As a college student studying Business Leadership Management, I have spent a lot of time learning about company culture and what leaders can do to make sure their teams are happy and productive. On a textbook page, it can be easy to define what leaders want their organization to be centralized around, but it’s often not successfully implemented throughout the entire team, especially with the Interns.
In the Fall of 2018, I took an employee and organization development course at St. Thomas where we spent the whole semester creating a mock proposal for a business that we saw an issue with and wanted to change. My world was lit up by the light bulb of consulting. I became obsessed with the career path where you are constantly taking in new information and using it to help businesses be more successful and repeating this process to create a big impact in your community.
As my world was opened to consulting, I immediately began to look in to Twin Cities companies that spent their time helping other businesses be successful. I researched thirty-something different companies, submitted my resume and attended a few summer intern events to better learn about what the consulting world had to offer. I struggled to find the right combination of challenging work and making a difference at an organization.
A basic Google search stumbled me across Pioneer Management Consulting. I was immediately surprised by their strong commitment to live out their Humble, Hungry and Connected values (which we have nicknamed HHC!) From their hiring page asking candidates to describe what Pioneering means to them, to their growing social media posts and brand development - HHC was all over the place! I knew I wanted to be a part of that. I sent an email to Jon, our HR director, and explained how I desperately wanted to be a part of the Pioneer team. After a few interviews and building out what my summer experience would be like, I officially joined the team.
At most internships, the intern is clearly the lowest on the totem pole and are often stuck with meaningless grunt work. Pioneer is nothing like that and our HHC culture is the sole reason that I truly feel like I belong and am valued.
During my first Friday meeting as part of the team, I was asked a few questions about my background and my first week – specifically to describe how my first week went in three words. I was thrown on the spot with this question in front of the whole team, but I wasn’t nervous or intimidated to answer. I quickly responded with “ready to learn, excited and family.” In hindsight, I’ve realized that I was directly describing and experiencing the HHC culture that is so deeply ingrained in Pioneer culture.
Pioneer is my first experience of a culture that truly is embraced by everyone and I’m already starting to feel the benefits.
HUMBLE
While it seems “unhumble” to brag about how humble Pioneers are, it’s an aspect of our team that still shocks me how prevalent it is.
In the office, I sit six feet away from the partners and directors to have my questions and thoughts genuinely heard. I'm inspired by how humble everyone is to accept my ideas. I’m not just the stereotypical young student in the office that has to pick up coffee and make copies of documents; I am given important and meaningful work that is making a difference.
HUNGRY
Team Pioneer is composed of some of the smartest, most passionate people I know that aren’t afraid to take on a challenge. Outside of work, we are a team of intense workout coaches, leaders in community groups, past corporate executives and parents. No matter what life has thrown at us, we’ve adapted and more importantly thrived.
Like the rest of the team, I find myself easily excited to learn and grow. My time at Pioneer has given me just that. I have had opportunities to create a marketing plan and manage all of our content across our social media and website, sit in on the quarterly leadership team meetings, and sit side by side some of the smartest people in the industry.
CONNECTED
As covid-19 has physically separated the Pioneer team, it’s very apparent that the culture of connectedness didn’t stop – in fact, it increased. Virtual dance parties, meetings, and happy hours were held as well as increasing digital team communications to keep the team together.
After weeks of not being in the same office, we have slowly started to return to our in-person normalcy. One Wednesday when many of the team came back for a weekly check-in meeting, I was shocked by hugs and laughter from the genuine bond that the Pioneer team exhibited. While quarantine had separated the team for a few weeks physically, seeing each other in person for the first time was like catching up with an old friend after years of distance.
Even as the newest person to the team, I’m included on the fun and Team Pioneer really takes the time to get to know me and learn about my out of work life – making the connectedness grow.
In one of my leadership courses, we started class with the Peter Drucker quote of “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” something that at first sounded quite silly. But after studying and being a part of multiple organizations who don’t have a strong culture, I've noticed that it really does make a difference in the employee satisfaction, productivity, and the ultimate success of a team.
Most organizations have values and vision, but few follow through with them in their day to day operations like Pioneer does. In just the short month and a half that I’ve been here, I’ve been immersed into the culture of Pioneers that really does make my internship experience exponentially better. I’m so glad to be a part of a culture where I truly fit in and have the opportunity to grow. It’s not something many can say.
About the Author
Katie O’Connor is an intern this summer at Pioneer Management Consulting, a business strategy, business operations, data analytics, and organizational effectiveness management firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
She also is looking forward to her senior year at the University of St. Thomas in the fall.