Polly Pearson's Blog

We Run EMC.

We Run EMC.  That's the name of a community of runners inside of EMC's social network. I thought that was so funny. What a great title, on many levels. I joined the group -- hoping for a little inspiration as my training has been lagging for a Triathlon I signed up for, and which is about to bite me in the behind if I don't get going! 

How Did I Miss This?

This afternoon, when checking out some new employee story videos added to the EMC Careers section on EMC.com, I noticed a very special new one I've managed to miss up until now -- View it here.

What a great story! EMC runners from Peru, Italy, Oregon, and more, can be seen sharing their views on a very untold part of EMC ... and at the very end, you see the reason they worked to raise money, train, and then fly themselves into Hopkinton for a 26+ mile run into Boston.  

 

 

Here it is again. It will lift your spirits, and show you something a little unexpected. I promise.

You can see why we let people like this run EMC.

PS: Glad to say I had a GREAT run today! 

-------------------- Talk Back -----------------------

Have you pushed yourself lately -- or supported making positive impact in addition to profit?

Some times we all just need a little inspiration to get the motivation. Right?

 - Polly Pearson

http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers

http://www.pollypearson.com

Initiative, Passion and Cultural Evolution: Day in the Life.

Some stand outs from my day at EMC:

C-level blogging and transparent communication
Meeting with our Vice Chairman and head of Global Sales, Bill Teuber, who wants to blaze new communication ground and is ready to personally share -- via blog, vlog and more -- the stories he encounters as EMC stakes its sights on a new level of success.

[Pictured: Bill Teuber on my flipcam.]

Moonwalks & SpongeBob StorageMan
Meeting with two EMC women who took initiative to bring back EMC HQ's "bring your child to work day." They proposed it, creatively figured out how to fund it, designed the event and are now going through the final details to make it great.  Included will be the first ever Jumpy House/Moonwalk in the courtyard at EMC's headquarter building and a Sponge Bob Square Pants-like character depicting our CLARiiON product.

[Pictured: Moonwalk, SpongeStorageMan, EMC Courtyard at HQ (in a storm.)]

Art Showing & Sale outside the Board Room
Spending ten minutes at a Gallery Showing of art for sale by local artists -- located right outside my office in a hallway leading to the Board Room.  (I want to buy 3 of them!) This excellent showing, the second of its kind, came from a man who creates graphics for our execs by day. He had the idea for such a showing by local artists, and made it happen. (Kudos Chuck!).

[Pictured: The Gallery Guide & The Gallery]

 

Achieving victory in a Roadblock-filled Deal
Seeing the agreement for a certain hot asset to join EMC. There were many moments in this deal's history where a company could have thrown in the towel. Not this place.

Oh, yeah, and a Tornado!

Excerpt from WBZ: At 3:10 pm, the National Weather Service Doppler Radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado near Hopkinton or 7 miles northwest of Milford moving southeast at 15 mph some locations in the warning include Holliston and Hopkinton.
 

----------------- Talk Back ---------------

How was your day?

How is your culture?

What I find enjoyable about EMC's is that it is consistently full of passion and initiative -- yet is also always evolving. It is not the same company from year-to-year -- and yet it is.

 

Culture Contrast: Harnessing the Power of People

A colleague emailed me this NYT article titled, "Apple's Obsession With Secrecy Grows Stronger."

It reeked of old world thinking to me. I truly hope it isn't true ... because up until reading this I've had a secret professional crush on Steve Jobs. Let's face it, he's charming and the products his vision and his team create either make you smile, or woo you with their beauty.

But wow.

Contrast the "lock it down, speak nothing, tweet nothing" culture, as depicted in this article, with what EMC has going on.

While we take confidentiality seriously, we're also moving at warp speed to the model that leverages more connections, more collaboration, more sharing, and everything else 2.0.  (Kudos to EMC leaders like Board Member, Jack Egan; Division President, Mark Lewis; HR EVP, Jack Mollen; and CTO, Jeff Nick; Marketing VP & CTO Chuck Hollis; and the influence of folks who joined us from RSA Security like Dr. Burt Kaliski, for "getting this" early on and encouraging EMC to learn new skills to unlock the business magic within 2.0 management and behavior models.)

The evolved EMC culture is a mecca for empowered Intrapreneurs, for people who like to be treated like adults, who enjoy the riches of connections and collaboration, and who have an abundance of gifts to share which, when harnessed, can fast-forward growth of nifty things like revenue, profit, markets, market share, brands, life-saving efforts, market value, awards, and customer appreciation of game-changing strategies.

Earlier today, I wrote a comment on another blog which discussed how one might position the value of a 2.0 model to companies looking for ROI.  My reply is intimately related to this discussion of workplace cultures -- and the business value of that culture model decision. It follows.

*********************************

*********************************

"Yesterday I presented my thoughts on the next wave of social media to an audience of business leaders for the TARA Exchange. I found myself using the analogy of a Triangle to show the value.

 

Imagine the top of the triangle as the "normal" top down driven way of getting information out and engaging audiences.  This is the typical command-and-control world.

 

Now look at the relative size of the bottom of the triangle.  Consider the backdrop of today's global business world where things change in a flash, and companies are looking for "strategic agility" to get growth, growth and more growth.

 

Would you like to have just the precious few engaging the world with your mission -- the top?  Or everybody? Will “just the top” get you there fast enough?

 

• Entrust your people. (99% will do the right thing; they really do want to help your business rather than hurt it.)

 

• Allow them to practice these new skills.  (Try an internal social network first. Ensure that the environment is supportive, and people understand that mistakes will happen – this is good. This is the place to learn. Encourage peer mentors in these new skills.)

 

• Provide them with some guidelines. (Be genuine yet positive; Connect & Engage as well as promote; Be careful to share only 'public' information; Mentor your peers with external tools as well and look out for one another; invest your time wisely; etc.)

 

And watch them become the most powerful and engaged organic brand managers you've ever seen! They'll do it for free, willingly, on their own time even ... and have a blast as they see the needle moving as a result of their efforts! They are a new type of leader in the 2.0 world. Here, leaders emerge at every level and pay-grade … and they come with faithful followers.

 

By leveraging the other side of the triangle, everyone is working with you to achieve growth, growth and more growth.

 

Look again at your triangle. 

You know what else it represents?  Think 'Delta,' the symbol of 'Change.'"

------------------------- Talk Back ----------------------

Thoughts?

I like to think that when the triangle is turned upside down, it really makes music ... for your shareholders, your business results, and the happiness of your really engaged people.

http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson

Pride and People: Great News

A Story about Wonders

Years ago, when I was running Investor Relations for EMC, a little voice in my head said, "This is fun and all, and gee, a lot of people are making a lot of money thanks to these efforts ... but one day, it would be nice if I could really and truly feel as though I was also working toward making the world a better place."

... and now I see our folks in IR, Marketing (including me!), Human Resources, and every where else here, making differences in ways well beyond commerce. Yes, our technology inventions and services keep the world of on-line everything humming every day ... and we're also helping families. We're helping to save a life. Not in a slogan sort of way. Truly.

[About the illustration:  This artwork is hung on the walls of our Mothers Rooms. These rooms are set up to be Oasis' for our nursing mothers, so that they can continue to keep their focus on their family, while knowing that the EMC family supports them doing just that.]

Enter the story of Nick Glasgow.

 

Exactly 30 days ago, EMC's EVP, Jack Mollen, heard that Nick, a 28 year-old EMC employee needed a bone marrow donor in order to save his life. His doctors told him there was zero chance of a match due to his Asian/Caucasian mix. In minutes, Mark Fredrickson, VP of EMC in Marketing, was engaged and asked to see what we could do to help. Within an hour, our PR and Marketing Communication/Social Media abilities and practitioners worked to help get the word out to see if we could help Nick find a bone marrow donor that could match his needs ... F-A-S-T!  (I think most every EMC blogger, micro-blogger and Facebook user put out the word to their network as soon as they got the news.)

The full, and still unfolding, story of this journey is documented on a blog, "The Race to Save Nick Glasgow," Mark and Dave Farmer, our head of Corporate PR, set up to help rally more interest and help while keeping everyone informed of the progress.

The most recent chapter can be found here, in an email Mark sent to all 42,000 EMCers tonight. (Shared with permission from Mark.)

Hope has been Found: Two Matching Donors Located.

_____________________________________________
From:   Fredrickson, Mark 
Sent:   Thursday, June 18, 2009 4:55 PM
To:     EMC ALL-Employees
Subject:        Nick Glasgow: Great news on an employee in need

In the weeks since we first shared Nick Glasgow's desperate situation with the EMC community, thousands of you have responded with action, support and kindness in ways that have provided tremendous hope and encouragement to Nick and his Mom, Carole -- both EMC colleagues in our Content Management & Archiving business based in Pleasanton, California. 

This week, Nick and Carole received the best news they have heard since his ordeal with Leukemia first began -- the hope of two potential bone marrow donors who appear to be extremely well-matched and willing. I am forwarding Carole's message about her son's encouraging news, as so many of you have asked to be kept informed. 

Nick still has a challenging road ahead of him. What is clear is that the heart of EMC people, which quickly spread beyond our company and into many other communities and businesses through the speed and efficiency of social networking, really can make a difference in ways beyond the work we all have in common.

Nick's story has brought unprecedented attention to the need for more people to register as potential donors, and the volume of new registrations has skyrocketed. We truly hope that Nick's life is the first of many to be saved by this compassionate response -- and that anyone considering joining the registry will do so.

For those who wish to follow Nick's progress, this blog will continue to be updated:
The Race to Save Nick Glasgow

Best,
Mark

Nick, we're with you.

----------------- Talk Back ------------------

What are you thinking right now?

A big "thank you" for the efforts to find a match goes to EMC customers, partners, employees, bloggers, Tweeters, and most of the entire tech industry for contributing in ways such as: getting tested personally, setting up and funding testing centers,and getting the word out to others via Facebook,Twitter, phone calls, emails, and personal pleas.

http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson

The Other Kind of "Culture" Alive and Well at EMC

Artists.

This gorgeous, living photography show is a Flickr stream populated by EMC photographers, globally. It greets me every time I log into our internal social network, EMC|ONE.

-----------------------------------------------

Another art-oriented group really seems to be taking off at EMC as well.  This one is known as the "Creators, Artists and Art Lovers" group.  In this group, they encourage and celebrate one another's work via monthly "art challenges." Lately, they started a monthly personal challenge by posting an illustration for inspiration (that evolution of the idea came from an employee in India). The work created, as a result, is posted in the community for all to appreciate.

Creators, Artists, Art-Lovers Group

A place to share creative efforts or discuss them. Painting, Photography, Dance, Sculpture, Poetry, Music, Literature, Pottery/Ceramics, Fabric, etc.

Featured work within this group has included watercolors, poetry, quilts, Persian rugs, and oil painting portraits like this employee-created wonder by Ian Kabat:

------ Talk back -----------

Suprising? Cool?

I think so.

Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
@pollypearson

EMC folks add to the discussion: "Why Do I Work at EMC?"

Joe Tucci started this bit of sharing. 

He wrote an open letter to Data Domain employees telling them a bit about what it is like here and how they would be treated if they decided to join the EMC family.

Now lots of folks are weighing in on why they work at EMC. These are

Real

Live

Folks

Working here in

THIS age of EMC. 

Here's what some of the folks are saying THIS WEEK:

Scott Waterhouse "Why would you want to be an EMC employee?"

Dave Spencer "Why work at EMC?"

