How to Cultivate Community on Your Teams

Community is everything. When your team shares values and goals, collaborating to solve business challenges comes easily.

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I recently appeared on the Alldus podcast, where I drew on more than 20 years in systems engineering, application development with a compliance focus, and security architecture, most often as a trailblazer leveraging the latest technology. And one key lesson stands out: Community is everything. When your team shares values and goals, collaborating to solve business challenges comes easily.  

When we merged six companies in 2022, we set out to create a culture that reflects the values of our Crew Members across all departments and at every level. This was no simple task — but with in-depth employee feedback and an empathetic approach to people management and customer relationships, we’ve built a community where our Crew Members are proud to work together each day.

Since I joined NewRocket, I’ve gone from overseeing 15 Crew Members to managing more than 150 — cultivating community is a huge part of my work. One thing to really understand is for me and my crew, technology comes easy; in fact, we work daily to master our craft, but it’s the connection to each other and our customers that means everything. Here’s how I keep my teams united and aim to reflect our values in every project.

One Crew, One Mission

As we brought our NewRocket community together, we laid the foundation for our culture with five core values: Excellence, Creativity, Integrity, Teamwork, and Empathy. But it can’t end there. How do we bring these values to life in our daily work?

Adopt a Growth Mindset

First, we teach our Crew Members to adopt a growth mindset in their approach to everyday problems. Working with customers around the globe, our engineers and architects constantly face new obstacles. By looking at each obstacle as a chance to improve, we maintain an uplifting environment where team members are excited to meet challenges head-on.

A growth mindset also means looking to the future to consider how our team must evolve to solve problems as our customers’ industries shift. When we approach long-term challenges with a shared lens, it leads to aligned priorities, more efficient workflows, and better outcomes for customers.

Invest in Career Pathing

Give team members the tools to drive their own professional advancement, and they’ll reward you with thoughtful and intentional work. If you don’t have the tools, create them!

At NewRocket, we power comprehensive career pathing with our Solar Rising program. Based on 32 key competencies across five areas and seven levels, the program invites our Crew Members to drive their own career experience. Each competency offers clear examples of success for Crew Members, both in their current role and at the next level.

This program enables our Crew Members to focus on the importance of skill building, teamwork, leadership, ownership, and operational excellence, empowering them to engineer excellence for our customers.

The ABCs of Measuring Success

Building community in the workplace feels good, but we need to constantly monitor our impact.  

How do we get closer to our customer’s problems? And how can we ensure we’re delivering their desired outcomes ensuring best practices in the most efficient and strategic way possible?

When we analyze success from the customer perspective and coach our Crew Members to do the same, we’re driven to predict challenges, build trust, and offer high-value solutions to customers.

The JTBD Method  

In building customer relationships and designing new solutions, I like to use the JTBD (Job to Be Done) Method. This approach helps us put ourselves in our customers’ shoes and uncover key success metrics for each customer.

The JTBD Method asks:

  • What is the problem we’re solving?
  • What is the motivation to solve this problem?
  • What is the desired outcome?  

When we analyze a problem using the JTBD Method, we equip ourselves to show customers we’re more than just implementers — we are trusted partners who know how to align our solutions to their evolving goals.

The IPDE Method

Another helpful framework is the IPDE Method: identify, predict, decide, and execute. I first discovered this method when I was learning to drive as a high schooler. I’ve found it’s also a great way to approach strategic planning and relationship building.

The IPDE Method is a proactive system of seeing, thinking, and responding by:

  • Identifying key goals and potential obstacles.
  • Predicting where and when challenges may arise.
  • Deciding the best way to meet goals while avoiding challenges.
  • Executing on your decision.

To show our value as a partner, we can’t afford to be reactive. With the IPDE Method, we proactively show our customers a strategic, personalized plan to mitigate risk while driving the outcomes that matter most to them.  

Better Together

Work is better when we do it together. As we’re creating programs, making decisions, and designing solutions, we’ve got to remember how important it is to connect with people and develop a shared vision of success.

To learn more about how NewRocket cultivates community to guide customers through their ServiceNow journey, check out my interview on the Alldus podcast.

Teresa is a purpose-driven servant leader with over 20 years of experience transforming organizations, projects, and teams. Follow her on LinkedIn.

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How to Cultivate Community on Your Teams

Community is everything. When your team shares values and goals, collaborating to solve business challenges comes easily.

Knowledge Wrap Video

The event provided a vibrant platform for reconnecting with peers, delving into AI transformation, and driving innovation with purpose. Read on to discover how NewRocket made its mark at Knowledge 2024.

What We Learned

From recent insights gathered, we learned that ServiceNow customers are increasingly receptive to adopting AI solutions and ServiceNow has the tools to embrace that head on. However, there's a gap in AI use-cases for more mature users, highlighting the need for a creative approach to accommodate their business needs.

In navigating AI adoption, organizations are challenged to find the delicate balance between embracing innovation and avoiding dependency on emerging technologies. Advisory consulting and trusted guidance beyond initial queries spark interest, particularly around AI's impact on operations. Read our AI blog series to learn more about our approach.

Excitement around GenAI is apparent, with most users eager to explore its potential benefits and invest in quick wins. Notably, advanced use cases like process mining are gaining traction. Key solution themes include interest in native mobile applications, Employee Center migration, and the urgent need for enhanced data capabilities.

Recognitions and Awards

ServiceNow Americas Employee Workflow Partner of the Year

The ServiceNow Americas Employee Workflow Partner of the Year award celebrates Partners' exceptional efforts in enhancing employee experiences through innovative collaborations and technology solutions. Learn More.

UK Public Sector Partner of the Year Award

The ServiceNow UK Public Sector Partner of the Year underscores  Partners' dedication to driving digital transformation and delivering exceptional outcomes for public sector organizations in the UK.

ServiceNow.org Partnership for Good Grant

The ServiceNow.org Partnership for Good Grant highlights Partners' commitment to leveraging technology for social impact and driving positive change in communities around the world. Learn More.

Top 10 Finalist for ServiceNow Best Employee Portal of the Year

ServiceNow's Best Employee Portal of the Year award recognizing Partners' dedication to creating innovative solutions that empower employees and enhance workplace experiences. Learn More.

NewRocket Booth

At ServiceNow's Knowledge 24 event, we connected with 350+ attendees at our booth, showcasing how NewRocket supports organizations on their ServiceNow journey. AI emerged as a key topic, reflecting the growing interest in its potential across businesses. Our strategic advisory approach, FlightPath, aligns technology with business objectives, drawing on our expertise in customer, employee, technology, and security transformation. Plus, we captivated attendees by transforming them into astronauts using AI. See the photo booth results here!

Workshops and Speaking Sessions

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Participating in ServiceNow's Knowledge sessions and workshops this year was truly enriching. Interacting with customers and partners provided invaluable insights into the future state of ServiceNow and allowed us to have in-depth discussions on how we can collectively offer better experiences across various facets of the platform. From exploring advanced AI integrations to optimizing workflow processes, the conversations were not only enlightening but also inspiring, fueling our commitment to innovation and excellence in the ServiceNow ecosystem. We can't wait to see you next year!

NewRocket Party

Our poolside event at the Capri restaurant in Las Vegas provided a refreshing break from the conference hustle, allowing us to unwind and connect with friends, colleagues, partners, and customers in the cool open air. As the night progressed, we loved creating unforgettable memories and strengthening our bonds within the ServiceNow community.