The Power of Values: How Experience Shaped Our Firm
“Every step in your journey leads you to exactly where you are today.” – Unknown
Last November, I went to my reunion with the Class of 1993 from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. It was fun to see and reconnect with friends from b-school, catch up on life, and hear about some of the amazing things my classmates have done since we graduated. But it also means I have been in the world of consulting for 30 years!
Three decades in the industry have given me a variety of experiences in different organizations and the privilege of working alongside and learning from many different people. These experiences and people played crucial roles not only in my own journey but in The Gunter Group’s as well, because they formed the foundation for the values and philosophy that are core to our company.
As a newly minted M.B.A. in 1993, I started my consulting career at Deloitte Consulting. What a great place to start! I had the privilege to work with incredibly smart and talented people, many of whom are still friends and mentors. It was hard work, but it taught me how much I loved consulting… solving difficult problems, working with great teams, and most of all, serving clients. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade my experience at Deloitte for anything because it built the foundation for the rest of my career.
But after seven years with Deloitte, the road warrior lifestyle of a consultant started to become draining. I met my wife, Ashleigh, at Deloitte, and we both made the difficult decision to leave the firm soon after we got married in order to start our life together. We left a lot of friends and colleagues, and work that we enjoyed, but it was the first of many decisions Ashleigh and I made over time to put our lives and values first. At that time, what mattered was starting our newly married life together.
I ended up at two different startups in Atlanta, leading teams focused on delivering high-quality client service. The second startup, Rubbernetwork (now Elemica), was a great experience and gave me lifelong friends all over the world. What I learned in a startup of 65 people was how amazing it was to be part of a small, tight-knit team, and how much I valued being able to work alongside people that I considered friends. I still carry that lesson with me today.
At Rubbernetwork, I led the part of the organization focused on our clients in Europe. Given I was based in Atlanta, it meant a lot of time away. With a two-year-old at home and another one on the way, Ashleigh and I realized we needed a change and decided to move to Portland, Oregon (Ashleigh’s hometown), to raise our family. It was another hard decision because it meant leaving friends and family in Atlanta, but we knew it was the right decision.
To enable the move to Portland, I went back into consulting and joined a small (at the time) firm called Point B. It reminded me of how much I loved client service and also what it was like to be part of a small, growing firm that was really starting to build.
The point of all this is not to “walk through the highlights of Mike’s career”. The different organizations of which I have been part and the people with whom I worked had a profound impact on me and led directly to Ashleigh’s and my decision to start The Gunter Group in 2011. Exposure to different types of organizations gave us the foundation to develop our own perspective of what kind of organization we would like to create and build, and the values we would want to incorporate into it.
We’re now thirteen years in with The Gunter Group. We have an amazing team, many of whom have been with us since the very beginning, some of whom are new, and a bunch that fall somewhere in between. We have an incredible set of clients that we are privileged to serve. We have incorporated our values—our “Non-Negotiables”—into our organization, and our team reflects them every single day with how we work with each other and our client teams. We are building a sustainable organization that will be around for the long haul.
I am also proud to say that I still get to work alongside a bunch of my friends.
These days my role is a lot different. I am not as deeply involved anymore in day-to-day client delivery or in the operations of the firm. We have a talented team that does an amazing job of those things. I see my role as trying to think strategically about the direction of the firm and how to get there, and guiding, mentoring, coaching, and lifting up the emerging leaders in our company. That has been an evolution; one that has been challenging at times (I have a hard time not getting in the middle of things and almost always have an opinion 😀), but one that has and continues to be immensely rewarding. It has been a humbling experience to watch people start at TGG as brand new consultants and grow into incredible leaders and amazing professionals.
Back to my reunion. 30 years have gone by pretty fast. As smart as I’m sure I thought I was back then, I could not have predicted where the journey would take me. There were definitely a few turns we didn’t expect, but we embraced them and adapted to the change.
I couldn’t be happier to be where I am now. I am proud of our team and what we’re building. It has been incredibly rewarding to watch the company and my teammates grow, and see how TGG reflects our values and who we are as people. I am excited about where we are going as a firm and what the future holds for us, and I am also excited to continue writing about our (and my) journey along the way.
“Every step in your journey leads you to exactly where you are today.” – Unknown
TGG RECOGNIZED AS A BEST WORKPLACE BY INC. MAGAZINE
The Gunter Group has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 2023 list of Best Workplaces. The recognition marks the third consecutive year that The Gunter Group has been honored by Inc. The list, which is featured in the May/June 2023 issue, and prominently featured on Inc.com, is the result of a comprehensive measurement of United States companies that stand out among their peers by creating exceptional workplaces and company culture.
