Before We Get Started

What is culture and why is it important? Culture is a set of shared values, competencies, and practices. We have two sets of primary stakeholders at Rebound: community members, including our volunteers, clients and partners, and our employees. Just as our programs and services are prepared for our clients, our workplace culture is curated by and for our employees (aka, you!).

“It’s better to control the story than have the story control you!” Workplace culture happens, so it is better to create the workplace culture we desire, just like it is better to create the story or the message we want to share.

As our organization grows the criteria for a positive workplace culture will evolve. When that happens, we are ready to amend our culture code as necessary.

At Rebound, we strive to be the best we can be and to reach our full potential (sound familiar?). This culture code works as a platform to ensure that we know who we are today, and who we aspire to become tomorrow.

Rebound’s mission is “to ensure children and youth throughout Northumberland County have the opportunity to develop a positive social and emotional foundation through accessible mental health, youth justice, and prosocial programs and services”. Our culture equips us with the workplace environment, and therefore the confidence and trust, that we each need to ensure that our mission is being fulfilled and our clients are receiving high-quality service.

Values that are lived by and embraced by our employees

At Rebound, we have high expectations for those who work here. We anticipate that all team members embrace these values and, when they do, shout it from their roof tops, or balconies.

Respect

We honour the diversity and dignity of children, youth, families, and the community

Resilience

We mobilize the strengths, skills, and resources of our clients and community

Responsibility

We demonstrate our commitment to the community through innovation, creativity, and collaboration

Ripple-effect

We believe that positive growth in individuals fosters community well-being

Where we stand

Our call for transparency

Rebound’s culture of transparency allows for openness and acceptance of ideas to be standard. Our leadership team is tasked with making tough decisions to ensure the best possible outcomes for Rebound and the Rebound team. Think of them as the captain of our stationary cruise ship. If something is not clear, ask for clarification and they will happily provide an explanation.

Transparency helps each of us be accountable to one another when things go right, and also when they go wrong. Transparently helps us to learn, communicate our learning, and continually improve. Transparency is the foundation of trust.

Our stance on decision making

When in doubt, use your best judgement and collaborate with colleagues or the leadership team. The formula is simple: when in doubt do what is best for the client. When in doubt, do what is best for Rebound as an organization. This ensures that our clients are our priority, and they remain at the centre of everything we do.

Our love and need for diversity

At Rebound, we value diversity and prioritize inclusivity within the workplace. To realize this, we seek out those who are (and think) differently from ourselves.

We grow through diverse perspectives and find success when we make this a priority. Our best teams are diverse, inclusive, and unified, and their outputs are of the highest quality.

Our source of motivation

Continually learn. Learn from each other, learn from our clients, learn from our families, learn from our community, learn from our successes, and learn from our mistakes.

We challenge the status quo and break down barriers by innovating. We identify a problem and learn how to address it. We educate ourselves so we are making the best decisions. We strive to continually improve ourselves as individuals, as a team, and as an organization.

Compensation

We understand the value of each employee at Rebound, and we reward a job well done. This helps us to both recruit and retain an all-star team.

Exceptional talent does not come free. We know that, and so do you. As a small not-for-profit organization, we continually work to ensure that we compensate our team appropriately within the constraints of our funding limitations. Our compensation package for full-time employees includes:

Healthcare plan
RRSP plan
Flex time
Flexible work environment
Professional development

Our approach to work: Rebound has

Personal accountability and the accountability to others

You’re accountable professionally
You’re accountable personally
You’re accountable for the work you do at Rebound
We hold each accountable to do the same

Client-centred decision making

You place clients at the centre of every decision
You consider the impact that actions will have on service to our clients
You ensure that clients are treated as a priority and with respect

Immediacy as an expectation

You recognize that our services are deployed in a timely fashion
You understand the expectation to adjust to change quickly
You apply the expectation that the immediate needs of our clients are addressed in a timely fashion through our programs and services

Service through excellency

You strive for excellence in the work you do each day
You collaborate with others to provide the best quality of service possible

Privilege

You understand that it is a privilege to work with our clients
You treat the relationships that are built through this work as a privilege
You recognize that we each have privilege and bias, which can positively and negatively impact the work we do and our relationships with colleagues and clients

Relationships

You create and maintain positive relationships with others
You demonstrate compassion for others
You support and collaborate with others to make certain that the best possible outcomes are achieved
You celebrate diversity and seek out opportunities to include others
You are brilliant, but not a jerk with it*

Trust

You show and demonstrate trust for your colleagues
You conduct your work with the best of intentions
You are accountable for the work you do and trust others who are fully accountable for the work they do

Mindfulness

You are mindful of your own wellbeing, and create time and space for a healthy work/life balance

*Brilliancy can be achieved by anyone. But once you make it, do not be rude about it. Brilliant jerks – a term made popular by Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, – are not tolerated and won’t be allowed to boss others around or put them down.

1. *“We respect ourselves and each other – we are a highly accountable team.”*

Rebound is special, for many reasons, but what really sets us apart is that we

Give a voice to those who don’t have one
Value opinions and avoid groupthink through fantastic candour
Communicate transparently and work collaboratively
Maintain our team’s impact through training and development
Continue to grow and evolve as our individual environments change
We respect ourselves and each other – we are highly accountable team

Wrapping up

That is all there is for now. We are constantly evaluating the ever-changing environment at Rebound and our place in the world. When things change, so does this cultural framework. But, for now, this is who we are and how we work. Do you want to help us to continue to evolve? Then become part of a terrific team and workplace culture.

Thank you for taking the time to understand Rebound’s culture and for committing to it. We appreciate your contribution and your dedication to supporting the children, youth and families of Northumberland County. We are so glad you are a part of our team; remember, you are at Rebound because you are able to make our team better, in a way that no one else can!