärvi
Community and its well-being are in Kipinä's DNA, which is why it's hard to talk about community as a strategic choice. It’s a way of operating and the core of Kipinä. A thriving community, where it’s enjoyable to work but where results are still achieved, has been a given for Kipinä from the very beginning.
Throughout Kipina's history, the community and the organisation have been built remotely. Yet it has succeeded in building a strong community. Experienced professionals appreciate the fact that Kipinä is an organisation of grown-up people, where their work and the work of others is valued. The work itself is rewarding, not only because everyone becomes involved in Kipinä and client projects as a partner with their own face.
The community is functioning well at the moment, but the journey hasn't been without its challenges. A new way of working requires constant attention, good intuition, and ensuring that every Kipinä member is heard, including those who aren't naturally the loudest voices. Despite the challenges, the effort has been worth it when you look at the camaraderie among Kipinä colleagues. Work should be enjoyable, but Kipinä members don’t define themselves solely by their jobs—everyone has a life waiting after the workday ends.
Kipinä Symposium in the Turku Archipelago.
At Kipinä, collegiality runs deeper because it also represents partnership in the company. The connection between colleagues is strong when everyone trusts each other and is committed to shared goals. No one at Kipinä is just protecting their own role or job; there’s a genuine belief that we win together. At Kipinä, there’s no workplace politics or optimizing for one person’s success—everyone is on the same level.
Kipinä’s culture emphasizes warmth, psychological safety, valuing the community, active and in-depth discussions, openness, and well-being. The focus in group discussions has been flipped on its head; instead of concentrating solely on quarterly results, the focus is on what leads to well-being and long-term success.
At Kipinä, shared activities outside of work are part of the culture. Throughout the year, we gather for events like Kipinä Symposiums, ecosystem-wide after-work events, and Circle-of-peers gatherings. However, boosting team spirit and fostering a positive work environment isn’t based solely on these events and facilitated encounters. In a workplace of adults, being authentic is what matters most, and open discussions about even difficult topics are encouraged every day—not just during team-building days.
What matters is the community and the fact that everyone knows each other. To maintain this, a strategic (or ideological) decision will likely need to be made about how large the company can grow while still preserving the warmth and personal connections.
When colleagues truly know each other, it's easy to bring the other side of yourself to the workplace—your hobbies, family, and leisure interests. Everyone feels better when they don't have to separate different parts of themselves. A person is a whole being, whose well-being is made up of both work life and personal life, and the balance between the two.