Chuck Hollis "Why Do I Work For EMC?"

Steve Todd "What a Difference a Decade Makes" 

  Natalie Corridan-Gregg "I work for EMC because EMC works for Me."

Mark Twomey "Why do I work at EMC? For the 1%."

  Chad Sakac (Virtual Geek):  "Why I work for EMC..."

   

   Kathrin Winkler, "Have I mentioned that I love my job?"

  @MichelleLavoie, via Twitter: "Why work at EMC? Challenging, busy, learning, contributing, adding value, fun, people, even the occasional hug"

  @csiswim, via Twitter: "Why work at EMC? An expanding smorgasboard of diverse personal, business,and technical opportunities to whet any appetite for success."

     @phatphoto, via Twitter: I agree 100% with Scott W's blog post! EMC is a great place to work!

@NuzhatMkarim, via Twitter: "Why work at #EMC?" Cause I can b myself. I have a voice & am never just a number. I own what I do. Love the super smart down 2 earth ppl!

  @GMinks, via Twitter:  "Work w smart people, good place to find a partner too!! (Its how I met @brianrosenthal) :)

@kellylavin, via Twitter:  "Why work at #EMC ?" Employee Showcase, Visual Talk Radio show, @C2Cboston volunteer initiative, Campus Hires community, EMC Square/Store

  @dyoung322, via Twitter: "Why work at #EMC ?" Challenging, Endless Opportunities, Initiative is Commended, Involved w/ Community, Passionate People, Fun

  @mike_fishman, via Twitter: "Work at #EMC offers Opportunity, innovation, diversity both cultural and technical, reward, recognition, leadership, challenge, excitement"

  @mike_fishman "Why I work at #EMC" - And did I mention that working for EMC is wicked good fun! - It's nice to actually love your job and I do.

++++++++++++++++

Care to see body language in these sentiments?  Visit this site on YouTube.  Hear many more personal stories that were shared over the past few quarters about EMC:

Tom about his experience with his career development in Sales.

Renee about her career opportunities in HR.

Marisol about defining her life on a small island, in the Navy, at Harvard, and at EMC.

Glenn, a Stanford Grad, on empowerment and how EMC gives you the tools to create your personal  success.

Tom, about his experience at the front door of EMC.

Many of the stories can be heard in languages other than English. Such as:

Brittany's story, spoken in Mandarin

Stephan's story , spoken in German

Jose's story spoken in Spanish.

Dan's story, in Hebrew.

Nuzhat, in Bangla

+++++++++++++++++

I tend to think, at the end of the day, that work is personal.

Not everyone wants to think, play and grow in the land of Big opportunity.

That's cool. Keeping it small is just not our speed.

---------- Talk Back --------------

Why do you work where you are? Does the opportunity it presents match the size of your aspirations?

Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson
@pollypearson

"The Start-up Within ..."

What is the value of being part of EMC?

 

Soon after EMC added several software companies on the West Coast to its family earlier this decade, EMC's recruiting organization was tasked with attracting and hiring over 300 top-notch software developers into a newly formed software division (now known as the Content Management and Archiving Division).

DATELINE: March, 2006: The head of recruiting gave me a call asked for my help in shaping the conversation the recruiters had when presenting the EMC opportunity to the talent market.

To tackle the best way to convey EMC as a place to work, we decided to interview software developers to get their view.  We interviewed developers who recently accepted a position with EMC's software division; who refused a position with EMC's software division; and who have worked at EMC in software development for some time.  We asked them questions such as:

- What aspects of EMC did you find appealing?
- What aspects of EMC did you find unappealing?
- How would you describe the ideal situation/job for a software developer?
- How would you describe EMC as a place to work to a peer who worked elsewhere?

This ended up being one of my favorite projects.  I've worked in high-tech nearly my entire career and still, this little research project taught me so much. I won't say that the research was industrial-grade quality or that every element stands the test of time. But it did serve to validate some assumptions and cast new light on a true, compelling value of EMC as a place to work.

So what were the findings? Let me jump to the "unappealing" perceptions before I go to the appealing and the ultimate discussion point when seeking to engage people in the value of being part of EMC.

The Unappealing attribute perceptions:  There was a fear of the unknown. They were concerned about process at such a big company and the work challenge, in particular.

The Appealing attribute perceptions: EMC's company strength, inclusive of management, strategy, finances, viability, benefits, resources, market leadership and people.

The Ideal situation:  Technical challenge and an environment with technical management, freedom and flexibility, honesty, friendly, high-energy teams, technical resources, celebrations & rewards, visibility for work and a variety of challenges from which to learn and grow.

Many described EMC in quotes similar to this:  "EMC is a place where multiple, cutting edge projects are taking place -- all fueling growth and a differentiated strategy," and this: "EMC offers the challenge, career advancement, energy and freedom of a start-up."

Netting it all out:

"The Start-Up within ... a $10B+ Global Leader."

"At EMC, you experience the flexibility, freedom, and energy of a start up,
but with the resources and opportunities that a global leader brings."

In the subsequent years, we explored more deeply what EMC brings to the table as a place to work -- such as the ability to innovate every day -- you can find out more about that at EMC.com/careers and you can listen to folks, many of whom come from companies once acquired by EMC, on EMC's Career site on YouTube. There, you'll also hear words that get reflected across every product group and organization within the company -- like "passion," "energy" and "drive" in a "dynamic" environment. As one person said, no two days here are ever alike!

-------------- Talk Back ---------------

What's your ideal situation in a place to work?



Polly Pearson
18 years with EMC
"I signed on intending to stay for one year. It has never stopped being interesting or inspiring. My role here has changed as often as I've wanted. For me, that's fun."
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson

Coolness and the Cash Register: New Way to Engage Employees in Strategy Execution

Yesterday I visited EMC's internal social network (EMC|ONE), and I noticed a lot of activity around a new group known as VCE -- standing for the VmWare, Cisco and EMC strategic vision involving Cloud Computing.

The VCE vision is new, and compelling, and interest in it is spreading like wild fire throughout the community of information technology buyers and beyond.  Let me stress the word "new," from the vantage point of sales reps that would be engaged in this discussion -- and the word,"compelling" from the vantage point of IT customers. 

That is the Wonderful Problem.

Customers are eager to hear more. Sales reps are being asked to discuss the strategy so customers can start planning for this new paradigm in their shops. Time is money to everyone involved ... but how do you ready your field organization and beyond to lead such new strategic discussions ... NOW!?

ENTER: The Internal Social Network.

Within this platform the experts on the strategy, in the field and in HQ, are sharing real-time updates. They're sharing tips for how a rep can engage in the discussion. Reps are offering play-by-plays for how discussions went during recent Executive Briefings between customers, VMware, Cisco, and EMC. Everyone is acknowledging concerns a rep might have to a degree you wouldn't see in a "normal" piece of communication from HQ to the field forces. (Example: no one wants to mess up.) It is all very personal feeling, very real-time, very two-way, and very helpful. It is serving to build knowledge, confidence, and lessons learned. It is genuine and honest. It is motivating!

Reality TV and Warp Speed

It is also oddly exciting (even to me, as a person who has lived in this world for years). Like watching Reality TV right before your eyes on how a company of our size and scale (3 companies, actually) charts new territory -- only now, it is at 2.0 warp speed and everyone at EMC gets a voice and a seat at the table!

------------  Talk Back ---------------

If you're inside of EMC, check it out and share your impressions on this new model. 

Outside of EMC, has your company experienced this shift?

To me, I've seen great value and benefits from the happenings inside of EMC|ONE -- but this one is special. It feels really big. It represents mega engagement from the field forces to a new degree with obvious $$$$ value.

Kudos to the EMC folks who moved to leverage this platform and share your real-time info. Wild-fire away!!

Polly Pearson 
http://www.pollypearson.com;
http://twitter.com/pollypearson

Workplace Culture: You want "Passion?" Here's 6 Times the Passion.

A colleague of mine just wrote a blog post that shows the mood flowing through a lot of this place.

I had to chuckle, then I had to stop and count the amount of times certain words were used:

"Passion" 6 Times
"Cool" 4 Times
"Amazing," "Wonderful," "Engaging," and "Success"  2(+) Times.

All in a normal-sized blog post!

Makes me recall this recent quote from another EMCer's blog:

[photo: NBC]

"Optimism Returns To The IT Professional?"

We seem to have moved beyond the doom-and-gloom life-really-sucks outlook of just a few months ago and firmly towards the newer opportunities that lie ahead for all of us.

I'm just glad so many of these IT optimists are associated with EMC -- our employees, our partners and our valued customers. 

Makes working here more fun, it does.

------------------- Talk Back --------------------

Are you feeling it?

If you're not, connect with someone who is.   And, consider reading this short wonder of a book:

Shellana Henderson over at Gallup Consulting made my day last week when she sent me the book "How Full is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life."   It is filled with proof that moods are  contagious -- and -- the destruction that comes from lack of engagement (either positive or negative).

Actually, she sent me TWO books.  The other was "How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids."  The latter is a gorgeous and powerful children's book -- that potentially does as well, or better, than the adult book at conveying the concept.

My daughter Margo was so excited with the kids book that she brought it to school and had the teacher read it to her first grade class.  The teacher was so excited, she wrote to me and asked where she could get a copy of her own.

 

Margo's passion for the concepts in the book continue. She has sound effects she uses for when people are adding to the environment, or subtracting from the environment. She suggests time outs when someone is operating in the wrong direction.

The economy is lousy. We can get sucked in by it, or look to the opportunity within it. 

Brand Promises: Google and EMC Compared.

We usually take for granted what we're good at. 

Rob Enderle's recent article in Datamation, "EMC, Google and the Enterprise Market," spoke to me.  In this article, and a second with the same theme, this long-term tech analyst compares EMC's strengths as a company managing truly critical information with Google's. 

What these articles made me think about:

So much of what EMC's brand stands for to customers, and what we're really good at generally doesn't get headlines.  Inside of EMC, it is sort of taken for granted.  We don't promote it and we don't revel in it. We just "are" it.  (On reflection, isn't that a near-perfect illustration of "brand?")

What are the necessary strengths required by the organizations that the world depends upon? As Rob sees it (and I agree):

• You have to be trustworthy.
• You have to maintain relationships and protect the buyer.
• You have to deliver consistently what you promise.

You don't get those things overnight, or without millions upon millions invested in what makes things work like oxygen. (See Rob's articles for his recap of Microsoft's journey in this space.)

On-line Information and Oxygen.

 

Are they Sexy? Not really.  But the world doesn't run without them. As an executive affiliated with HP recently said to a large audience:

"When EMC is not present, really bad things happen."

   

EMC is present where all information deemed important is present -- from critical surgeries to President Obama's blackberry. 

In research into EMC's brand conducted by Interbrand, the number one one take away from our customers was this:

"EMC is seen as a Promise Keeper."

So is Google or EMC in a better position? Read Rob's article (s) to see his views, and then share what you think.

--------------- Talk Back ----------------

What do you think?

Personally, I can't imagine not having the great search product that Google developed. I also can't imagine my life without the many applications and activities that depend on EMC to operate. 

Like what?

My Visa card, ATMs, Fast Lanes through toll booths, Check-free banking, my blackberry, on-time airplanes, on-time package delivery, and EMC's Mozy back up for my home PC, for example.

You can find Rob on Twitter at @enderle. You can find me at @pollypearson



Polly
http://www.pollypearson.com

Workplace Culture: "If you can see it, do it."

Culture at EMC

About eighteen years ago, in my first week working at EMC, I asked the head of my department this question, "How do I become successful at EMC?"