When hearing about the workplace award, David Adams, Consultant with The Gunter Group stated:
“The first emotions that came to me were those of immense pride and satisfaction. I am proud of long standing members of The Gunter Group team who have built the firm into what it is today, I’m proud of those who continue the commitment of making TGG one of the best places to work in 2023, and on a personal note, I feel a great sense of satisfaction being part of this workplace. The second thought that entered my mind was that of validation; this is exactly what The Gunter Group was founded on and it comes as no surprise to me that they have, once again, earned themselves a spot on Inc.’s list of Best Workplaces.”
The Inc. recognition marks the sixteenth workplace award The Gunter Group has received since its inception in 2011. The inclusion on the national workplace award list comes as The Gunter Group continues its expansion efforts in Denver, CO, Salt Lake City, UT, Southern California, and beyond. TGG focuses on establishing deep client relationships throughout the country, providing its management consulting services to public and private companies across a variety of industries.
Hearing about the national recognition, Angela Tekulve, Principal at The Gunter Group commented:
“We are a company that is growing, but not at the expense of what we hold most sacred – our people and our culture. I continue to be amazed by the smart, authentic, and kind teammates here at TGG. Thank you to Inc. Magazine – receiving this recognition reinforces that we continue to be focused on what matters.”
Inc. collected data from thousands of submissions for the 2023 application process. Each company that was nominated took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, which included topics such as management effectiveness, perks, fostering employee growth, and overall company culture. The organization’s benefits were also audited to determine overall score and ranking.
TGG CULTURE IN ACTION:
INCLUSION AND FLEXBILITY
At the beginning of 2023, we implemented a new paid holiday policy at The Gunter Group: we changed all our paid holidays to “floating holidays” so that our team can choose to celebrate the holidays that mean the most to them.
The genesis of our decision started last year when a team of our consultants came forward to the leadership team with an idea for a “Day of Service” for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. At the time, our holiday policy included 7 paid company-defined holidays plus one “floating” holiday, which could be used on any day during the year.
The team that brought forward the idea about the Day of Service also asked the question of whether the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday should be one of our “official” holidays. This led to a much deeper discussion about not only our holiday policy, but also Inclusion. In other words, how could we make it so that our policy on holidays would be fully inclusive and reflect our core values and Culture as an organization? Why should the company dictate that employees take off Christmas Day versus Yom Kippur, Diwali or days during Ramadan? Or New Year’s Day instead of Chinese New Year? Maybe the discussion about whether to observe a particular holiday was missing the point.
Our point of view is that Inclusion is not about a particular holiday, it’s about all of them. This is what led us to change our company policy so that TGGers can decide which days to observe based on what is most meaningful to them and their families.
Back to the Day of Service on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday: a large team of TGGers and their families came together to assemble and deliver 35 Sack Lunches, 20 Winter Kits, and 44 Hygiene Kits to the Blanchet House in Portland, an organization that supports people experiencing homelessness and that is “On a mission to alleviate suffering and offer hope for a better life by serving essential aid with dignity”. I am super proud of the team and the support they provided to such an amazing organization.
At The Gunter Group, we strive to create an environment to support our consultants, clients, and communities such that each can achieve excellence, realize their full potential, and thrive. We live by our Non-Negotiables: Collaborative, Integrity, Intellectual Curiosity, Thrives in Ambiguity, Emotional Intelligence and Grounded Confidence. Our Non-Negotiables reflect who we are and who we will continue striving to be. We value engagement and creative ideas from our team, and we are always working to make TGG a better and better place to work!
TGG PARTNER Q&A:
2022 CONSULTING MAGAZINE BEST FIRMS TO WORK FOR
This fall The Gunter Group was recognized as a “Best Small Firm to Work For” by Consulting Magazine for the fourth consecutive year. This marks the fourteenth workplace award that TGG has received in the last eight years.
We visited with TGG partner and head of TGG’s Nevada team, Tony Schweiss to hear more about the award and the significance of being honored nationally for The Gunter Group’s culture and workplace.
This is the fourth consecutive year TGG has been recognized as a Best Small Firm to Work For by Consulting Magazine. What does this consistency and recognition mean to the team?
Tony: It’s a reflection of the amount of effort, energy and thought that we put into building a team that is aligning its culture to the work that we do and the outcomes we are trying to deliver as a team. It’s also a reflection of the caliber of people that we have on our team and the commitment our team has to do high quality work for our clients, to support each other, to collaborate and live out our Non-Negotiables, and hold ourselves accountable.
