We here at Insight Experience have an extra skip in our step these days, because we are thrilled to be included in Inc. magazine’s list of “Best Workplaces 2021.” This award recognizes and honors 429 companies that “did the most to support their employees and keep them engaged through a turbulent year.”[i] Insight Experience is proud to be named one of those companies “that make work worth it.”
We asked Insight Experience leadership to reflect on what this recognition means:
What does this award from Inc. mean to you as a leader?
"It means that our instincts and approaches to leading the team worked, even in a business that was particularly hard hit by the pandemic. It’s incredibly validating to know that our team remains engaged and inspired to work at IE and for our clients."
"As a company, we passionately believe that employees are the lifeblood of companies and that the role of a leader is to help employees bring their best skills and capabilities to work. We aspire to live what we teach, and this award is recognition of our efforts."
"Winning “Best Workplaces 2021” has resulted in a deep sense of satisfaction and humility. Since the company’s founding, we have worked hard to create an environment where employees can do great and interesting work, where they can make a personal impact on company and client results, and where all employees’ contributions are valued. Creating a Best Workplace does not happen by accident — but through vigilance, care, and commitment."
How do you think the content, frameworks, and best practices that we teach contributed to Insight Experience winning this award?
"We teach the business cycle of leadership, which means that we drive results through people. By putting the needs of people first, we created the mindshare and motivation for each person to innovate and rise to the occasion. We also practiced Strategic Communication and frequently gave the team updates that included the “why” and clear next steps."
"We teach leaders the value of Balanced Leadership™. Effective leaders need to be able to move from pole to pole on a series of dimensions in order to make good decisions and drive results. I am proud of the Balanced Leadership™ at Insight Experience: We are committed to customer success but not at the expense of our employees. We worked hard to maintain long-term perspective in the face of the pandemic, but we also rolled up our sleeves in order to get through the short term."
"Over the many years that Insight Experience has been in business, we have developed a wide array of content, frameworks, and best practices. These are a result of working closely with our clients and developing solutions for them to help them develop their leaders. But we are mindful to practice what we preach! We consciously and unconsciously use these best practices on a daily basis as we interact with each other and strive to continually improve ourselves, both collectively and individually."
What is your favorite memory from the last year of working at Insight Experience?
"My favorite memory is the company call near the end of 2020 when we shared the product innovation across every function. Instead of celebrating client wins and revenue, we focused on the creativity of every person on the team. This diverted attention away from what we lost and refocused on what we gained."
"Because of COVID-19, our team quickly pivoted to the virtual delivery of complex leadership development programs. Facilitators had to learn new skills; associates had to define and learn the role of “producer”; we had to think creatively about every element of what we do. I loved seeing people take on new challenges and succeed and grow."
"My favorite memory is how the company collectively responded to the pandemic and the impact it had on our clients and, subsequently, our business. We responded with agility and confidence. It resulted in number of innovations that were put into immediate use for our clients."
There is no question that 2020 was a tumultuous year. We here at Insight Experience are proud to have braved the storm together and become even stronger as a result. As we move forward, we will continue to do all we can to “make work worth it” both at Insight Experience, and for the companies we work with.
To find out more about leading people through uncertain times, see our blog on Crucible Communication.
