Shared experiences drive deep human connection in the workplace. 5’s book club is one of the most impactful ways that we orchestrate these meaningful moments for our team. When we gather to review, discuss, and debate each new book, we begin to form a unique vernacular and a deeper understanding of each other’s perspectives. Our conversations, about the book and subsequently about our business, create new avenues for organizational development and personal fulfillment.

Changing the way businesses approach their overall energy strategy, while simultaneously raising the bar for the entire deregulated power industry, is an audacious goal. When we started 5, we knew that we would need to be intentional about every aspect of our culture to make an impact of this magnitude, starting with The 5 Values.

We knew from the start that our unique approach to culture building and client value creation warranted an equally special focus on the way we challenge ourselves to continuously improve. With that in mind, we applied the name Batman to all of our brainstorming and strategy creation meetings. But let’s be clear, we are not referring to the Gotham City superhero. Instead, the name Batman comes from the inspiring personal story of Daniel Kish.

The recent winter storm in Texas reminds us that living our mission of helping others starts by caring for our families, neighbors, and co-workers. Our team, like yours, has experienced firsthand the emotional and physical stress caused by natural disasters, family emergencies, terrorist attacks, and more. When the power went out for millions of Texans, many of whom also lost running water as well, those of us who were not in the dark joined together to continue advising our clients while also rendering aid to one another. Below is a brief look into two of our team’s stories:

Since the onset of deregulation, energy brokers have been accustomed to receiving gifts, expensive meals, and lavish trips from suppliers in the name of relationship building. This quid pro quo approach can drive energy brokers to favor one supplier when selecting a winner at the end of a supposedly competitive bid process. Not only does this barrier to objectivity diminish the focus on the needs of the client, but it also produces subpar results that erode the entire value proposition of energy deregulation.

I can still hear the echoes of the worst recruiting advice I ever received as we were launching our business 9 years ago. When I told seasoned leaders in our industry that we were not planning to ask our sales team to sign non-competes and non-solicits, they consistently said, “you’re gonna regret that.”

I bet many of your teammates are spreading falsehoods about your company, leading to distrust, half-hearted effort, and apathy. Sounds crazy, right? The craziest part is that you are a contributor to the distortion, but thankfully, you also hold the keys to unlocking the solution.

“We could break every sales record and I wouldn’t be as proud as I am of our team today.”

When I receive these notes from fellow 5ers, it reaffirms my belief that shared experiences drive deep human connection in the workplace. We orchestrate unique and meaningful events throughout the year for our team that inspire creative thought, socialize stories of client impact, embrace diversity, unleash a childlike wonderment, and provide a platform for powerful vulnerability and individual growth. The shared experiences at 5 are a cornerstone for our award-winning culture.

Have you ever heard a friend or co-worker say that their annual performance review helped them to modify existing behaviors and transformed their performance going forward? Of course not. I believe that most annual performance reviews are designed to simplify a manager’s decisions concerning pay raises and bonuses while reducing an employee’s entire contribution down to a series of numbers and canned summary statements. It is disheartening to see the lack of effort that is put into the individual growth and development of our most important assets.