I love that the answer he gave that day is still so appropriate.

He said, "If you see an opportunity to do something, ask if you can do it and chances are they'll say 'Yes.'"

An even more up-to-date version of this, thanks in large part to social media tools and EMC's 2.0 management philosophy:

"If you can see it, do it."*

There is ALWAYS opportunity to jump in and work on something here, regardless of how it fits into your official day job. 

My colleague Dave Spencer, wrote a post on this today sharing a bit of his story and other observations he had while at EMCWorld. Below is an excerpt:

"A while back I told Polly one of the things I’d tell a new (or potential) employee about EMC is that there’s always something that needs doing that isn’t being done, and that if you can find a way to do that, you’ll always have a place here.  It’s never been more true, or more easy, than it is today.  I can’t imagine this is unique to EMC, but I certainly admire the way which EMC has allowed and encouraged us to explore those opportunities."

Dave was kind enough to sit down with me a couple quarters ago to answer the question, "What inspires you about EMC?" This is one of two clips we posted to the EMC Careers channel on YouTube with his answers.You can get to know Dave a bit better and hear more on this in the short clip below. (At 1:19 he talks directly to this subject of this post.)

* The only caveat, deep in the code of the EMC Culture, is that you continue to execute your official job inclusive of meeting all your goals. Anything you wish to do on top of that is essentially an open door.

--------------------- Talk Back -----------------------

What's your story? Are you doing things at work because you saw an opportunity and jumped in?

"How to do Social Media for Business" Case Study in Action

How EMC is leveraging Social Media at its conference, EMC World, is a great case study to observe. It must be far from perfect -- and at the same time I'll say I've never seen anything as comprehensive and engaging on this scale. There are global followers of the thousands of tweets, blogs, news clips, and videos coming from the attendees originating from 96 countries  -- interacting with the attendees as if they were there, too. And that is from the "target audience!"  The "official" content from EMC  and mainstream journalists is on top of that.  

What's been happening?

- ENGAGING COVERAGE: Our customers and other attendees have been doing the reporting on what they find noteworthy in real-time on Twitter, with a hashtag (#EMCWorld) for everyone to keep track of one another's "coverage," and in their blogs and news reports.  (One  remote observer compared it to the relative silence that comes from Live Webcasts.  Twitter engages; it is 2-way communication.  Webcasts inform, but don't engage.)

- ENGAGING COVERAGE CONTENT: Our customers, bloggers,  employees and traditional journalists are sharing the photos and video clips -- you're seeing the event in the eye of the attendee.  See this cool composite of photos they're taking over on my colleague's Len's blog. He did a search on Flickr, embedded it in his blog, and it shows up as a living photostream. In another example, an attendee turned on his flip cam during a Q&Awith CEO Joe Tucci and had it loaded into his Tweetstream moments later for everyone to see.

- ENGAGING RELATIONSHIPS:  See the blogs by my colleagues Stu, Dave and Chuck. They all remark on the sea change they're feeling and experiencing in the quality of relationships with the attendees -- due to the fact that we've been engaging all year long via our blogs and Tweets  (on top the more typical "remembering people from last year's event.")

- ENGAGED AUDIENCES:  See what this "cynical" journalist had to say about EMC's use of social media and how EMC actually listened and responded in real time to what attendees needed and wanted during the conference, thanks to microblogging over Twitter and EMC's attentiveness to it. She also mentions how following the conference on Twitter made it that much easier for her to know what was going on where. In short, it added clear value and service to her.

- COOL and ENGAGING OFFICIAL COMPANY CONTENT:  Frankly, seeing this site is what put me over the edge to write this blog.  Check out EMC's social media site for this event containing video, blogs, presentations, event news updates via @EMCWorld on Twitter and more  -- most having  a 2.0 feel -- from the official company channels. See the 1min, in-the-hallway video of Frank Hauck, EVP of most of EMC, giving you the take aways from the conference. That's cool. See also the EMCWorld 2009 site on YouTube -- filled with customer videos, EMC brand videos, and an even an EMC employee/exec rock band, RunEMC playing a tribute song to our 30th anniversary as a company (look for my cameo!).

- Infotainment!  Attendees and observers alike seem to love it! This buzz is rounding the globe.

So with my marketing and branding leverage hat on, what this engagement communication model has done is to multiply (100x?) the value of the event itself.  This is one tree that didn't fall in the forest where no one could hear it.

So what about the substance?!

Is this just a pretty bowl of marketing whipped cream?

 

[photo: @ferne Arfin]

I'll point you to my colleague's Chuck's blog on that one.  There Chuck reminds us that this is no marketing event. Aside from the keynotes, this conference is all about engineers presenting technology to audiences of engineers. There are over 500 EMC Engineer presenters. I don't make a habit of going to this event because frankly it isn't meant for me. It would make my head explode. They're talking in techie speak that hurts even the minds of advanced Phd's. Its like a Mensa-convention-meets-MIT on steroids.

 -- The audience for this event spans 96 countries and numbers about 7,000. After JUST 1.5 days of the show, it was reported that over 1500 tweets were sent by attendees with the hashtag #EMCWorld. As over 200 attendees joined Twitter just today at the conference, I imagine this is growing exponentially as well. --

Kudos to everyone at EMC who put together what is clearly such a fine, well-received, and valued event.

----------------- Talk Back ------------------

What else did you notice in this case study?

This is one where new examples and value statements will continue to occur to me and everyone else who watched this study evolve for months to come.

And heck, the show isn't even half over yet.

Employment Branding and Culture Building: How to Double the Effect

"Emotions are Contagious. Your Mood Matters."

At the Simmons Leadership Conference a week or so ago I heard Annie McKee, author of "Becoming a Resonant Leader" speak. Wow. (See her, and read her books, if you ever get a chance.) 

In her presentation, she mentioned that it was recently discovered that we have in our brains, "Mirror Neurons."  (According to Wikipedia, "Some scientists consider mirror neurons one of the most important findings of neuroscience in the last decade.") These neurons offer evidence that we're physiologically tuned to pick up others emotions. Further, she said, certain emotions will shut down idea generation and creativity, and others will attract it.

An angry boss stomping toward your office will put you on high alert, for example. When this happens, you will get in "lock down," or safety mode. Idea generation and creativity shut down.  (An animal survival mechanism.)

On the flip side, when emotions such as hope, joy, compassion and excitement are exhibited, you are in an environment ripe for idea generation and innovation.

So how does this relate to Employment Branding and Culture Building?

Ask yourself what others might be mirroring in your environment. Are you creating environments where you could get two-times the goodness? Or two-times the bad?

See this post written by EMC's Dave Spencer today to get a real-time case study on a positive mirror effect and how this relates to building culture.  -- There is a ripple effect when a person says "yes," and when s/he experiences positive energy. --

Mirror Neurons bring the Gandhi quote to life, "Be the Change You Wish to See."

*************************************

Following is my tweet stream capturing take aways from this Annie McKee presentation if you're in the mood for more.

 

---------------------- Talk Back ------------------------

What do you think?

Can you see how a positive culture, tone, program, or person could be contagious?

Can you see how it doesn't have to cost any money?

I was at an event over the weekend with a family friend in the banking industry. He shared how poorly his company handled the tough subjects of pay cuts and layoffs. Clearly, these are terrible subjects.  Then, I considered how well EMC handled the same subjects a couple weeks ago. Sure no one liked the news of sacrifices, but we understood it. The company started with listening and when the time came to share the bad news, it led with empathy and the desire to save jobs and keep the family in-tact.   The employee response? Applause.

Here are other case study blogs on the power of these mirror neurons on culture building -- and how anyone and everyone in a company can add to the culture by taking the time to share the positive: Information Playground, "I'm Engaged!,"  "Confessions of an eBiz Junkie: Culture is Cool at EMC."

Other *free* options for culture building are listed in Annie's comments: "listening, caring and helping." 

Branding & Employee Engagement: Employees as Authors

 

An Environment

That Enables

Employees to Become Authors

"Speaks Volumes."

 

A few days ago I was on the phone with an editor  from BusinessWeek about the book published by EMC and written by 96 employees named, "The Working Mother Experience." 

She made a quick but assertive remark, "You'll have to update your profiles now to include the word, "author!"

Author?  Humm. 

How cool is that?  96 employees just became "Authors."

Today, it happened again. 40 EMC employees wrote a "definitive reference book" which was published with EMC's logo and blessing called "Information Storage and Management." This one is structured to be a college text book and reference guide for industry professionals.

Both books have accompanying web 2.0 properties.

The books -- both quite different -- occurred serendipitously, with no orchestration between them. 

They also have many strategic and similar attributes. They:

• Elevate EMC's brand. By merely existing, they speak to our values and culture as a company.
• Enhance the relationships we can have as a company with current and potentially new connections such as employees, customers, partners, professors, and informal influencers.
• Act as a sign of respect and recognition on behalf of the company to the Authors.
• Elevate the Personal Brands, as well as the sense of pride and accomplishment of everyone associated with writing and producing the books.
• Stretch the skills of our people and our company (we've never published books before!).
• and likely will ... meet the business case each advocate came up with when pitching the idea to his/her business unit or executive sponsor.

How cool is that?

 

This, to me, looks like the new face of branding. One that is experiential and participatory. One that has soul and is reflective of genuine people, passions and intellect. One that is not made on Madison Ave or in a PR person's office.

And unlike most ads or news releases produced by some very important and exclusive entity, you'll find regular folks who have a relationship with the company proudly telling and broadcasting the news about EMC's new books. They're telling their friends, neighbors, families and business associates. They're blogging about it, and tweeting about it.  The reach is far and wide and true.

How Cool is That?

------------------ Talk Back ------------------

Do you see potential brand and employee engagement benefits by having a company publish books by employees?

What about the same idea, on a smaller scale -- having the company be okay with employee participation on social networks in a brand-supportive manner?

The Relevance of New Fortune 500 Rankings and other Cool Recognition

I like EMC's upgrade on the FORTUNE 500 list!  By jumping from #201 to  #172, EMC is now "A FORTUNE 200 Company." Nice ring!

In related news ...

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal ran an article on FORTUNE 500 use of social media (inclusive of a snazzy quote by EMC's Chuck Hollis). Can you believe only 81 of the F500 have company sponsored blogs? Of those, only 23 have a company sponsored Twitter address linked to their blogs.  EMC, gladly, is in that elite list of 23.* 

Are more than 4/5ths of largest companies in America not aware of the shift to social media and blogs as a primary means of on-line communication -- now more popular than email? [See this Nielson report.] Or are their lawyers & leaders fearful of Web 2.0 to the point that they find it preferable to NOT engage the way customers and other business-generating communities wish to communicate today?

Other recognition I liked includes this NY Post article from last week on Employee Engagement. It profiles EMC's use of social media as especially beneficial for employee engagement and business value during an economic downturn.

Lastly, I don't think I ever called out Mashable ranking EMC as a Top 40 Brand on Twitter.

What's the point beyond "Hurray for EMC?"

Relevance.

The business climate is tough. In times like this you want to partner with companies that feel "safe," right?  But what made a company "safe" won't keep it safe.  All companies need to adapt. A FORTUNE 500 company that shows it can embrace new communication and engagement models -- and turn them into business leverage is a good thing. And, just maybe, such a company is also worthy of getting cozy with.

--------------- Talk Back ---------------

Is it important to you that companies you depend upon (financially or otherwise) show an ability to lead, adapt, and in this case, embrace emerging communication models?

