8y
**Update** - This reviewer got caught up in a strategic pivot that I executed in February 2017 to drive upmarket and focus where we were seeing our clients achieving the most success. In doing so, I restructured the team. His or her pain is a direct result of a hard decision that I had to make... such is leadership. The buck stops with me, so I take accountability for this person's frustration.
12 months after the pivot, our business metrics clearly demonstrated progress and we were acquired in February of 2018 on the back of much stronger performance. The pivot and restructuring was the hardest thing I faced in my career, but the data now demonstrates that we made the right call. In my earnest assessment, it was only the power of the team and the culture that allowed us to drive up that hill following the pivot. Collectively, we had a vision as a team, we dug deep and did our hardest and best work, and pulled through to a solid outcome as a result. I still welcome this reviewer, and anyone for that matter, to reach out to me personally if a discussion of that hard choice would be helpful. The truth is we have a great team, taking big bets, and executing well together, and I'm happy to put the reviewer or anyone in touch with them as well to vet that.
=========== Original Response =========
First, thank you to this former employee for their hardwork and commitment while they were with us. We hire smart, hardworking people, and during this person's tenure at Windsor Circle, I'm sure this individual gave their very best, and for that I'm thankful.
I'd further express gratitude for the comment about the smart and committed leadership team (not entirely objective given that I'm part of that team... haha!)
I'm comfortable with this reviewer's right to express opinions, but politely disagree with the notions of hiding from things or not talking openly. Our values (www.windsorcircle.com/values) are part of just about every conversation we have as a team. In our Weekly Pulse meeting, we review every key KPI in front of the entire team... warts and all. In our quarterly planning process, we produce a One Page Plan, that names our values, our long term vision, our 3 year plan, our 1 year plan, and our quarterly plan, including the top 3-5 most strategic objectives for the team and for each division. One can review the last 10-12 of these in succession and see very clearly how the entire team, in unison with the management team, have seen changes in the ecosystem and responded to them with thoughtful strategic tests to tackle those adversities. We have successes and challenges just like everyone else, and we openly talk about them as a team in our Team Day, which consists of three parts: 1) Volunteering in Early Childhood Education in Durham, 2) Science of the Team (where we actively work on building interpersonal communication and tackle head on problems with things like diversity, culture, etc), and 3) "Funishment" - which is all of us hanging out and partying together.
In short, I honor this reviewer's right to share perspective, and humbly admit that no one, including Windsor Circle, is perfect. I do believe, however, that this review isn't telling the whole story and that while every team has to work on intergroup communication, I can point to specific efforts that we engage in as a team designed to facilitate good openness and communication, and to tackle challenges head on in front of our entire team.
As is our way, I actively welcome the reviewer to come back and chat with me if he or she is willing to help us understand this perspective and grow from their input, and further encourage anyone reading this review to engage me similarly to ask questions. Happy to share where we excel, what we're actively working on (because things need work!), and why our employees, former employees, and community often share that we're one of the stronger corporate cultures they've been involved in.
