Business Culture - From the Perspective of our CEO, Charlie Rogers
Since the start of my career, I have spent a lot of time thinking about business, people, and culture. It started early when I was a junior software engineer at General Electric. Having been developing and commercializing software products for more than 2 decades, I have always been fascinated by the people around me. What I really found intriguing is how individuals can flourish given the right leadership and environment.
Today, I am the CEO and founder of Innovative Software Solutions (ISS), a growing software development firm located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Having my own company has not changed my perspective on leadership. The markets we play in are rapidly changing with new technologies, which create relentless disruption. Many businesses view this change of pace as a threat, but for a software company like ISS, disruption is a catalyst for opportunity. While some organizations struggle to stay relevant, we are thriving.
The following areas of excellence are required for an organization to succeed:
1. Clarity of purpose
Most businesses find themselves spending more time working in their business, rather than on their business. There is a struggle to break the daily routine of falling prey to the common "there is not enough time" conundrum. However, overcoming this obstacle will allow a business to achieve new heights. Clarity allows a business to do what is important, and purposeful, for their clients. It creates an environment for better decision making, while reducing ambiguity, conflict, and stress. The outcome is improved efficiency. Clarity is a game-changer, which drives success for businesses, organizations, and individuals alike.
2. Talented people
Attracting smart, talented, and innovative individuals is one thing, but it is another challenge to retain them. Organizations that succeed at retaining talent have a great advantage over their competitors. By investing the time and effort needed to nurture and reward talent, organizations create a clear path to better products and services for their clients. Today, the best organizations free their employees with less hierarchy and more empowerment. They promote an environment that allows people to thrive and work together to reach their full potential. For the employee, it is challenging work but much more gratifying. This results in less dependency on the individual hero, and more on team success! If there is a secret sauce here at ISS, I am happy to report this is it. Working amongst our talented team has been most rewarding for me, personally.
3. An Agile mindset
To succeed in this business, and to successfully deliver technology solutions that will drive business growth, requires a change in mindset. Not only must business processes and technology adapt to be nimbler, but the people behind the technology must also adapt. If disruption creates opportunity, an organization must be lean and malleable enough to capitalize on it. This means focusing on speed, time -saving methodologies, and automation, while delivering accurate products through continual client engagement. However, being fast, flexible, and adaptable requires a cultural commitment--an understanding that true transformation never ends. Organizations should always look for continuous improvements and constantly desire to improve past performance. ISS succeeds by shedding the old and embracing the new. We succeed by knowing nothing is too precious to change, and by committing to adapt, even when it is difficult.
4. Excellence every day
It is easy to assume that this is given, but too many organizations settle for less. Excellence in products and services must be non-negotiable and driven by a focus on customer success. Successful organizations deliver products that match their customer promise and satisfaction, no matter how big, small, or difficult. In addition, these high standards attract top talent as people want to work in an organization renowned for customer success.
5. Innovation
I do not believe there is a proven formula for success, particularly when it comes to innovation. Innovation requires actionable insights that excite customers and bring in new markets. It would be nice to just say that we are all a bunch of geniuses, but the reality is that we rely on our insights by methodically and systematically scrutinizing these areas: a valuable problem to solve, a technology that enables a solution, and a solution model that generates profit. Since innovation is a complex, company-wide endeavor, it requires a set of crosscutting practices and processes to structure, organize, and encourage it. ISS’s culture works by promoting, collaboration, learning, and experimenting. We help each other, and our clients, by sharing ideas and knowledge freely. This ensures the lessons learned from success and failures are captured, allowing ISS to use the best practices for future innovation.
In these times of decreased resources, ever-increasing demands for services, and increased competition, all businesses would be smart to pursue a strategy of organizational excellence. Having done a self-assessment, I believe ISS is uniquely positioned to thrive. ISS is a software development firm with these traits in our DNA. Combined with the talent, innovation, and commitment I have seen from our team, I have enormous confidence in what this business can, and will achieve!