Why do you think so many FORTUNE 500s are hesitant to embrace social media as a means to engage with talent, customers, prospects, investors, and more?

*Many of our bloggers can be found on EMC.com/community where you can also find EMC's FriendFeed inclusive of our Twitter accounts  such as @EMCCareers, @EMCWorld and @EMCCorp.

How I got hired ... Brands ... and the Boston Marathon

When I first interviewed at EMC, there was a recession happening in the US; EMC was laying off employees, the concept of hiring recent college grads was far from in vogue; and I had no legitimate experience for the job I hoped to land.

How did I get in?

The Boston Marathon comes immediately to mind.

To help convince the marketing department at EMC that they needed to hire me, I waged a PR campaign. Every couple of days something new would arrive at their offices which I hoped would get them buzzing, curious, and wanting more.

One of the campaign elements was a giant map of the world with a pin point over Hopkinton, Mass.  I wrote something that suggested that with me doing PR for EMC, Hopkinton would be on the global map for people due to EMC, as well as for the Boston Marathon.  (That was a bold concept as EMC was fairly small and little known at the time. Today, if you Wikipedia Hopkinton, it appears, however, the prediction came true. Wink.)

For the notion of brand-drafting and more, I love having EMC associated with the Boston Marathon. They are two enduring brands suggesting "the ultimate" in their space. They require passion, drive, mental determination, and the guts to do what many others would fear attempt. They are not for everyone -- but for those who have what it takes, there is no equal.

This week marked the running of the Boston Marathon. People pack elbow to elbow, helicopters hover overhead, VIPs make speeches, and photographers work to capture the electric mood and the gigantic scale of the packed crowd. 

 

EMC made the Marathon our own this year. We hosted in our homes, and celebrated in our headquarters, about 30 employees and customers who trained, and flew in from around the world to run this race. EMC athletes from Hong Kong to Brazil took part.

 

 

This week also marked a series of cool awards for EMC in the space of being a great place to work for the college-aged set -- Collegegrad.com named EMC a best employer for new grads, interns, and masters grads alike. (If you want to apply to EMC or connect with others about working there, check out www.emc.com/careers and the EMC page on Facebook.) 

EMC's college grads have long been making EMC their own. They're doing work other companies might say "falls beyond their years in the business."  They're helping to set the pace for the industry and the bar of what can be achieved. And they're also doing stuff that makes EMC just cooler to be part of. For example, a recent Marketing new college hire is behind a space at EMC HQ called "The Square." It has a Starbuck's-like coffee bar for lattes, hot soups, and healthy-foods to go. It has a large flat panel that broadcasts CNN, CNBC and happenings like the induction of a US President. It has a store where you can buy EMC gear, 500 gig home networked storage equipment, and candy bars. And it has a large gathering space with upbeat music where business meetings are a bit more personal, where the social media crew can hold Tweetups, and where we celebrate events such as a book launch dedicated to EMC Working Mothers and an Open House dedicated to our EMC Marathon Runners from around the world.

Where You Have to Run to Keep Up

In the realm of happenstance brand affinity and an anecdote so perfect for this post you'd think it was scripted...

A few weeks ago I asked a colleague who also joined EMC as a recent college grad about 20 years ago, "If you were a recent college grad evaluating all the top companies today, do you think you'd still choose EMC?"  His reply, "Absolutely. The culture of EMC is such that you have to run to keep up." The statement was finished with a wide smile and a head nod-- a gesture that said, "and man, that type of environment is exhilarating for folks who get into this type of pace and stimulation. 

--------- Talk Back ---------------

Would you still pick your company as the place for you today?

Think back to those days you were interviewing at your company. Were you lucky enough to have your vision come true?

If not, check out some of the amazing job search and career help blogs today. A few that I'm aware of, and visit often due to my day job at EMC, are:

http://www.brazencareerist.com/*

http://www.collegerecruiter.com/jobs/*

http://personalbrandingblog.wordpress.com/

http://www.cheezhead.com/

http://lindseypollak.com/blog/

http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/

http://alltop.com/*

http://www.downtownwomensclub.com/dwc/index.php

 

*Note: These blogs/sites  marked with an (*) syndicate my blog.

Photos from HopkintonMarathonCommitte.org and NuzhatMKarim.

 

Starstruck and Amazed at EMC

So I'm in the company cafeteria today and as I turn to head back to my office I see my friend Amnon -- a quiet, humble engineer with a giant smile, and a warm nature. 

Amnon waves "Hi" to me with that excited twinkle in his eye that I knew to be about the awesome launch from the Symmetrix labs this week, the Symmetrix V-Max. 

When I walk over to his lunch table to share a quick congrats I turned to my right to say hello to the man sitting with him.  I learn that this man, Haim, with a face I recognize but have not seen in a long time, is among the five original engineers on the Symmetrix platform.

I am Starstruck.

How to I describe why? These men are major contributors to a platform that has become one of the most well-known, long standing technology platforms in the industry. You can't send a text, book a flight, visit an ATM, trade a stock, make a purchase with a credit card, have a medical procedure, take a pill, or do most anything else in the course of your day without their work touching your life.

All that stuff I knew, and am used to ... and yet looking into the sparkling, proud eyes of a Symmetrix Founder, and an industry tech guru* on this week, where Symmetrix again captured the industry by storm, I was moved to my core. At that moment, I realized so much of the life I have built is largely related to the work and sacrifices these men and their colleagues have made.  

And then, call me Amazed.

On returning to my office I check my email to find a bunch of the editorial reviews on this week's Symmetrix launch. One read unlike any tech review I am used to seeing. It was written by the editor-in-chief of InfoStor, Dave Simpson. Some excerpts follow:  

Even the analyst community couldn’t resist hyperbole in covering this announcement. For example, Pund-IT Research’s Charles King and the Mesabi Group’s David Hill wrote that the Virtual Matrix Architecture and V-Max systems “are likely to incite a tectonic shift in the enterprise storage market” and that the improvements (relative to DMX-4) “range from the simply impressive to the seriously jaw-dropping.”

And, sending me agoogling, King and Hill noted that the Symmetrix V-Max systems are “based on highly integrated ‘layers,’ resulting in a delectably enterprise-class equivalent of a Sachertorte.”

In the past, every time EMC made a momentous move (say with the acquisitions of Documentum, RSA and VMware), I questioned their strategy and even predicted that some of their acquisition follies would end in failure. I was always wrong.

I quit nay-saying the Hopkinton honchos a long time ago. Sure, there are a few chinks in their armor, but they have more arrows in their quiver than a few of their competitors combined.

Wow.  Thanks Dave Simpson!

This week has been exhilarating, and it is still only Thursday.

On Monday, I got a heart-felt and personal note inclusive of reflection on his life as a working parent from EMC founder Dick Egan on hearing of our Working Mother Experience Book.  He told me to "Pass onto all the EMC working Moms (and Dads) my admiration for their outstanding work at EMC "... and of "how I am very proud of them." (He also enclosed his own self-published book of lawyer jokes -- which made me smile even more.)

On Tuesday, I saw masses of the company get engaged and rally around this new Symmetrix announcement.  And that an unprecedented 13,000 customers took part via attending a virtual world launch. Cool.

On Wednesday, I had my mailbox flooded with emails from ecstatic people who have discovered the Working Mother Experience book -- like a former EMC woman sales rep/mom from the 1980s! -- and from ecstatic executives and employees involved in the successful Symmetrix launch. I even got a visit from an engineer who said, with an exasperated smile and shaking of his head, "I'm just having so much fun!"

On Thursday, I have a casual encounter with some humble stars and read some very remarkable reviews.  

[*Amnon is so remarkable, btw, the Storage Anarchist dedicated a post to him titled, "I work with smart people" upon Amnon's receipt of an award that put him on a peer level with such tech gurus as the "fathers of" the world wide web; Netscape; Java; and the subject of analysis of computer algorithms.]

----------- Talk Back -------------

Don't you find it weird that a person who has been with a company for almost 18 years could possibly say she is starstruck and amazed at stuff happening within her company walls? I do. I kind of can't believe it myself. It truly is weird. And I like it.

If you enjoy stories like this on brands, careers, culture and cool, consider subscribing to this blog and getting bite sized morsels by following me on Twitter (twitter.com/pollypearson)

Employee Engagement Case Study in Action: Social Media to the V-Max!

Today, I believe, could mark a milestone for the case study of Employee Engagement in the Enterprise; where employees themselves, in record dimensions, are building and branding careers, culture and cool.

Such voluntary,passionate actions from employees at every grade level can't be schemed or concocted, or even effectively paid for.    

See this Tweet that just came from fellow EMCer Dave Spencer:

davidkspencer@pollypearson What's cool is I can't imagine working at a company that didn't engage bloggers/etc like this. How far things have come.

Where the Goals of Both Company and Employees Meet:  Social Media

Currently, EMC's internal social media platform -- a fully opt-in, mostly viral platform for employees to be heard, do what they love, be intellectually stimulated ,connect and collaborate with others in alignment with our company's strategy, and most everything else "good" is being enjoyed over 4.6 million times per month. Over 50% of our employees have crossed the 2.0 chasm and are actively participating every month. 

Once employees get a hang for how this 2.0 stuff works, they tend to find "their voice and have a greater understanding of the compelling value they can bring." What happens next? Many go outside the firewall. They contribute to the global discussion about your company and your products. They support one another. They become even more engaged along the way. 

• See EMC's Community of Bloggers on EMC.com
• See EMC's posted Social Media Links on that EMC.com Community page, such as FriendFeed listing all the engagement on today's launch
• And Wow! See all the EMC folks & fanatics on Twitter  (wefollow.com/tag/emc): 8,600+!! 

Today, Barry Burke of EMC is blogging all day about a product launch that, you'll see, he's hugely passionate about (I love the bootleg video he took!) and which is also highly strategic and compelling for our company.  On his blog, he's keeping a running list of all the blogs other EMCers are writing about it. 

 

------------ Talk Back ---------------

Can you feel what is happening here?  Brand and Product Marketing fully unconnected with size of budget or number of people "officially" tied to a given job task.

Great for the CEO, shareholders, customers, and employees alike. Maybe a bit painful for competitors. Bonus!

How cool is that?  

The Unexpected Reception of the Working Mother Experience Book: Part 1

The publishing of a book covering the personal lives of employees has never before been done at EMC, and for most other companies I would imagine. This book has rapidly become an invitation to having a type of discussion at work, and at home among spouses/significant others and families, which may not have ever taken place.  

In short, this is uncharted territory.

Following  are two quick interviews on the reception of The Working Mother Experience book. -- The one with Natalie opened up an entirely unexpected can of worms for me.  See "Talk Back" below. --

Seen below:  Natalie Corridan-Gregg, the first President of EMC's Women's Leadership Forum (referred to as WLF in the video) and the key force, or "Founding Mother" behind making this book become a reality, shares how it has been received within our company to date.  NOTE: turn up your volume so you can hear it well, my video interviewing skills are entirely amateur still. ;)

Seen here:  My daughter Margo, just moments after the book launch. She is sitting in my chair, in my office for this review.  I can assure you the interview with Natalie is much more informative.  The remarkable aspect of this video, for me, is the ripple effect that came from bringing to the surface the big role of working mothers for my daughter -- and by extension, 

• for her teacher who heard all about it from Margo, and who on receipt of a copy for herself expressed her deepest thanks and shared the fact that it was comforting to know she is not alone in her experiences as a working mom,  
• for the kids in my daughter's classroom who discussed this book about working moms as a result of "Margo being in a book, in a newspaper about a remarkable book, and on the computer talking about her experience with the book,"
• for the fellow teachers and administrators at Margo's school who have now seen and likely discussed the book,
• for my friends on Facebook who were moved to comment and ask for a copy when I attached a clip of Margo on the front page of the local paper doing a book signing,
• for a a long-ago friend, whom I can't recall speaking with since grade school, learning of the book via the newspaper clip of Margo on Facebook, now wanting to interview the people behind it for her Newspaper readers -- and -- start her own blog to "capture the other side;" stories of the stay-at-home working moms. She sees the opportunity to bridge awareness between moms themselves, as we all share the common goal of nurturing the next generation.

