"We dare to be open" and "We lead the revolution. It may sound like empty marketing talk, but for Wouter Glaser, these core values were key to the success of his public relations agency Glasnost. And not just some words on the wall - he even said goodbye to clients who didn't fit them.

Investing in people

The agency, which he founded in 2012 and sold to communications group Ace in 2020, grew into one of the leading players in the Dutch PR market, with clients such as Google, Unilever and VodafoneZiggo.

In the podcast The Work Professor, Glaser explains how he achieved this growth. Striking detail: where in the consulting world a 20 percent profit rate is considered very good, Glasnost achieved 30 percent. All the while, the company invested heavily in its people.

'Investing in people is just important,' says Glaser. 'If people leave after two or three years, you have to explain to the customer that the team is changing again. That creates instability. You also have a lot of costs for recruiting and training.'

Strong core values

The key, according to Glaser, is a strong corporate culture with distinctive core values. 'Most companies don't have good core values,' he argues. 'They choose hollow terms like integrity or professional. If you are a bank and hire people, I can assume they have integrity.'

At Glasnost, applicants were not selected on resume, but on their match with the core values. Experienced employees conducted the initial interviews, focusing purely on cultural fit. "For example, they asked: tell us about a time when you wanted to be open, didn't dare, but eventually did?

This approach paid off in loyal employees as well as customers. Says Glaser, "We did have two clients leave us once, because they didn't fit our core values. One of them never credited our team for wonderful results. In London, the manager fell off his chair - he had never experienced that before.'

Openness and trust

After selling Glasnost to communications group Ace in 2020, Glaser founded Go Delphi. With this scaleup studio, he now helps other entrepreneurs professionalize and scale their businesses. He shares his experiences in a book to be published in early 2025.

One of his favorite methods is the "Start, Stop, Continue conversation," taken from the Rockefeller Habits. He often implemented this approach, in which teams indicate what they should start, stop or continue, during walks. "This helped create an atmosphere of openness and trust," Glaser said.

'It pays to read up on the best methodologies,' says Glaser. 'And sometimes you have to do things that seem counter-natural, like letting clients go who don't fit your core values. Everyone at the time advised me against doing certain things that way. But those choices all worked out well.'

3 takeaways from the podcast with Wouter Glaser:

1. Formulate a BHAG to inspire and provide direction
   A big, ambitious goal motivates your team and attracts customers. It provides long-term direction, while intermediate goals help monitor progress.
2. Use core values as a compass
   Choose core values that are distinctive and actionable. Select employees, customers and partners based on these values to build a strong culture.
3. Involve your team in improvements
   Start, Stop, Continue conversations help restore trust and involve employees in decision-making. This leads to better performance and a positive work atmosphere.

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