Build Success on Values

As a company that has grown from a one-person start-up six years ago to a staff of 27 today, making sure we execute has definitely been one of our challenges. It is something we continue to work on every day. Day-to-day communication about progress and setbacks is important. Constant, consistent, and clear articulation of our core values with the staff is also critical, allowing individuals to make good decisions without getting bogged down in bureaucracy.

From the very beginning we've tried to establish a performance culture that expects a high level of competence without any of the usual command-and-control nonsense. We have instilled a cultural impatience for sloppy work or lack of professionalism. In our employee orientation we like to say, "We have a casual work atmosphere, but we aren't casual about our work." At the same time, we accept mistakes and failure as part of the norm because we encourage employees to experiment and try new things. As long as we're learning from our mistakes - and our successes - we're growing as individuals and as a company. We're making progress and learning how to execute better.

Clear communication is a key element. When decisions are made, it is vital that all the people affected by those decisions are informed in a timely, effective manner. Before decisions are made, we make sure the people who have input or the potential to be affected are involved in the decision-making process. We try to publish decisions, plans, and progress updates regularly by e-mail and on our intranet. Equally important is how we communicate our successes throughout the organization, large and small. We make sure everyone knows when a sizable new order has been processed, and the customer support staff is encouraged to share customer feedback with the staff via an internal mailing list.

Finally, I also think the strategic planning process I described earlier has been a key factor in changing how we look at execution. We have identified the key success factors for companies in our industry and made considered decisions about what we will do to ensure we execute in those areas. Part of executing well is making sure you execute on the right things. The new strategic planning process we adopted a year ago has helped us focus on executing on those things that matter most to achieving the goals we have set for ourselves.

VanDyke Software has been built around leveraging the continuous experiment of the Internet to create a development, delivery, and customer service mechanism that engages customers in constant dialogue. Engaged customers guide us to create rock-solid products aligned with our strengths and passion, taking advantage of our current technology wherever possible. Incorporating the best strategic planning and communication ideas provides the foundation to capitalize on opportunities, and the company's culture of constant learning keeps us evolving at the intense pace of technology change.