Humm. Who knew? And it has only been a week. 

You can download a copy of the book via emc.com, or if you'd like, send me an email to pearson_polly@emc.com and I'll send you a signed copy -- available while they  last.

--------------------- Talk Back ----------------------

 

 What were your thoughts on hearing Natalie's recap?

What about the Manager who, in essence, said he never felt comfortable with talking with his women employees about their personal lives before ... and that having read the book, he feels more informed and aware?

Wow. It NEVER occurred to me that this situation could be happening among men managers with women employees.  

And yet, as I thought more about it, can any of us say this hasn't happened to us at work when it comes to having a personal/casual conversation with a person of a different race or sexual orientation where we don't know the norms or the subtext of what is appropriate and what isn't?

In those instances, I too, have opted NOT to have the conversation at all rather than saying something that might offend.     Is that a good practice?  

The Working Mother's Book Launch

The launch party of the Working Mother Experience book was a standing room only, high energy event.

The authors were in demand -- signing books for most everyone in attendance. News photographers were snapping photos, and capturing names. There were balloons, flowers, cup cakes, huge smiles, lots of hugs, speeches, and a buzz that was audible throughout EMC's airport-sized headquarter building.

Here's a video of the event taken EMCer Candi Imming.

One guest in high demand for her autograph was my daughter, Margo Pearson. In addition to being the day that launched a book, which contained a story, which featured this vibrant youngster, it was her seventh birthday.  (What better way to spend a birthday than to be with other amazing and accomplished women, eat cup cakes, be photographed, sign autographs and look fabulous?)

This is what she, Margo, had to say about the event in a report she wrote up as it was coming to a close:

"I got my story in a book! And I got a name tag and since it was my Brithday I got Alot of Sticers on it! And you are sapos to onlley have One sticker. But, I got more. And I got cake and ice crem And I LOVed it. And thar wer Blun's and the coller was Black, RWit, ReD, and more RWit. And I sigded allot of Book's! And this is how I signed them! Margo."

 

(Photos by Candi Imming.)

 

The following is an excerpt from the story I wrote in the book; the story that featured Margo's view of what women can accomplish in the world: 

 I was shocked when, in 2004, my nine-year-old,"old-soul" daughter, Sophie, said as a clear statement of fact "Women can't be President." I could not control the volume and tone of dismay in reply, "Whaaaat did you say?"

...

Flash forward to 2007. My youngest daughter, Margo, is now a vivacious five-year old. Her often-whispered nickname in the family is "The CEO." She's been running the household and all who come into her presence since she arrived on Earth -- so much so that it is our biggest parenting quandary.

About a month ago, I thought I'd introduce her to prayer. Perhaps starting a relationship with God, I thought, would help reinforce values of respect and gratitude. During our first bedtime prayer, I could tell she was riveted. She joined me by repeating a long list of the people and things in our life we are thankful for. Then, when the prayer was over, she rolled over in bed to face me and asked oh so earnestly, "Mom, how do I become God? That's the job I want."

 

Today, I found Margo's star power did not end at the event.  She graced the front page of many newspapers local to our headquarter building. 

Putting the proud Mother aside, following is a photograph of a few other now famous people snapped at the event by EMCer/blogger Gina Minksof EMCer/bloggers Steve Todd and Barry Burke.

  

----------------- Talk Back ------------

What's on your mind as you read this?

As I compiled the photos, I couldn't help but notice the support of people who have come to know one another through social media at EMC. 

As great as the book is,had it not been for the social media connection, I am not entirely sure that folks like Candi Imming, Steve Todd, and Barry Burke would have torn themselves away from the Engineering labs to be at this event (just days prior to a MAJOR product launch at EMC to boot!) Or that EMCers Dave Spencer, Briane Keefe, Nuzhat Karim, Kris Cornwall, or Gina Minks would be tweeting about it. (check out #WME for a full string!)

But that is exactly what friends, family and fans do for one another.

EMC has always been a family.  In fact, "family" is the word the FORTUNE editors used as the #1 take away from their "FORTUNE 100 Best Places to Work For" survey of EMC employees last year.

Founder Dick Egan  said to me in 1992 he believed EMC stood for "Egan's Many Children."

It isn't 1992 any more ... but gee, it sure is feeling more and more like a family around here lately. And I like it that way. :)

Mothers Day ... make that "Working Mothers Day"

About two years ago I ran into an EMC woman, Natalie Corridan-Gregg, in the hallway. She recently had a baby. We shared a quick story about motherhood and working, and then went our separate, EMC-fast-paced, ways.

A few days later I received the most beautiful, goose-bump-type story from "new mom" Natalie via email. It was about her baby. I shared a story back. Then a light bulb hit us.  "I bet there are other moms at EMC with similar stories.  We should put them in a book! Imagine what a different side of EMC, and the world of working women,  it would show."

And thus it began.

 

Today, we, the Women of EMC, give birth to a new baby: The Working Mother Experience.

In it, you'll find our stories of Work, Motherhood, Parenting, and "Bringing It" every day in tandem with the values, culture, execution-expectations, and intellectual exhilaration that is "us," and that is, "EMC."

It is written by about 100 women EMCers, and one, single-working, EMC dad. The stories come from 15 different countries.  Bulgaria, Spain, India, Ireland, Israel, and the United States among them. It is a glossy, 250-page, weighty-book-of-substance, filled with passion, heart and amazing insights.

The book is an unexpected "page-turner," even for me.  Wisdom, wit and tolerance comes from wonderful places, like the voices of 5-year olds and 13-year olds.  It is like "Reality TV," complete with infuriating moments, for family life at the dawn of the 21st Century. How are we really coping? What are our days really like?

I don't think you've ever read anything quite like it.  Some people comment on the "humanity" and "honesty" of it. Others on the "love" and "beauty."  I'd love to know what your comment would be.

Here are two samples:

Joanna Pelc

Commercial Channel Manager, Poland

Mother of one: one youth

Excerpt from Joanna's essay (p. 138):

“Sometimes stress eats me up, but I try to forget about it when I am spending time with daughter. I remember that some time ago I found that, because of stress caused by work, I was irritable with my daughter. One day I told myself: “This is enough, what are you doing?” I learned to control it and now, after stepping into my home, I stop thinking about work—or at least I try.”

Why she wanted to contribute her story to the book:

Participation in the project and the chance to tell my story was very important to me. I want to show how difficult it is to deal with all the duties at work and at home if you raise a child as a single mother. It takes me a lot of time to control my daily agenda and tasks so that I can help my daughter grow up to be brave, wise, and joyful. I wanted to show that women are very strong and, contrary to what one might expect, we can deal with many difficult situations. While these have a price, you should not let these difficulties at work or at home get in the way of the most important things in your life.

Toby Zeldin Yaakov

Senior Technical Writer,  RSA Security, Israel

Mother of two: two youths

Excerpt from Toby’s essay (p. 104):

“Does any woman actually dream of being a working mother? It’s a 24/7 smorgasbord of personal and work challenges all rolled into one. And for me, the icing on the cake is that I’m a working mother in the Middle East. I could never have imagined the swirled topping of ups, downs, and inside-outs of this working-mother’s life I lead: I’m a city girl from Toronto living in a far-away, out-of-the-way Yemen-Israeli community named Moshav Tnuvot, a former screenwriter now writing API documentation, employed by a U.S. corporation and working in the Israeli high-tech industry, and the English-speaking mother of two girls who speak Hebrew.”

Why she wanted to contribute her story to the book:

I think it's important to participate in projects in which employees are involved in activities outside of their usual work routines. A project such as this is especially interesting in a large, global company like EMC because you are exposed to the perspectives of people from around the world. I have a particular interest in projects about working mothers—because I am one!

I'll share more about it on this blog. I also encourage you to get more of a flavor and excerpts from the book, by visiting the blog Natalie created, fully dedicated to the global, Working Mother Experience.

A HUGE thanks goes out to my friend, EMC EVP, Frank Hauck for sponsoring the book project, and to my dear friend and colleague, EMC Executive & Internal Communications Fantastic-o/Project Leader, Stacey Yeoman, for managing it, and bringing it to life.

If you'd like a signed copy of the book, send me a note at pearson_polly@emc.com. I'll send one to you, free of charge, while supplies last. (I'll try to get Natalie's and Stacey's signature for you, too!) If you'd like to download the book, you can do so starting today at emc.com.

------------------ Talk Back --------------------

What do you think could come of this project? Will it impact Employee Engagement, Awareness for the not-at-work-world of Working Moms, Inclusion, other?  We really don't know where it will lead -- it just felt right to do it. 

Stories often start to flow out of people once they've read a page or two, especially from the dads among us. :)

What's your story?

What's your comment on this project or subject matter?

I hope you feel something when you read the book. Please circle back and let me know.

The Business World's version of "Sexiest Company of the Year?"

Okay, that might be a reach ... but still it was pretty cool to see today:

 

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FORTUNE names EMC THE ONLY TECHNOLOGY COMPANY AMONG World’s 10 Most Admired Companies For Product and Service Quality

EMC Named "Industry Champion" in its Sector for Second Year in a Row

EMC was ranked #1 in all nine individual categories including Innovation, People Management, Use of Corporate Assets, Social Responsibility, Quality of Management, Financial Soundness, Long-Term Investment, Quality of Products and Services and Global Competitiveness.

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EMC Ireland sent me this little ditty today:

Just named #1 for Diversity in Ireland

and also took home an award for

Best Places to Work in Ireland

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And the one and only Thomas Otter, Industry Analyst with Gartner sent this sweet little Tweet
regarding EMC's use of social media:

 

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Dear Thomas; People of Ireland; and the financial analysts, FORTUNE 1000 and Global 500 top executives and board members who rated companies for the FORTUNE World's Most Admired,

Thanks for the love.  We appreciate it! 

xxxxxxooooo,

Polly and the folks at EMC.

One Year Later: Are you Feelin' it?

EMC's Innovation Conference who-ha is wrapping up today. We'll showcase the idea finalists and honor our winners and new Distinguished Engineers/Fellows at our company-wide meeting we call, "The Quarterly."

So I had a lot of take aways from The Innovation Conference. I'll start with the 'one year later' observation on our behavior as an organization.  Last year our internal social network, EMC ONE was brand new. About 4 weeks old, operating in stealth mode.  Chuck Holliswas a presenter at the conference. He shared the new tool -- a tool allowing us to connect, collaborate and do all the web 2.0 stuff many of us take for granted, like drinking water, today. I was stunned when a member of the audience -- our techie audience no less -- asked, "Why would I want to participate on such a network? Will I get paid more to do it?"  Another asked, "What if my boss doesn't get it and I get in trouble for writing something s/he didn't like?"

