Exceptional Culture
How Powerhouse Planning Validated a Remote Culture Built on Trust and Connection
Fully remote since the start, Powerhouse Planning set out to prove that real connection doesn't require a shared office. Their team's response confirmed they're doing exactly that.
Company
Powerhouse Planning
Contact
Jessica Bertsch, President
Industry
Branding / PR
Location
Burke, USA
Overview
Why Agency Workplaces
Listening as a Leadership Practice
At Powerhouse, the team believes its people are its greatest strength. Leadership intentionally seeks and values feedback to ensure they are building a culture where individuals feel valued, supported, connected, and empowered to succeed.
That is why Powerhouse partnered with Agency Workplaces: to gather honest feedback directly from the team and confirm they are delivering on the culture, leadership, and experience they strive to provide.
Creating a great workplace requires continuous listening, learning, and improvement. Through transparent leadership, open communication, professional development opportunities, and a commitment to flexibility and accountability, Powerhouse works to create an environment where every team member can thrive and feel confident that their voice matters.
What We Learned
What Their Team Confirmed
Participating in the program gave Powerhouse valuable insight into how the team experiences workplace culture and leadership firsthand. Earning an overall culture score of 98 and an Exceptional Culture rating reinforced that the organization is successfully delivering on what it intentionally set out to create.
The results validated Powerhouse's commitment to building a culture centered on flexibility, accountability, connection, and support, while also confirming that the team feels valued and empowered in their roles.
Just as importantly, the program gave leadership the chance to hear directly from the team and ensure their experiences align with the company's intentions. It was encouraging to see that the culture they strive to foster is being felt and experienced by team members every day.
What's Next
Where Powerhouse Goes From Here
1 | Enhance Communication and Clarity: Continue refining how the team communicates client expectations, project scopes, and deliverables from the start of each engagement, with more consistent kickoff processes and touchpoints. |
2 | Support Healthy Workload Management: Encourage open conversations around capacity, create space for the team to raise concerns, and explore better ways to manage project timelines and priorities. |
3 | Strengthen Cross Team Connections: Create more opportunities for cross-functional collaboration, knowledge sharing, and relationship building across the organization. |
Tips for Building Great Culture
Lessons in Building Lasting Culture
• Lead with Your Values: Define your organization's values clearly and make sure they show up in everyday decisions, communication, hiring, and client interactions, not just on a website.
• Prioritize Communication: Whether the team is remote, hybrid, or in person, consistent check-ins and transparent updates keep people informed, connected, and invested.
• Create Opportunities for Connection: Strong relationships don't happen by accident. Build intentional moments for team-building, peer recognition, mentoring, or informal gatherings.
• Focus on Strengths: People thrive when they're doing work they enjoy and excel at. Understand each person's strengths and align responsibilities accordingly.
• Celebrate Wins, Big and Small: Recognition goes a long way. Celebrate milestones, project successes, and everyday contributions so people feel seen and valued.
• Listen and Adapt: Culture is not static. Regularly seek feedback and make meaningful adjustments to keep growing.
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