by Jon Nevett, President and Chief Executive Officer, PIR
At Public Interest Registry—the people behind .ORG—our mission is to expand and support the online efforts of the global community of organizations and people dedicated to making the world a better place.
At this moment in time, this mission is more important than ever, as these organizations and people stand up to combat coronavirus, fight for social justice and equity, promote sustainability, and meet the needs of those facing hunger and poverty. We honor and celebrate these organizations and people and their work through programs such as the .ORG Impact Awards.
For us, taking on this mission starts with our organization, our people and our relentless commitment to building a culture of caring and respect. That is why we are so gratified to be named by the Washington Business Journal as one of Washington’s Best Places to Work in 2020.
This award is a reflection of our incredible team, the true affection that we feel for each other, and the thought and care that we’ve put into building a culture and environment where people are respected. As a result, we have a collective bond, and our people feel empowered to do great things, without hesitation, in support of the global community of mission-driven organizations.
At PIR, we make every decision with an eye toward a foundational question—how will this support and sustain the culture we’re seeking to build as an exemplary registry?
We see each of our people as a whole person, and their job, while important, is only one part of the tapestry that makes up their life. We want all of our people to achieve professional success, and we also want them to have full and robust personal lives. That’s one reason why we support our people taking a week off each year to volunteer for an organization they care about.
We believe in radical transparency. Every week, we hold an All Hands meeting to share information, such as our organizational goals and progress toward those goals, to raise important issues impacting our efforts, and to enhance our personal connections by celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and achievements. We conduct 360° evaluations of our management team annually and share the results with the broader team. And we spend the time to understand the differences in people’s working styles to improve communication and clarity.
We support diversity in all of its meanings. We appreciate and welcome different perspectives and lived experiences. Cultural and religious moments that are important to our employees are respected here at PIR, and we provide all of our employees with days off to celebrate these culturally or religiously significant days.
Most importantly, we create a supportive environment that honors people. When challenges arise, as they do in any workplace, we create moments for honest and accountable dialogue, done with the utmost of appreciation and respect.
In these challenging times, when our team is working from wherever, sustaining a culture like this is incredibly difficult. But I would argue that it’s precisely because of the culture that we’ve built that we’ve had an amazing year despite the challenges.
I want to personally thank each and every member of our team for their resilience and their commitment to our larger mission, and I want to congratulate them on this award. The work you do is really appreciated.
Thank you for all you do in support of the global .ORG community, and I look forward to continuing to partner with you to sustain our very special culture of caring and respect.