We’re coming to the end of another jam-packed year, and like most of us, I’m taking a pause to reflect on all that’s been accomplished (and some of what hasn’t!). For me, it was a year of serious reflection, some big decisions that affected my personal and professional life, both creating and diving into some new opportunities and enjoying a few good wins along the way. And yet, when I think about what made it truly notable, it wasn’t about what I did as an individual that I find celebratory — it’s the wins our team had that make me the proudest.
I count myself fortunate to be part of three great teams at work: our executive team, our People Strategy team, and the Rapid7 community. Though the work often overlaps, I typically engage and experience the roller coaster ride with each team slightly differently. With all three, however, I find an abundance of learning opportunities, challenges to tackle together, and an outsized amount of laughter along the way. And as December comes to a close, I’m going to take a moment to thank them for what they have given me… and hopefully, encourage you to do the same with your own teams.
Dear Rapid7 Team,
Thank you. There are far too many of you to name, but if we’ve interacted in any capacity more than a passing hello, I’m addressing you.
Thank you for the disciplined risks you were all willing to take along with me. Those who know me well appreciate I’m more than a little left of center when it comes to taking on a big change or risk. Complacency and fear of stagnation are almost as terrifying to me as is my fear of clowns. This company provides an exceptional support system, allowing me to pursue my crazy ideas. It’s one thing to ponder the ideas that pop into my head in the middle of the night, but it’s quite another to see what happens when I partner with others to bring those ideas to life — especially when I get to work with such an amazing team and drive positive impact. It’s also pretty special to see so many of you gaining confidence to drive innovation and impact in the company because you feel inspired and supported to do so.
Thank you for providing me a boundless set of opportunities to foster my own continuous learning. Whether it was partnering with our leadership team during various offsites, discussing how we will take over the world, or learning from a leader in an overseas office about how their needs differ from ours in the U.S., it was a year full of personal development for me. I end this year with new perspectives, new ideas, and new passions for topics I hadn’t considered at the start of 2017. I learned long ago if you walk into a room assuming you don’t have all the answers, it’s incredible how much you can learn from others. This adage served me unimaginably well this year. You didn’t fail me.
Thank you for your individual excellence. One of the benefits of being part of a growth company is that the opportunities for improvement never stop. It’s like playing whack-a-mole: once you feel like you’ve tackled one big thing, another one pops up needing attention. Some people get exhausted and disengaged by this constant marathon, and yet the folks I work with always come ready to dive in. It’s one of the things that makes this company truly unique; status quo is taboo. Our dedication to constant improvement is a true key to our continued success.
Thank you for the teamwork. We think of ourselves as “one moose,” to recognize that we are all in this together. We appreciate that we accomplish infinitely more as a team than we ever would individually, and we do the hard work to make relationships work. It fills me with tremendous pride to watch guests enter our lobby, only to be asked by those of us who pass by, “Have you been helped yet?” No one tells us to behave this way. We do it because we work hard to be inclusive and kind. Just as no one tells us to ask a peer “Do you need a hand?” when we know they are working hard to make a deadline. We do it because we understand grabbing a shovel and pitching in is what you do when you are on a healthy team.
Thank you for the meaningful customer partnerships. Given my customers are all of you, (rather than our external paying ones) listening to your ideas and concerns, actively engaging with you in idea generation and those activities that will drive the greatest benefit to us all are key focus areas for me. By continuing to ask me the tough questions I hadn’t yet considered, you have helped me to raise my game.
You’ve ignited a fire in me to take advantage of opportunities, rather than wait until they become problems to be addressed. Some were easy, some were far more complex that will require a programmatic response in the New Year...but as always, if they were important enough for you to ask about, they are worth my energy attempting to solve. I do not own the culture of this company — we all do. When we partner together and hold ourselves accountable to keep it strong, healthy, and scaling along with us, together we keep this company thriving.
And finally, thank you for all for allowing me to do the work I am passionate about doing, every single day. As the year comes to a close, so does my seventh year at Rapid7. Never did I imagine I’d continue to find a challenging, rewarding, and inspired company for such a sustained period of time. I love this company and I love the partnership and collaboration that comes from working with all of you. Thank you for that.
Happy Holidays to all. May you get good rest, and come back on January 2nd ready to engage with all that 2018 will bring!
Christina
Christina Luconi is Chief People Officer for Rapid7. Follow her on Twitter: @peopleinnovator.