Leaving the World a Better Place

One of the most common questions employees and clients ask our CEO, David Marks, is "what is the future of TEECOM, and where the company is going?" In response, David wrote an internal message to the entire TEEm that addresses those questions, and it was so inspiring that we wanted to share it with all our clients and potential clients.

TEECOM's Vision

Several of you have mentioned that I could improve on communicating my vision for TEECOM's future to the entire organization so that everyone understands whe​re we are going as a firm. Probably one of the reasons I have done a poor job communicating our vision to all of you is that I don't necessarily know exactly where we are going to end up. I believe that setting goals without a complete and thorough understanding of why, generally introduces unwanted side effects. Additionally, conditions change, obstacles are introduced, and the goals we set at the beginning of the year may not make sense as the economy or market changes. Instead, I will outline for you the principles behind what I believe and why I come to work every day.

Leave the World a Better Place

I want to leave the world a better place. I believe I can do this by delivering a rewarding work environment for each of you and delivering projects that enhance the lives of people that work inside them. Better spaces, better interactions with systems, systems that consider the impact to the environment, systems and processes done right that save people and organizations time and money, reducing the stress of everyday life. This principle was first introduced to me during my relatively short (2-year) stint in the Boy Scouts. When we left a campsite, we had to line up shoulder to shoulder with about three feet between us and sweep the campsite for trash or human-made objects that were left behind… in effect leaving the campsite better than when we found it. I have always believed in this principle and see it as our duty to repay the opportunity we have been given to exist on this planet. I still, to this day, pick up trash when I'm out for a walk so that someone doesn't see it and say, "I wish people would clean up after themselves." I want to be the change I want to see in the world.

Self-Sustaining Organization

I want TEECOM to be a self-sustaining organization where none of you ever have to worry about losing your job due to the economic conditions or forces outside of your control. An organization, where if you bring your best every day, and you believe in this vision, will be the last organization you will ever need or want to work for. There are too many other things to worry about in everyday life. I don't want you worrying about where your next paycheck is going to come from or how you are going to put food on the table for you and/or your family. To achieve this, we must constantly adapt to changing market conditions and seek to improve ourselves and our services every single day. Competition is brutal and if we don't continue to collectively grow, push boundaries, and pursue perfection, some other organization will be the victor. We must also openly communicate and share knowledge and ideas with one another. Dissemination of information allows each of us to make better decisions and to more quickly improve ourselves.

Love YOUR Work

I want each of you to love coming to work, feel good about what you do, contribute in a meaningful way, work on projects that interest you, allow you to grow as a person, and work with people you respect and enjoy working with.

Think Differently

I want to lead by example. Challenge commonly held assumptions. Think differently (at the risk of sounding like Apple). I want the people in our industry to regard TEECOM as the best firm of its kind. Professional, relationship oriented, delivering on our promises, delivering true value, can do attitude, and setting an example of how professional services firms should operate. I want external confirmation that we are living by these principles. While some, or much of this, may represent principles for leading one's life, TEECOM itself is interwoven into my life and thus reflects who I am and who each of you are. So in conclusion, when you ask yourself, or me, about where TEECOM is going or where we will be in five or ten years, the true answer is... I have no idea. We will be wherever we are in that time, hopefully continuing to live and work by the principles outlined above, enjoying the journey, and taking advantage of every opportunity we can to secure our future, all while leaving this world a bit better than we found it.