Polly Pearson's Blog

Can We Out-Lead Steve Jobs? Is Anything More Important Than Product, or Profit?

I just finished reading the Time Magazine feature on Steve Jobs and his leadership style titled, "What Would Steve Do?" The article reiterated Job's passion for the PRODUCT, more than the PROFIT-- and discussed this point in contrast to the to the profit-focused curriculum norms at business schools, and profit-dominated drive of companies.

Putting today's norms aside, if you could re-write the rules, which would you want to be the first priority of your CEO/management team? And, continuing with the TIME theme, what then should we be teaching our next generation of leaders?

Would you like them to focus on the money they're making?

The customers they are serving?

The product they are creating?

The value their product/service provides to customers?

The impact they are having on our planet?

Or -- let's get really bold now -- would you like them to care about YOU?

Was that last point meant to say, "Care about the people of the company as the TOP priority?" Crazy right? Even Steve Jobs didn't do that.

One of the most exciting experiences I've had recently was getting to know the leadership of a B-2-B company who believes being centric to the people of the business is the way to go. They are positioning their organization to do more of it. I believe they are a benchmark for ....

The Future of Work -- and Workplace Fulfillment.

... a company that is people-owned, people-focused, delivers amazing and technically brilliant services by its people, and where its people create terrific products that add undeniable value to their customers and the employees of those customers.

Who is this company?

EPI-USE. They are a global IT services and software company. You likely don't know the name (they are private, after all) -- but I'm telling you now they are a company which should be written about like Zappos or Netflix is discussed in terms of people- and culture-centric management. I literally wanted to pinch myself when hearing line leaders in the field talk about the culture and what they wanted to build more of (modern, 2.0-type empowerment; voice; family-caring; employee wellness in every way; mentoring; no bureaucracy or foolish HR policies, connections with employee alumni and families). The leader of the Americas business and the global CEO had the same to say and then some, with passion and conviction that this was the way to build a lasting and even more successful company.

On reading this TIME piece on Jobs, and seeing Apple on top of the FORTUNE Most Admired list, I could only think of the old BusinessWeek/Sports Illustrated legend -- you know, the one that says once you're "on the cover," you are likely in the process of jumping the shark. What if that's right? Could a people-centric model have the power to topple a product-centric model? It would certainly tie with what we're seeing elsewhere, ala the rise of social; global empowerment and voice of the people; the transition to services at leading product companies (IBM, HP), relationship-centric marketing, Millennial work styles, and more.

The EPI-USE people "get" the drivers of good work (like respect, recognition, trust, and work aligned to talent and passion), they also get virtual workforces, global work, customer-focus, sustainable business success (they've been profitably growing for 27 years) and -- perhaps most importantly -- what is important to well-being of their people and their families. And they want more of it!

They have prioritized this focus to such a degree that they are looking for an executive to lead the growth of this type of culture and people-centric management programs. They want someone to help them run the company for the 99% of people who are smart, empowered, and care about the customers, and products, and the well-being of their peers, vs. the 1% of crazies that most companies focus on in their HR policies and actions.

If you're interested in that job, read more about it here. And if you are technical talent, put them on your radar. It seems like a dreamy environment -- where the focus is NOT about revenue and profit and wall street -- it is about working with brilliant people who care about you, solving tough problems and delighting your customers with the services you provide and/or the products you build. They do this because they know it drives business success.

 

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Of course, I love profit and great products, too -- and the full list of areas CEOs should focus on. I also love the idea of executives not being heartless jerks to their people -- and actually seeing that if they lead with connecting with their people, the likelihood they'll get higher levels of customer satisfaction, revenue and profit is much greater. I look forward to seeing more companies like EPI-USE give this "new" model a try.

I'm reminded of that book, "All I Really Needed To Know [to be successful lin life] I Learned in Kindergarten." I don't think money made the top of that list, either.

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
@PollyPearson on Twitter

 

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.