Erin Willett—
Oh, the things we wouldn’t think twice about before COVID. And yes, we cleaned up after ourselves thoroughly and left no trace of our contraband.
In the Fall of 2013, Mandy and I welcomed our first employee to ACS. That first hire was a very deliberate one. LaTanya helped us lay the foundation of what the ACS culture is today. Some thought it was strange for us to focus so much on a culture that didn’t have employees yet. But back to the mutual goals that Mandy and I found so important and still track to today, they were all based on a solid corporate culture.
As 2013 was coming to a close, as a team of 3 we found ourselves in need of longer-range planning. We’ve shared with you our love for meeting around coffee and basically any food, but this time we really needed to focus. So, where do you go when you need a quiet place to focus, you don’t have an actual office, and you’re basically broke? The public library, that’s where. In November of 2013, we booked a private conference room at the Chantilly Regional Library and got to work.
Our first website “About Us” picture was a cartoon. This was a purposeful focus on not taking ourselves too seriously.
But we eventually got hungry (surprise, right?) and ordered lunch to be delivered. Now, eating in a library is generally frowned upon, but we were really hungry. So we casually snuck the food into the conference room, leaving a delicious aroma in the air behind us, and got back to work. There was one problem—we had no utensils. You can see in the picture how we approached this very serious issue. We pulled out our highlighters and used them as, you guessed it, chopsticks.
The way we adapted to our dire utensil-less situation is the way we approach everything at ACS. Whether it is complex technical problem sets for our customers, or internally focused initiatives, projects, risks, and opportunities, or something in between, we look through a different lens. That first strategic “offsite” was memorable to me for many reasons—not just the highlighters. It was where we laid the true foundation of ACS.
We started ACS to be a different defense contractor. We had experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly during our time around the beltway. The good ones take notice and care about their employees and their families. The others aren’t necessarily all bad, but as they grow, they tend to lose the focus on the employees that are central to the mission.
We started ACS to be different on purpose, emphasize the criticality and value of each employee’s contributions, and never find ourselves treating our staff like numbers. That first hire helped us put initial processes and procedures in place that paved the way for long-term success. On every new ACS employee’s first day, we spend significant time on our culture, why it’s important, and why it’s important for each employee to know their own “why.”
Our culture isn’t just a part of our corporate strategy, it is our corporate strategy. It’s our special sauce and what makes us unique. It’s what puts us in a position to be their last employer.
I have so much more to share with you about our “why”—tune in to learn more.
ABOUT ASSURED CONSULTING SOLUTIONS
Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Assured Consulting Solutions is a well-respected and trusted partner, domain expert, and provider of expert-level support. ACS is a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) that delivers advanced technology solutions and strategic support services in support of critical national security missions for Intelligence, Defense, and Federal Civilian customers. Learn more at www.assured-consulting.com.
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