Polly Pearson's Blog

EMC Culture Talk: "Visual Radio" -- Live!

Pictured:  EMC's Steve Todd, founder of EMC's CLARiiON product and author of The Information Playground blog  (CLARiiON is the world's first as well as the world's market-share leading modular information storage product based on RAID technology), Monya Keane, EMC's Editor-in-Chief of our award-winning, Global employee news magazine EMC.now, and me, during EMC's first Culture Talk Visual Radio show broadcast in the EMC sound studio.  Our other guest, dialing in from Cork, Ireland, was Mark Twomey, aka "Storagezilla," from the title of his famous 'Zilla blog.  Mark knows information back-up, recovery and archiving like no other. 

The program was a blast to host. Mark and Steve kept the laughs rolling. Everything was unscripted and very real.  We talked about what it was like to work at EMC, what was cool about EMC and what was challenging. We learned that Steve was the first engineer on the planet (we think) to productize a 1987 white paper out of Berkeley on the RAID technology concept.  We also learned he met his wife while washing dishes at a camp in his teenage years.

We learned that Mark started his blog when the editor of the EMC Cork newsletter rejected a movie review he submitted. He figured, "I'll show them," and published the review on the Internet. Ha! Mark is one of the first people to have a blog at EMC (maybe THE first?) and, most likely, one of the first in the information storage industry. He knows his technology cold, and has a killer streak of fun (and funny) running inside of him.

We also heard first hand from these EMC folks, in real term, what keeps them at EMC and what inspires them about working here.  Good stuff.

We took questions from EMCers around the globe, either live or via text. While EMCers listened to the program, they were also able to see a photo show of sorts on their PC of our guests in their natural habitats -- both at work and in their personal lives.

Today, we're hosting our second program. Our guests will be from the legendary EMC sales group -- the organization that has been a HUGE contributor to EMC's phenomenal growth. Just this morning, EMC announced our financial results ... marking a half decade of double-digit growth.  We'll talk about what it is really like in 'New EMC' sales (a lot different than you might think!) and what makes them successful.

For all EMCers, register for today's program -- happening at 12:12 EST via the front page of ChannelEMC.  If you miss it, we'll be chatting about it and will post a replay within the EMC Culture Talk community on EMC ONE (our internal social network).

This next program will have fewer questions from Monya and me -- we want to hear from you right off the bat!

My apologies for non-EMCers reading this post.  At some point, we'll likely share these broadcasts with the world, but for now, we thought we'd get everyone at EMC comfortable with this new medium and the level of sharing we're encouraging behind the firewall first.

What it is like working for Joe Tucci? One woman’s view.

Shortly after Joe Tucci was named CEO of EMC, I became one of his direct reports. I ran EMC’s investor relations at the time. I’ve worked with him for about 8 years; 2 as a direct report, the rest as “one removed.”

What is it like? Following, in no particular order, are some observations:

• He cares – big time. When I worked directly for him, he was always available to me. He returned my phone calls promptly; my emails personally; accepted ‘pop in’ visits; and accepted my meeting requests with no question. He still does.

• He puts himself last, his customers first, and leads with humility. He travels with no handlers; offers praise to his people profusely; and seeks no accolades.  He spends most of his time in the field, not in any executive suite.

• He can talk tech with techies and understand engineering specs better than most execs. He has a brilliant understanding of business strategy – both by the Columbia MBA teachings (which he has quoted when trying to show me the logic of a business transition) and by intuitive business savvy.

• When we traveled together for events such as product launches, I would inevitably get included to join him for dinner – or at the casino table if we were in Vegas. Generally I was the only woman. I never felt out of place.

• I’ve witnessed him handle brutally strategic situations and confrontations with such wisdom, conviction, and blunt honesty it took my breath away. He does not fear doing what he sees as the right thing. I saw him do this on the subject of EMC-coveted personnel, products, business models, governance, and branding.

• His primary Monday – Friday residence, last I knew, was a modest townhouse. He’s on the road on EMC business most of the time; why waste money on ego-trappings?  He drives a basic car to work (himself) and leaves anything flashy away from work. The only thing I can see where he indulges? His suits.

• He is generous and thoughtful. My expectations were exceeded on many fronts – including when I asked for a longer than normal maternity leave. His reply was, for me, ideal. It was far from the candy-coated, “I-don’t-know-how-to-talk-about-this-woman-stuff” norm. I recall him telling me in his ever frank manner that my timing was not perfect (the tech market was still imploding.) He let me know that my leave would be a loss. At the same time, he allowed me to have a guilt-free maternity leave that went about 4 weeks beyond the norm.

• What about job change and professional development? When I shared with him that I wanted a job change and outlined the job I wanted and what it could do for the business, he gave it to me – though on his terms. When I debated his terms, he acknowledged my concerns, conceded what I identified as challenging, and still asked me to take the path as he outlined it. I did.

• If he has a vice, I never saw it. Well, it might be the Yankees.  When we invited the Red Sox brass to our headquarters to celebrate EMC’s sponsorship, he even made it clear to them that he would not back off being a Yankee fan. 

So what is it like working for Joe Tucci? In my opinion, pretty darned good, just like Joe himself.