By Lisa Greenlee,
Vice President, Administration
An evening out with fellow employees is always fun, but this evening ended up being filled with unexpected surprises. The first one hit me as soon as I walked in the door. Keep in mind that our usual office attire is shorts, t-shirts, flip flops, or sandals. So it was like going to a costume party to see my colleagues dressed up in suits, blazers, sports coats, and slacks! Turns out, we all scrub up pretty well — even though some seemed a bit out of their element (no, I won’t name names).
We all scrub up pretty well, don’t you think? From left, Walter Boos, Rich Stillman, Raja Olimuthu, Scott Rumage, Lisa Greenlee, Craig Mackey, Steve Robinson, Nack Athens.
We meandered and networked a bit, then the ballroom door swung open. The crowd (of about a thousand people) was invited to enter the huge ballroom and find their company’s table. From the stage, a drum band pounded out pulsating rhythms that amplified the excitement in the room.
The second surprise of the evening happened when the event’s host introduced the University of Washington’s Varsity Crew Team. They were there to be recognized for teamwork excellence. None of us had expected this, but we knew that one of our interns, Ryan Schroder, was on the team. Everyone around the table wondered whether we’d see Ryan. The coach showed a few quick videos that illustrated how individuals working together can create the best results. How the crew team has to work together, fully synchronized, with each pull of the oar being about “us” not “me.”
The coach said a few words about his hardworking and successful team, and announced that they were about to embark on a world tour of crewing competitions and events. Then he invited each crew member to introduce themselves. Sure enough, there was Ryan! But he didn’t know we were there…yet. When it was his turn at the microphone, the entire Tecplot table erupted into spontaneous applause and cheers.
Both Ryan and the event’s host looked in our direction. The host’s puzzled expression asked the question everyone in the room was asking: “What’s the connection?” Ryan said simply, “I work for them.” The host clarified the surprising coincidence by saying, “You work for a 100 Best Company?” Ryan just grinned in assent.
Of course, we were thrilled to win such a prestigious award, and there were some watery eyes around the table (again, I’m not going to name names). But to unexpectedly see a team member, up on stage, being recognized for excellence — that was really the highlight of the evening for everyone around the Tecplot table.
This was the real highlight of the evening for everyone at the Tecplot table —Ryan Schroeder (far left, holding the oar and smiling) being recognized for being part of the University of Washington’s winning Varsity Crew Team. Ryan has been an intern at Tecplot throughout his senior year in aeronautical engineering at the University of Washington.
Be sure to check back next week. I’ll be talking about the secret to our success in winning the award — and what we do to walk our talk about being a best company to work for.
