One of the core values of Growth Rocket (GR) is “Grow or GTFO.” Over the past year that I’ve been a writer here, I’ve realized that real growth happens by taking a...
One of the core values of Growth Rocket (GR) is “Grow or GTFO.”
Over the past year that I’ve been a writer here, I’ve realized that real growth happens by taking a step back. Just like muscles in our body, we must learn when to rest before we get back to work. At GR, we have the freedom to manage our time, work at our own pace, and take a step back when we need to. It’s how I’ve been able to achieve a work-life balance and stay happy.
But what does work-life balance mean at GR?
When it’s time to hustle, we put our best foot forward and make sure we give it our all. But when it’s time to party like there’s no tomorrow, we make sure we’re on the guestlist.
Since the pandemic started, time for partying has been scarce and close to non-existent. Even continuing with company operations has become a challenge because of the lack of physical interaction.
However, we’ve found ways to make it possible to adapt to these changes with the help of technology and various online platforms.
At GR, we follow a certain period during the day where everyone is expected to be online. Following these prescribed window hours helps us get our tasks done more efficiently. We call these overlapping hours our “collaborative period,” and it starts at 11:00 AM and ends at 3:00 PM. Employees are free to finish the remainder of their work hours whenever they can within the day.
Our flexible working hours set us apart from other companies where everyone is expected to clock in and out at a specific time, excluding OT work. And it’s set at just the perfect time of day: it’s not too early that you still feel groggy from sleep, but not too late that you can finish errands and have time for yourself after.
For me, work-life balance is being able to do your tasks efficiently while still finding time to fulfill your wants and do personal responsibilities. It is when your duties at work don’t compromise the time devoted to yourself, family, and friends.
But I wanted to find out more, so I conducted a survey to find out what my colleagues had to say about it.
For mothers like Aster (our HR & Admin Supervisor) and Anne (our Digital Marketing Supervisor) who need to take care of their kids, work-life balance means being able to tend to their needs while earning a living. While the pandemic has dramatically affected how we live our lives, they have taken this time to make the most of a bad situation. They can see their children grow, prepare healthy meals, and help in their school assignments. Talk about making lemonade out of lemons, right?
For my other officemates, a healthy work-life balance is unplugging when you need to. This setup includes getting enough sleep, catching up on their favorite TV shows and K-dramas, exercising, and feeding their pets.
Companies are not as functional without proper alignment in every department. Growth Rocket ensures that we find time to discuss concerns with clients and get updates on overall company performance to keep everyone on the same page.
Business Intelligence (BI) is held during the first Tuesday of each month and led by our management committee. It’s the perfect opportunity to inform everyone about the progress the team has made and is making. For example, Josh (our Sr. SEO Manager) talks about search engine rankings, while Bhea (our Director of Business and Operations) talks about client ROI.
During our BI meetings, our managers prepare a deck that presents month-on-month graphical data that’s easy to digest and understand. They also discuss milestones achieved, problems faced along the way, and propose action items to help solve and avoid these complications moving forward.
What I like about it the most is that there’s transparency within the company. We know if we are doing a tremendous job or need to step things up and do better.
The State of the Business Address (SOBA) is a quarterly report of everything that goes on at GR. SOBA is a macro look at the company’s performance, where we’re headed, and how every department helped us get to where we are today. Mike (our CEO) personally leads the discussion with his awesome deck full of informational insights.
As part of SOBA, Mike also tells us which clients have left, and which new brands we’ve onboarded. After the presentation, we’re given a chance to raise questions or concerns through an anonymous Q&A.
Even before we adopted our fully work-from-home setup, we’ve had several opportunities to grow and enhance our skills.
A leadership retreat was held back in 2020 at a farm bed and breakfast in Sta. Ana, Pampanga, where our leaders learned about different learning management frameworks and how to apply them at work. The retreat was a great escape from the busy cities and noisy traffic. The serene atmosphere gave the participants a fresh perspective, and gave them the chance to recharge their work batteries.
GR doesn’t practice “All work and no play.” Wouldn’t that be downright boring? In fact, we have a Culture Committee solely dedicated to organizing events, which I’m a proud member of. Our goal is to promote camaraderie within the company and reduce employee burnout.
Despite our current remote work setup, we let every employee mingle and have fun, especially since we’ve recently hired several new Rocketeers.
Feel Good Friday is a monthly end-of-the-week event filled with games, laughter, and prizes. To lessen the weight of burnout, the Culture Committee holds various games, such as KaHoot, Emoji Game, 4 Pics 1 Word, Charades, and Guess the Gibberish. It’s not only fun, we also get to win some amazing prizes!
GR just turned five last October 16, 2021. Everyone found time to fit in their busy schedule to celebrate the occasion through fun games. Some of my colleagues played Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and went head-to-head against each other in first-person shooting, while others had a wholesome game of Uno Online. But what excited everyone the most was Bingo where we won fantastic prizes.
We presented a video to cap off the celebration, which everyone took a part in. If you’re familiar with the “Pass the Brush” challenge on TikTok, that’s exactly what we did. Check out the video here.
Indeed, a healthy work-life balance is key to maintaining a productive and happy workforce. Our flexible working hours and online resources allow everyone to use their time according to their liking, whether focusing on tasks or wanting to lay back and unwind.
There’s no better workplace than one that helps you be the best you can be while having fun at the same time. I’m lucky to be a part of the Growth Rocket team!
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