Why participate? Such a question seems laughable now!  Consider:

• The conference theme was coined by EMCers participating on EMC ONE.
• The logistics were planned by EMCers participating on EMC ONE. 
• Proposed "innovation ideas" were presented and discussed by EMCers participating on EMC ONE.
• Winners were voted via a poll of EMCers participating on EMC ONE. 
• People who engaged all year from more than 60 countries -- in the more than 80 communities inside of EMC ONE -- were included in this year's conference via the global video broadcast.  
• The conference went live around the world, and the world went live back to the conference as we toggled from our facilities and EMC crowds waving in Shanghai, Israel, Ireland, India, Russia and Massachusetts.  

This meeting was was different from those I've experienced  throughout my 17 year-career at EMC. Not so much on content (that's always pretty good) -- but on the intangible "feeling" of connection.  For example, I've always known all of the execs in the room. The PR guy, the marketing folks, and the events crew. I have known a few of the "all star" techies, too ... but everyone else, not so much.  And yet, even with those I "knew" -- did I really "know" them as people? Not so much.

Fast forward a year.

The Conference event to me was filled with "friends." 

People I didn't know a year ago.

People I would have had no catalyst to interact with a year ago.

People who don't work in the HQ building.

People I've learned a lot from in the past year.

and people, now working together via many social networking/"Enterprise Collaboration" tools,  who have done so much to further EMC's brand, EMC's connection and value to customers, EMC's innovations, EMC inclusiveness, and EMC's warmth as a place to work.

All because they WANTED to, were passionate about their subject and opinion and willing to sacrifice a whole lot of personal time to do it. 

After the conference -- where this year Steve Todd seemed to be a conference brand name -- many of us, who regularly connect and conduct business via an assortment of web 2.0 tools, went out to share a laugh in person. A treat was having inaugural Visual Talk Radio guest, co-creator, and sometimes co-host, Mark Twomey (aka Storagezilla) join us in person. Joining us was new friend, Radha Sekhar, visiting EMC EMC India, who reminded us to celebrate the moment with this photo -- a moment, which for me represented an amazing landmark year for EMC and our future global and connected competitiveness.

Is it all roses? No. Some folks still don't get it. One person told me there was a joke at another meeting recently that all bloggers should get back to doing their jobs or be fired. Some folks were still thinking in business unit silos, versus global collaboration. But for 95%+ of the people involved in the Innovation Conference, it sure felt as though they 'got it.'  We have about 8,000 active participants in EMC ONE currently. The next step? Keep spreading the knowledge, the rewards and the 'feelin' to other 32,000 who might look at web 2.0 with the same type of questions our innovators had last year when learning of EMC ONE.

PICTURED: Steve, Stu, 'Zilla, Brian, Gina, Rahdha and me.  Steve's pepper shaker is symbolizing the award he won for having one of the top 3 "best ideas" from the global idea contest which yielded 984 submissions from EMCers around the world. Blogger and co-community manager in EMC's Culture Talk community, David Spencer, had just left -- as did EMC techie and fellow blogger, Dave Graham.

Check out Gina's blog on this same event. She included a brainy 'concept map' on the connections those of us out sharing a laugh have -- connections that wouldn't have taken place without these new 2.0 tools.

------------------------ Talk Back -----------------------

Can you see the value -- and the potential value -- of these types of connections yet? Connections that by-pass organizational silos, geographies, hierarchies, and the skin-deep 'knowing' of people in the standard business-as-usual environment?

Innovation Fest!

Our latest episode of Visual Talk Radio -- LIVE! Subject: Innovation's new vibe at EMC.

 

Pictured:  In the sound studio with, from right to left,

- EMC Visual Talk Radio producer, Drew Pion (he's telling us what to do);

- Program Co-host and VRT co-founder, Steve Todd;

- Guest, Sr. Director in EMC's Chief Technology Office, co-founder of EMC's Innovation Idea Contest and  Conference; Heather Healy, 

- and me -- the short one with the big smile.

Calling in remotely as guests on the show were Dr. Burt Kaliski (dialing in from China), our Director of the EMC Innovation Network; and

- Michelle Kerby, our Sr. Manager, Office of the CTO, and creator of the World-wide Lecture Tour of Innovation Sensation!

************************************

It was a tremendous show and a great kick off to this week's Innovation Conference, where 350 EMCers from around the world will join together for three days in Franklin, Mass and another 40,000+ EMCers are invited to attend via Microsoft LIVE Meeting.

During the show we covered how much has changed on the innovation landscape at EMC over the past 18 months.  We've formed:

New communities -- s/a EMC ONE, our social network inside of EMC.

New connections -- s/a those among our global Centers of Excellence, and the people of EMC innovating in more than 60 countries around the globe as we collaborate among ourselves and among the top thinkers and universities around the world. 

New career tracks -- s/a our Distinugished Engineers and Fellows

New concepts -- s/a those hatched during the '07 and '08 Idea Contests

New communications -- s/a our Innovators Lecture Series and our Visual Talk Radio Show.

New Customer Interactions -- s/a the display of many of our great ideas from the '07 conference at the EMC customer and industry event EMC World -- which generated new interest in, and new business for EMC.

and a New Course -- a course today that is open, global, collaborative, fast, empowered, dynamic and results-packed.

I'm off to the Conference now. 

Check out the blog I just noticed from colleague Chuck Hollis on the Day in the Life of EMC event I've been telling you about. He mentions redefining how we look at ROI in the realm of the social network fabric ... as does my colleague Dave Spencer in another blog on a new type of ROI happening at EMC by way of social networks, web 2.0 and a whole lot of new, magical-feeling connections.

----------------- Talk Back ------------------

What's shakin' in your shop? Is inclusive innovation bursting at the seams or plodding along?

 

Innovation Mojo and the Global Citizen

This week's highlight of Energized Innovation at EMC was written today by none other than BusinessWeek's Steve Hamm.  (Thanks Steve!)

--- This post is Part 5 on my series on Energized Innovation at EMC. ---

 

 

In this BusinessWeek GLOBESPOTTING feature, Steve writes about the story, people, and the business strategy surrounding EMC's China R&D Facility and our global innovation model.  EMC's Charles Fan is the major player in this story and is highlighted as a "great example of a new type of business person," "the Global Business Citizen."  (I introduced you to Charles Fan here.)

This story brings to the mainstream EMC practices Steve Todd has been telling us about over on his "Information Playground" blog.  See this post, "Innovation Pockets vs. Level Playing Field"  as an example, from the viewpoint of one of our US-based top developers, for more on how EMC adds mojo to its innovation these days. 

What you'll find in the folksy business stories from both Steve Hamm and Steve Todd is a new type of model at play at EMC --one that invites and develops ideas from EVERYWHERE and EVERYONE.

You can also read more about Charles and his energized community of EMC innovators in this new book that is just now for sale on Amazon.com called, "Closing the Engagement Gap. How Great Companies Unlock Employee Potential for Superior Results."   In the making of this book, I had the pleasure of joining one of the authors as she interviewed EMCers from around the world, including a member of Charles Fan's staff, Ying Li, to hear what inspires people about working at EMC and how these compelling sources of inspiration work deliver fantastic business results.

------------- Talk Back --------------------

Is innovation still command & control at your company? Do you feel welcome, invited and expected to bring ideas and innovation forward? Do raise your hand or wait to be asked? 

 

 

Energized Innovation: The 2008 Class of Really Smart EMCers is Announced!

Part 4 in a series on Energized Innovation -- or what we call around here, "Smart Fun."

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Last week I videoed about 30 fairly random people from EMC and asked them what stood out about EMC as a place to work.  Just about everyone said something like this,

“Every day I get to innovate. I feel as though I get to be an entrepreneur and invent new ways of doing things and solving problems.  And I get to do this alongside some of the smartest and most energized people I’ve ever met.”

Okay, so if this sentiment is everywhere – in every function – imagine how smart, energized, and innovative the people are who we call out and place into an elite league? A league that we call "Distinguished Engineers and Fellows."

 

Today was a day for such a call out of "Elites."

I received the news that my pal Steve made the list early this morning via an email from Steve that had the word “champagne” in the subject line. (My Twitter followers found out seconds later!)

At about 3pm today, the full 2008 class of Distinguished Engineers and Fellows  -- members of the EMC family from China, California, Massachusetts and more -- was announced by EMC’s CTO, Jeff Nick, to everyone at EMC.

CONGRATULATIONS  Bob, Amnon, Doug, Craig, Francesco, Jim, Magnus, Peter, Phil, Roy, Sorin, and Steve!

I’ve never loved feeling so dumb.

Back in June I wrote more about what this is all about – our career track for techies who are great at inventing mind boggling stuff – and how we recognize them. 
http://www.pollypearson.com/main/2008/06/but-what-if-you-dont-want-to-manage-people-techies-read-on.html.

Check it out. 

----------------Talk Back -----------------

Are you ever humbled by the smart people you get to work with?  If not, is that a good thing?

Innovation & Smart Fun: An "EMC-Stanford-MIT" Experience

The following is the third blog post in a series on 'Energized Innovation" at EMC.

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I attended a very cool briefing recently. It felt like I was sitting in a classroom at MIT or Stanford, only here I was at EMC’s headquarters in the lovely ‘burbs about 30 miles west of Boston.

                       

  

Photos:  Hopkinton, Mass in the Fall, Flickr Creative Commons, by Punkala of Hopkinton, Mass.

How was this happening unlike other typical corporate information sharing sessions?

Envision a decidedly international room filled with really smart technologists and a bearded Chief Architect at the front of the room discussing – in the most informed, transparent and brilliant manner everything you might want to know if you were the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Technical Officer or a Product Developer about a yet to be announced – and truly exciting -- offering. This wasn’t a meeting for the executives of the company – it was for anyone at the company. The briefing was conducted by the Chief Architect on the subject. The presentation covered both technology and strategy and left plenty of time for brainy questions from the audience throughout.

"Respect" is a word came to mind (and ‘wow’). I loved that an expert on this new, new offering took the time to brief every-day-fellow-EMCers – and to do it in such a way that it built common knowledge and unified enthusiasm for what was to come.

The briefing is one of a relatively new, "Distinguished Engineer Series" that is the brainchild of our Asian Affinity Circle. The Asian Circle advertised it in tandem with all the affinity circles at EMC. (My invite came from the Women’s Leadership Forum) They are working to "open all EMC employees to the new developments and technical expertise from the company and set up role models for employees who are pursuing the Engineering track."

-------------Talk Back ---------------------

Pretty cool, eh?

Energizing Innovation and Culture, Part 1

This blog is the first of a mini-series on Innovation at EMC.

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With EMC's most recent re-birth from a pure storage company leading an approximately $25 billion industry, into an Information Infrastructure company leading a market that is nearly $70 billion in size, we re-examined our brand and what we stood for as a company. 

As part of the process, we asked a sampling of our customers, our employees and our senior executives what EMC stood for.  We used this to inform our brand architecture and write our first employee credo.

When I shared the credo with CEO Joe Tucci, he read it carefully. Then he read it again and added a single word.

What was that word?

"Innovation."

That was the year 2003.  Look what's happened since then:

 

Source: EMC R&D investments are reported each quarter. Investments generally run between 10-12% of revenue (sizable!).  Market share data comes from industry analyst firms Gartner and IDC,  each of whom report quarterly.

   

(CAGR refers to compound annual growth rate.)

 

What did the rest of the credo say?  It is as follows:

WHO WE ARE

We are a leading technology company that is driven to perform, to partner, to execute. We go about our jobs with a passion for delivering results that exceed our customers' expectations for quality, service, innovation, and interaction. We pride ourselves on doing what's right and on putting our customers' best interests first. We lead change and change to lead. We are devoted to advancing our people, customers, industry, and community. We say what we mean and do what we say. We are EMC, where information lives.

