What A CEO At A Digital Transformation Company Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Industry
Michelle, a CEO in the digital transformation space, wishes someone had emphasized the challenge of differentiating in a crowded market; after realizing the difficulty, Michelle led a strategy reset to focus on creating a workplace where people "really love working with us" through simple yet impactful actions like showing genuine care and respect, as this fosters loyalty and ultimately sets the company apart from being "same old, same old."
Leadership, Differentiation, Employee relations, Company strategy, Workplace culture
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michelle Tinsley
CEO
Digital Transformation Platform Company
University of Oregon
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey
Finance, Marketing
Consulting & Related Professional Services, Technology
Strategic Management and Executive
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Differentiation in a crowded market is challenging; companies need to find unique ways to stand out beyond just offering standard services.
2. Creating a positive and supportive work environment where employees feel valued and cared for can be a key differentiator and attract top talent.
3. Small gestures of empathy and support, like sending flowers to an employee whose son was in the hospital, can have a significant impact on employee morale and loyalty, fostering strong relationships.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
In this industry and role, a challenge is that many firms do exactly what we do. Differentiating ourselves is quite hard.
During our strategy reset in July, I had the leadership team consider how we could be different. We didn't want to be just another digital transformation software engineering company, offering people on demand.
We decided we want our workers to truly love working with us. This would set us apart and attract top talent. People want to work for us because we treat them well and genuinely care about them.
This doesn't have to be expensive; it simply means treating people with respect. For example, last week, we heard someone's son was in the hospital. We sent them flowers.
They were brought to tears, feeling that no one from a workplace had ever sent them flowers when their family needed it. To me, that's just standard practice, and hopefully, how we treat everyone.
This isn't solely a cost consideration. It's about building relationships. We make deposits in relationships, and though we don't know how or when, they will come back to help us in a positive way.