[davidw]

> require maintaining a sense of urgency--a tall order, especially in Patagonia's seemingly laid-back corporate culture

Interesting... so which is it? Is the "laid back" thing just marketing and they're running people around just like many other places, or do they things some other way?

[50208]

It's not marketing ... it's a work smart, play hard culture.

[davidw]

I've seen places where it's like that joke where the guy goes to hell and has to pick a room. The one room that seems most appealing has a bunch of people standing around in shit drinking beer and talking. Beats the other really unpleasant rooms where people have to stand on their heads on hard surfaces, so he picks it. He's getting settled in when the devil says "ok, break's over, heads down".

What those places have are pictures on their hiring site of people doing fun outdoor stuff or enjoying themselves, and a few stories of what a great culture they have.

But the actual culture is one where it's quite stressful and no one much really does the fun things any more than any other place, because ... "a sense of urgency".

I've heard a lot of good things about Patagonia though, so I think my cynical observations about some other places I've seen above may not be accurate, which makes me curious how things are actually run, day to day. I don't think it's easy to keep that balance, long term.

BTW: sometimes lots of urgency is fine too, but let's all be honest about it.

[my_username_is_]

I've talked to a few people who work (or worked) at Patagonia recently. They said that LMPGS paints a pretty accurate picture of the company. People are passionate and care about doing a good job, but they also care about enjoying their lives and getting a surf session in when the swell is good.

I would argue that it's necessary to keep a good balance long term. Especially within the outdoor industry, Patagonia isn't going to show up as authentic if their statements about culture are just window dressing. And if people aren't able to pursue their other passions without sacrificing their careers, eventually something will give... And people don't always choose to keep their desk job. So they're either going to lose touch with their consumer and lose their employees... or they're flexible with their hours and let people go surfing. Seems like an easy decision to me.