 

For this series, I hope to share some stories that help bring Joe's word to life. Our approach to this word is evolving in exciting ways. Ways that are having an increasingly powerful impact on EMCers lives and careers; our culture; and our strategic advantage.

 

--------------- Talk Back ---------------------

How important is innovation at a company? Is your company or work group rewriting its approach to innovation given the global nature of business and/or the Web 2.0 world?

Look for EMC at the Olympics!

The EMC Asian Circle solidified EMC as the first Fortune 500 company to participate in the Beijing 2008 Olympic City Volunteer Program.

The Olympic City volunteer Program began as a modest effort to get EMC’s Asian Circle members involved with the Olympic Games and create more awareness of EMC in the China region. The original plan to send 1 US-based and 9 China-based EMC volunteers soon doubled once EMC’s China executives caught wind of the program. Charles Fan, General Manager of China R&D, -- pictured, right --  is amongst the 20 volunteers.



On May 12, 2008, government officials from the Chaoyang district in Beijing, the largest district in the region, held an induction ceremony to officially welcome the EMC volunteer team as Olympic city volunteers.

 

 

 

 

Pictured: Feng Zhang, Senior Technologist in the Office of the CTO and President of the Asian Circle.EMC's Olympics Volunteer Program was Feng's idea.

"Why get involved in the Olympics?" I asked.

“EMC is the only company I have worked for in the U.S. and I have loved working here since the day I joined. Growing up in China, I have always been a sports fan. I love soccer, basketball, and many other team sports. I saw the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as a unique opportunity for me to contribute back to my beloved home country while creating a benefit for the company at the same time. EMC’s Asian Circle provided me the perfect platform and an excellent team to turn this opportunity into a reality.”

Pictured:  Bing Yi.  Senior Competitive Positioning Analyst in the Corporate Pricing group.Bing is joining our China-based volunteers to represent the US as an official EMC Olympics volunteer. 

Bing was selected out of 22 applicants from 3 geographies by a 5-person Asian Circle selection committee that had a stringent selection criteria since the selected candidate would be representing EMC's US office. Bing exhibited all of the traits and qualities the Asian Circle thought would make a good candidate, and beyond. His application essays were full of details and examples of teamwork and leadership capabilities.

Thank you Feng, Bing, and George Cheng, Asian Circle PR leader and member of the EMC Marketing department, for sharing the Asian Circle's leadership story with me.  Congratulations! 

************************************************************************************

 

Raphael Stacchiotti, son of EMCer  Marco Stacchiotti, is one of 14 athletes from Luxembourg competing in the Summer Olympic Games. On the afternoon of August 10, Raphael will take to the pool to compete in the 200-meter freestyle event.

 

Pictured: Raphael Stacchiotti. 
Thank you ChannelEMC for the photos and for Marco's and Raphael's story!
 

EMC has two major R&D Centers in China today – Shanghai, which opened in 2006 and Beijing, which opened in 2007.

 

--- Talk Back -----

Are you or your company involved in the Olympics?  Share your story.

How to Network in High Tech

I was out with a friend the other night and we found ourselves at a swanky Boston establishment -- the type with cool lighting, music, and martini menus.  Seats were sparse in the uber-cool layout. We asked a couple of ladies if we could share their couch and coffee table.  Soon enough, they asked us where we worked.  When I said "EMC," one of the women purred, "Oh! My friend works there. He joined you from a company you acquired called, 'Astrum.'"

 

I lit up at hearing the word "Astrum," as just that day I learned that Astrum brought something special and surprising to EMC's culture.  Tea Time. I started to share my new wisdom with this woman.  She immediately interrupted and said, "Oh yes, I know the people of EMC have Tee Time all right."

No, the other kind of tea time.

An excerpt from EMC's internal social network, found in our "Culture Talk" community:

It's 3 PM on Thursday. Where is everyone?

Oh, right, tea time!

Our group gets together every week on Thursday afternoon, puts a kettle of tea on, and cracks open some cookies or pretzels. ... Some people would say the value of tea time is getting a free cookie and a short break from the work day. That's a fine approach, but for me the true value comes from getting everyone together in a more social environment. People talk about their vacations, their weekends, their families, their hobbies, and of course, work. The connections that we make during tea time carry directly over into our jobs. It's kind of hard to fire off an angry impersonal email at someone in QE after you just shared a laugh about a movie you both like over a cup of tea. ...the ties that we make when we're talking about nothing directly lead to better connections when we're dealing with something.

One of the other benefits of Tea Time is that a few different cultures have tea traditions, and we get a chance to experience teas from around the world and learn a bit about their cultures in the meantime. We've had teas from China, Russia, India, and the UK ... and perhaps more.

 

A colleague of mine, David K. Spencer, whom I've come to know through our social network but have never actually met in person, is writing a blog series on diversity at EMC at his external blog, "Dave Talks Shop." Dave is an engineering manager who is also passionate, it appears from his blogs, about software design as well as interpersonal and group dynamics. I encourage you to check it out.  It is unlike anything I've ever read on the subject.  His first post was really interesting, his second even more so. Can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

One phrase that has been popping into my mind a lot lately -- that hatched during our recent, internal  Visual Talk Radio show with EMC sales people is --  "The New EMC."  Tea time, who knew? 

(For EMCers reading this, the Radio Show broadcast is available on EMC ONE in the Culture Talk community.)

------------ Talk Back -------------------

Let me know if Dave's take on Diversity  -- or The New EMC -- strikes a cord with you, too. 

What it is like working for Joe Tucci? One woman’s view.

Shortly after Joe Tucci was named CEO of EMC, I became one of his direct reports. I ran EMC’s investor relations at the time. I’ve worked with him for about 8 years; 2 as a direct report, the rest as “one removed.”

What is it like? Following, in no particular order, are some observations:

• He cares – big time. When I worked directly for him, he was always available to me. He returned my phone calls promptly; my emails personally; accepted ‘pop in’ visits; and accepted my meeting requests with no question. He still does.

• He puts himself last, his customers first, and leads with humility. He travels with no handlers; offers praise to his people profusely; and seeks no accolades.  He spends most of his time in the field, not in any executive suite.

• He can talk tech with techies and understand engineering specs better than most execs. He has a brilliant understanding of business strategy – both by the Columbia MBA teachings (which he has quoted when trying to show me the logic of a business transition) and by intuitive business savvy.

• When we traveled together for events such as product launches, I would inevitably get included to join him for dinner – or at the casino table if we were in Vegas. Generally I was the only woman. I never felt out of place.

• I’ve witnessed him handle brutally strategic situations and confrontations with such wisdom, conviction, and blunt honesty it took my breath away. He does not fear doing what he sees as the right thing. I saw him do this on the subject of EMC-coveted personnel, products, business models, governance, and branding.

• His primary Monday – Friday residence, last I knew, was a modest townhouse. He’s on the road on EMC business most of the time; why waste money on ego-trappings?  He drives a basic car to work (himself) and leaves anything flashy away from work. The only thing I can see where he indulges? His suits.

• He is generous and thoughtful. My expectations were exceeded on many fronts – including when I asked for a longer than normal maternity leave. His reply was, for me, ideal. It was far from the candy-coated, “I-don’t-know-how-to-talk-about-this-woman-stuff” norm. I recall him telling me in his ever frank manner that my timing was not perfect (the tech market was still imploding.) He let me know that my leave would be a loss. At the same time, he allowed me to have a guilt-free maternity leave that went about 4 weeks beyond the norm.

• What about job change and professional development? When I shared with him that I wanted a job change and outlined the job I wanted and what it could do for the business, he gave it to me – though on his terms. When I debated his terms, he acknowledged my concerns, conceded what I identified as challenging, and still asked me to take the path as he outlined it. I did.

• If he has a vice, I never saw it. Well, it might be the Yankees.  When we invited the Red Sox brass to our headquarters to celebrate EMC’s sponsorship, he even made it clear to them that he would not back off being a Yankee fan. 

So what is it like working for Joe Tucci? In my opinion, pretty darned good, just like Joe himself.
 

Does LinkedIn Spell "Disloyalty?"

My friend Lindsey Pollack put out a blog recently entitled,“Why you should use LinkedIn (if you aren’t already.”)  It built upon a NYT article titled, “At social site, only the businesslike need apply.”

According to the NYT:  “The average age of a LinkedIn user is 41, the point in life where people are less likely to build their digital identities around dates, parties and photos of revelry. LinkedIn gives professionals, even the most hopeless wallflower, a painless way to follow the advice of every career counselor: build a network. Users maintain online résumés, establish links with colleagues and business acquaintances and then expand their networks to the contacts of their contacts."

A couple weeks ago the Savvy Gal herself, Diane K. Danielson, (co-author with Lindsay Pollack of the Savvy Gal’s Guide to On-line Networking) came in to speak with the women of EMC on the subject of networking. She covered several of the tools available to build your network, and the logic for doing so from a professional and career-building standpoint.

After her presentation, we had a Q&A session and talked about culturalnorms inside a company for the happily employed with tools like LinkedIn.

PHOTO: Diane K. Danielson, CEO of the Downtown Women's Club, writer and author.

Question:  If you put yourself out on such a site, it could be a signal that you were somehow disloyal or in the market looking for a job?

Answer:  My view is that it is more than“okay” to be on LinkedIn and other networks like EMC’s internal "EMC ONE" where you can connect and further value for yourself and your company.  It no longer means you are disloyal or in the market looking for a job. I've found it can mean the opposite. (If you’re a professional who is not on LinkedIn by now -- or a company who blocks its use inside the firewall, --  I  start to question if you 'get it'.)

I’m still discovering what it can do for me and my company every day. (I suspect I am a major 'under-user' of the tool.)  Following are a few of the cool things I have experienced or discovered with it:

1. I  met an EMC customer the other night at Fenway. We chatted briefly. The next day, he sent me an invitation to connect on LinkedIn. That was very cool. Anything that ties me or my company more to a customer and enables us to have a closer affinity in any way, shape, or form is a good thing in my book.
2. I researched customers I was scheduled to meet with to see who we might have in common. Regardless of what State they were from, I saw we had at least one person in common. It was tremendous to have such an immediate ice-breaker.
3. My company and I are easier to find. Let’s say we met briefly at a business event. You remembered my name but not my company or some combo of the two. If you Googled “EMC Polly” or “Polly Pearson,” my LinkedIn profile would pop up at the top of the search page.  (I still have work to do --. if you Google “Polly,” I’m trumped by Polly Pockets and the movie “Along Came Polly!”)
4. It is easier to stay connected and build relationships with your professional contacts. Let’s say you got a patent, wrote a book, launched a product, had a baby, or got promoted – what a great and easy way to keep your professional contacts up to date!
5. An EMC new hire and I decided to have lunch recently. Prior to the lunch, I received an interesting email from her. She told me she saw, via LinkedIn, that we were both at Boston College and at Assumption College during the same years.  So while we never actually met until recently, I found it fascinating to discover – 19 years hence -- that we were in the same place, on the same day, and in the samegraduation ceremony. With this established, you can imagine how much more we ultimately had in common … which, it should go without saying, will serve our business relationship well. (I suspect internal use of LinkedIn-like tools could be a business norm in the years ahead.)

The issue, as I see it, is keeping your profile up-to-date. It still feels a bit awkward in a selfish / self-promotional way, and we all have lots of other "real" work on our plates.

You can find me, and my somewhat neglected profile, on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/pub/3/333/928.

