When it comes to company culture, RevolutionEHR is at the top of the pack. That's probably why they have such incredible products. Imagine a work environment where you are as far away from your co-workers as possible, yet you are more connected than ever. Cindy Braden, VP of Sales at RevolutionEHR, was kind enough to do a candid interview about the people and culture behind their company.
Describe your company in an unconventional, unfiltered way. Give us the non-corporate version ;-)
We truly started out as a garage band. Two doctors, a coder, a sales person, and a support genius (aka an ex-practice manager) began a software company with the idea in mind that there had to be a better way to do business and manage IT. We decided if we always make our decisions with the doctor and his or her patients in mind… we might be able to change the world, or at least the eyecare world that we live in.
How many employees are on your team?
The company as a whole is at about 120, and there are 12 employees on my Sales Team.
What is the culture like at your company? How do you ensure that people love coming to work every day? Do you have any tips that you could offer other healthcare providers?
This is the best place to work. How do we ensure that people like to come to work everyday? We stay away from each other! It’s a completely virtual environment. Everyone works from home.
How do you reward your team for a job well done? How do you show your team you appreciate them?
We try to always make sure everyone knows how valuable they are. We do this by empowering each employee to problem solve and chart their own career path. No one is stuck in their current role at the company. We encourage everyone to determine their strengths and goals and support them when they want to try new things. For example, a member of my sales team recently transitioned to IT, and a customer support rep transitioned to sales. We also share wins with everyone. Once for Valentine’s Day my team sent the support reps flowers with hand written poems about their greatness. Another time we sent the development team beer. After a great third quarter, our COO treated the sales team to a comedy club while we were together at a tradeshow.
How do you organize communication mediums within your team (i.e. email, Slack, CRM software, phone calls, etc.)? What advice can you offer others to keep their eye care team connected?
The company has a water cooler site that we use which is called Nerve Center. Everyone uses Salesforce to track customers and leads. The development team uses many tools to track enhancements. The sales team uses Slack to communicate and share ideas. Also since we all work from home, everyone uses Skype for calls and direct messaging. The key to keeping everyone connected is sharing relevant information in a timely manner, as well as keeping communication lines open, Since we all work from home it’s important for us to be able to connect informally and personally on a consistent basis to maintain the relationships which help us be successful as a team.
How do you ensure that your team is constantly achieving new goals? Do you have any advice for healthcare providers on how to set and achieve their team goals?
I give my team the tools and permission to get things done. Nothing is more frustrating than wanting to solve problems or help customers and not feeling like you have permission to do so. I do my best to determine each person’s skills and give them the authority to use those skills. If you can encourage and empower your team to use their skills and talents, they will take ownership of their responsibilities and you’ll set them up to succeed.
How does your team operate (i.e. with freedom to create or by more set rules and structure)?
We try to be consistent in the information we communicate but it’s also important that everyone be allowed to partner and work with our customers in their own personal way. We have a great team of individuals that want to be themselves.
Overall, how do you inspire a positive culture and mission at your company? What is one thing healthcare practices of all sizes can do to follow your lead?
Boy, I sure hope we do this! At every managers meeting we talk about how we can keep the culture the same even as we grow. It’s the first thing we talk about at each meeting because it’s that important to us. We need our customers to truly feel like we care. That happens by having employees that know we care for them… thereby allowing them to care for the customers. It’s in the hires you make and it’s in the way you treat them. I think the best thing you can do is to always keep it at the forefront of your conversations, in your decisions, and then in your actions. Give everyone you work with the authority to question your mission, that way you all stay true to yourselves.
