Culture is Cool @ EMC

EMC VP of Employment Brand and Strategy Polly Pearson is onto something cool... She's started a virtual talk show for EMC'ers called Culture Talk. During the 45 - 60 minute program, she interviews one or two folks from across EMC to get perspective around who they are and what makes them tick.

I was honored to be a guest during yesterdays show, along with VP of Global CMA Marketing, Whitney Tidmarsh. To make the event even more interesting, Polly brought in celebrity co-host Storagezilla. Judging by the rate of incoming questions, a sizable and passionate audience had tuned in to the event.

The discussion helped me reflect back on my career here at EMC. Inclusive of my time with Data General (DG was acquired by EMC in late '99), I've been with the company for over 20 years now... It's been quite a ride. As Polly and Mark asked about my career and the different roles I've played, one thing became very apparent:

At EMC, there's no shortage of opportunity.

At the time of acquisition, I was an individual contributor with an official title of 'Webmaster' (ahh, the good ol' days). Today, I'm responsible for Web Strategy, have a hand in our entire ecosystem of online properties and am focused on evolving e2.0 behaviors. I often feel like a kid in a candy store.

I've had multiple roles during the past eight years, each with increasing responsibilities. I've had the opportunity to manage or be directly involved with well over $100M in online initiatives - Each feeling like a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' - yet they keep coming. What's nice is the enabling culture behind this. If you see an opportunity to improve the business, go after it. Be proactive - define your own destiny. In my experience, I've been given complete freedom to define my own professional path. Our culture definitely fosters innovation and enables growth.

The other interesting bit that I walked away with was just how much our culture has evolved. There's been no shortage of acquisitions in recent years. With each acquisition comes a new culture, new ways of thinking, new approaches to solve problems, etc;... I've witnessed first hand the evolution of culture, driven largely by the expansion of the EMC family. Such a dynamic environment, with such diverse thinking, truly helps make it a more interesting place to work.

So - thanks to Polly and Mark for helping me step back and appreciate the world around me. I applaud this effort as the EMC culture is indeed one worth celebrating. It embraces our differences and calls attention to what is compelling about EMC, regardless of time zone or workgroup. Opportunities are indeed abound. And if I, as an individual, can make a difference here - Then the collective strength of our global team can change the world... And that, my friends, is a cool thing to be a part of.

LD