--------------------Talk Back: ------------------------------------

Do you think LinkedIn remains scary? Are you keeping your profile up to date? If so, what motivates you -- and what is your system -- for doing so?

Diverse Reality: A Day at EMC and in a "Tech Gossip Rag"

Worldbeat, Salsa Dancing, Gay, Lesbian, Pakistani, African, German, Dominican and more in a day at EMC

A "tech gossip rag" recently published a list of the 10 Worst CEOs "according to employees." 

The CEOs named were from these companies:  IBM, Microsoft, eBay, HP, EMC, EDS, AMD, VeriSign and Symantec.

Humm.  Those are some pretty successful companies up there. Companies that likely set a high standard for performance. Companies where not everyone will thrive or be successful.

But aside from that the list was based on, in EMC's case, 11 employee reviews. The publication featured one of these employee reviews which called EMC out on diversity. For the analytical rock stars out there reading this, we have about 40,000 employees.

The Real Deal

Let me give you the real deal on how 34,400 EMC employees rated us in a recent survey. We don't have a question specifically on the CEO so I'll point to our overall satisfaction rating from our annual employee survey, taken in October 2007, as something likely more telling and more comprehensive. This rating was 82% out of 100%.  The large magazine that is famous for its best places to work guide surveyed EMC employees in July of '07 and came up with roughly the same, 83% overall satisfaction rating. Employees rated EMC higher than our benchmark composite of IT companies in 25 of the 26 questions each of these companies ask in their annual surveys. We're not perfect. We have a lot to improve. And I think we're doing some pretty cool stuff to do just that.

Diversity and a Day at EMC

Take the subject of diversity -- seeing that this publication brought it up -- the following recaps an hour of my day yesterday:

------------------------  On my way down the hall from my office at lunch time I noticed a flier taped to the wall titled, "3rd Annual Summer Salsa Cruise" hosted by the EMC Latin Leadership Interest Team.

I rounded the corner to our Starbucks Cafe to find it filled with DJ-spun, Worldbeat music and a massive EpcotCenter-like "'Round the World" display inclusive of beaming people, sights, tastes and sounds. My first visit was to Morocco where upbeat Moroccan EMCers wearing native clothing brought Morocco to life for me.

My next visit was Pakistan. Three EMCers wearing native Pakistan Tunics showed me around a mini-Pakistan and told me their stories. One man has been with EMC nearly as long as me; he joined in 1992; another in 1995; the other in 1999.

Next, Malaysia. Here, a young Malaysian EMCer told me he started in our cafeteria as a cook. Today he's a technician working on his master's degree (with EMC tuition reimbursement.) Once his degree is complete, he's looking to work out of one of EMC's Asia Pac regional offices.

My tour continued to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Germany, Ireland, and more -- with the loud rhythms and effusive EMCers casting a celebratory spell over all visitors.

I was elated at the display of EMC's rich and vibrant diversity.

I returned to my office to find this email: 

"We are pleased to announce the formation of the EMC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies (LGBTA) affinity group, an EMC employee circle for the LGBT community, its allies, and employees with LGBT family members. This employee circle joins our existing community of employee circles including our Black Employee Affinity Group, the Women's Leadership Forum, EMC Latin Leadership Interest Team, EMC Connections for New Employees, our Asian Employee Circle, and the Indian Subcontinent Employees Circle."

And this email:

"New Session for the Women's Leadership Forum 'Lit Lunch' (Book Club):  'Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office:  101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers' by Lois P. Frankel.

How cool is that?

 

------------------ Talk Back

What are satisfaction levels like at your company?  Are you doing anything to embrace diversity or doing other cool things to make the company an even better and stronger place to work?

Magic Happens: Culture and the Customer Brand Experience

On Friday, my day started off with a meeting with Craig Moodie, EMC Creative Director and six-time fiction book author, to discuss how we articulate the customer-facing EMC brand and the aspects of EMC’s brand as a place to work. (Note: Craig’s latest book is just hitting the market now – see it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Seaborn-CraigMoodie/dp/1596433906/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210628429&sr=1-2; http://moodiebooks.com/)

My day ended by reading a popular blog by EMCer Barry Burke, a.k.a., “The Storage Anarchist” on the power of strong brands and how they contribute to success in high tech. In it, Barry featured a business-school paper that Tom Broderick, fellow EMCer and product marketer, wrote in 2002 on “The Technology Brand.”

http://thestorageanarchist.typepad.com/weblog/2008/05/1003-maybe-it-r.html

The Customer Experience of a Brand

What I love about this paper: it brings to life the crazy world of survival in high tech. Last week I wrote about the importance of a company’s culture and of its leadership for your own career continuity. Tom’s paper puts this and more in the spotlight.  If you’re in high tech, your heart will race a bit while reading it and you’ll likely shake your head, smile and say, “Yeah. I can relate to that.”

Tom writes about the benefit of a strong brand and how it can help companies ride the inevitable misstep or missed timing on a new product roll out. It made me recall a brand study we did just off the tech wreck and a subsequent string of EMC acquisitions in 2003. EMC’s entire offering to the market place was being re-shuffled reflecting new market dynamics and our own maturation as a company. To help us understand how our customers were receiving these changes we asked them,

“What does EMC’s brand stand for to you?”

The customers’ reply? “EMC is a promise keeper.”

How do you become seen as a promise keeper?

In my view, the culture -- the people and their values -- are behind everything a company does for its customers.

In my meeting with Creative Director Craig we were discussing some of the special elements that make up the EMC culture. The people of EMC, we noted, are “motivated, energetic, passionate, smart and ‘real.’ They put customers first and always, always set the bar at the ‘best’ in everything they do.”

"You. Energized."

Craig used this phrase, “You. Energized.” to describe what happens to people when they become part of EMC. I rather liked that.

• Life at EMC is “Championship Play” as a friend of mine, EMC EVP Frank Hauck, recently said. When every member of the team brings an “A game” every day – everyone’s game gets elevated.
• A member of our EMC family, a 24 year-old who recently “graduated” from our inside sales group to the field and who last year delivered $5.9 million in revenue against a $2.5 million quota shared this comment with me,
• “When I look at myself and the success I have accomplished since college and compare it with my college buddies I think, “It is a little bit of me and a whole lot of EMC.”
  

Magic Happens.

As I see it, when you take a smart, passionate person and put him/her into a soup with thousands of other smart, passionate people who set the bar at “success,” magic happens.  By having a team that works in a no excuses fashion for this level of play (see Tom’s paper for further illustration) you inevitably get a pretty good track record with customers. And you get to stay in business a little longer than the rest.

2009 will mark our 30^th year in business.

Talk back -----------------------

Have you lived the “Technology Brand?” Do you have a view on the connection between “Culture” and the “Customers’ Experience” with the brand?

Career, Culture, Passion and Cool: Meet EMC's Fred D'Ascenzo

Today, I interviewed Fred D'Ascenzo.  Fred is a great example of the type of person who comprises the fabric of EMC's culture.

What do you like to do in your spare time, outside of EMC?

I have two grown married children, Gina and Michelle who I love more than anything in this world. They are 30 and 27. I call them every Saturday and say, “Hey, where are we going today?!” I have a boat that I enjoy going on and just love anything that has to do with the salt water.

“Hey! Where are we going today?!”

What do you do for the company? How does what you do impact the company and the EMC team?

I run service in the Mid-Atlantic and southeast (about 1/3 of the country geographically) I have about 480 people in my organization. I work closely with the respective sales vice presidents to drive revenue, maintain service level objectives, and focus on customer requirements. I work with the sales teams to position our Managed Storage Services (MSS) strategy as a value-add which helps in closing deals.

“I run service in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast … which helps in closing deals.”

How long have you been with the company?

16 years. I am badge number 643.

What do you do to inspire and encourage your EMC team?

This is not a job, but a career. It is the best tech company in the world. My team and I have fun. I try to make everything we do even in the most difficult situations a good time. I do my best to provide a pleasant workplace that they aspire to come to. This is not a 9 to 5 job. They know that. We work extremely hard, but we also have a great time. This company has done great things for me and my family; I try to pass that along to my people. I reward a job well done; monetarily and by recognition within the company. We celebrate successes and quickly remediate the failures together. We are a family. This drives teamwork. People can easily see that they have great futures here. They are part of a team—no one wants to let their team down. I reinforce that this is a great place to work each and every day. The VP of sales in my division states freely that my team supports and drives 30% of his revenue.

“We are Family”

Do you feel different about working at EMC than other companies you’ve worked for?

This is the only tech company I will ever work for. I am a part of EMC’s culture; I am embedded in it. Failure is not an option here. No other company is as focused on customer satisfaction AND employee satisfaction. I couldn’t work for a competitor. If I got fired tomorrow, I’d be a construction worker.

“This is the only tech company I will ever work for. If I get fired tomorrow I’d be a construction worker.”

How has the company supported your career development?

At this company, there’s no limit to what you can achieve. Where you want to go and how far you want to go is up to you. From internal EMC training, mentoring, certifications, tuition reimbursement and personal development programs there is no limit to what any employee can accomplish if he or she wants to work for it. People who have excelled here have worked hard. The company doesn’t limit your career. The only limiting factor is yourself.

“The company doesn’t limit your career. The only limiting factor is yourself.”

If EMC could help to make one thing happen for you, what would it be?

Everything I have ever wanted or aspired to do; EMC has allowed me the opportunity. I’d like to move up one level and have a bit more of a say in the future of the company, but if that never happens, I’d be totally content. I have my office overlooking the river here in Conshohocken, I have a great team both sales and support, and it’s a nice sunny day. What more could anyone ask for in a job?

“Everything I have ever wanted or aspired to do … and a nice sunny day.”

Would you recommend working at EMC to a friend?

It would be great if I could get my whole family and ALL of my friends here! The best friends I have in life are at EMC. It is the greatest work atmosphere. I love what I do and I love the people I work with. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to be in technology. This is the best technology company in the world today.

“It would be great if I could get my whole family and ALL of my friends here! This is the best technology company in the world today.”

What inspires you about EMC? What keeps you here?

The people I work with. The support of this company and how it supports all of its employees. It is THE leader in technology; no one has better products. This company has a great vision and future. It supports my career. I very much enjoy what I am doing and working for EMC which provides the best information storage products and services in the industry.

“The people I work with. The support of this company…”

What is one “cool” thing you’ve worked on recently at EMC?

The most fun I had and the coolest was working in the Federal group supporting the Pentagon and Tommy Franks team during the

Iraq

invasion and then setting up IT support for the Pacific Air Force in the middle of the

Pacific ocean

. The most recent was developing a support and escalation structure for one of our latest software acquisitions.

“The most fun I had and the coolest was … supporting the Pentagon and Tommy Frank’s team…”

What about wealth creation and EMC?

The first time I cashed in some of my stock options the money was sent right to my bank account. I couldn’t believe it, after a few days I called the bank and queried my account. I asked the woman at the bank if that much money was really in my account and she said, “Yes, sir, would you like to take some out?” I just couldn’t believe it was actually in there and it was so easy! The stock purchase plan is incredible and automatic -- an easy and very lucrative savings plan. It certainly helped with two college tuitions.

“I asked the woman at that bank if that much money was really in my account…”

Anything else to add?

Egan, Ruettgers, and Tucci have done an unbelievable job positioning this company as THE leader in storage. It still feels so great to work here even after 16 years. I can’t think of a better place to work.

“I can’t think of a better place to work.”

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TALK BACK:

Have you met an EMCer like Fred? Feel free to introduce him/her here.