The consistency, year-in and year-out is amazing and is incredibly exciting in terms of the ongoing acknowledgement of the effort we put into our culture on a yearly, monthly, weekly, daily basis and I think everyone on the team should be really proud of it.
Not only has The Gunter Group’s team grown geographically over the past 24 months but the location of clients has been broadening as well. How does the Consulting Magazine honor validate these geographic developments?
Tony: For us it is an essential priority that as we expand as a company and our footprint grows, that we stay culturally committed to what makes us a great team. The pursuit of excellence and the goal over time to create an engaged team no matter where they are, has been a driving requirement for us as we grow.
To be recognized for this award four years in a row as we continue to grow geographically proves that it is possible to create highly engaging cultural value as we scale up as a firm. The recognition also validates the effort and resources we have dedicated to our team and organization, and serves as a celebration opportunity as well.
You are located in Nevada, what is it like for you to work with individuals across the country in different hubs/areas and how does TGG develop and maintain its strong organizational culture with geographically dispersed team members?
Tony: For me, I think it’s really exciting to work with team members from so many different areas. Whether it’s the Denver area, Southern California, the Salt Lake City area, the East Coast, or the Pacific Northwest, the variety of experiences and perspectives that generate from a collection of unique locations is exciting to be a part of and see benefit our client partners.
It’s been fun to experience but also presents a challenge: how do we maintain the value of our culture in a more virtual environment and dispersed geographies.
Having been geographically removed from our main hub for a while now, the best version of an engaging team and workplace is one that is aligned in terms of its goals and mission as an organization. And for us it’s about helping our clients achieve their goals in a way that is better and faster than what they could have done on their own.
I think it’s helped bring into focus opportunities for engagement with each other and how we’re doing our work but also how we are connecting as a team. It has forced us to try new things, evaluate quickly and then double down on methods that have really added to our cultural foundation across multiple geographies. As much as possible we continue to utilize not only virtual opportunities to engage with teammates but also encourage our local teammate hubs to spend time together in person and support that activity from an investment perspective.
What are you most excited about for the TGG team and culture in the coming year?
Tony: At the end of the day we’ve grown a lot over the last 3-4 years and we’ve grown purposefully so that our team has new and interesting opportunities in the future. As we grow we have to continue to be thoughtful about how we do our work internally, engage and connect with one another, how we collaborate, and how we deliver our work as a team.
What I’m really excited about over the next year is to continue to mature how our employee experience presents itself and matures across geographies so we can ensure a great professional opportunity for our entire team regardless of where they are located. I think it’s the most crucial work we have in front of us but it will also be the most rewarding for our entire organization in the months and years to come.
BEHIND THE SCENES:
JOINING THE TGG TEAM
TGG Team Members Annie Cha, Nate Ferguson, Janice Lefebvre, Danny Quarrell, and Samya Thangaraj have been with The Gunter Group for varying periods of time and each one of them has a unique story in regards to their transition to The Gunter Group.
Today, with their help, we are going to take a behind the scenes look at what it’s like to join the TGG team and become part of the TGG culture.
Let’s start here: What was your background prior to becoming a Consultant at TGG?
Janice: I worked for a health insurance carrier.
Nate: Previously I had worked as an analyst and did some account management as well.
Samya: I was a generalist consultant.
Danny: I did Director of IT and CTO type roles, mostly.
Most of you came from non-Consultant career paths. What was that like during the hiring process?
Annie: I was actually a little bit intimidated because consulting wasn’t my background but what’s unique about the culture at TGG is that you don’t have to be from a consultant background to really thrive here.
Nate: In my case, TGG really helped me see the parallels with the core competencies I had from my experiences.
Samya: I realized and appreciated that they’re not focused on what you’re missing, but they’re focused on what you’re bringing.
Janice: For me, I appreciated that TGG found value in the idea that every person comes to the table with a different personality, different skill sets.
During the transition, what about the TGG culture was supportive and helped you develop in your new role?
Danny: What I loved seeing was that if a teammate wanted to expand their knowledge and experience in an area, TGG helped them learn it, and other people here with that specific skill or expertise, were more than willing to assist along the way.
Annie: Knowing without a doubt that I could reach out to any of my colleagues here and they would be ready and willing to help.
Samya: I was told early on that it’s more of a family culture, and that definitely held true during my transition and has continued on a daily basis.
Janice: I love how the team is close-knit and really cares about each person as an individual. This has been evident since day one, and it’s not only supportive but it helps everyone be successful as well.
Thank you again to each of you for taking the time to share and reflect on your transition and time with TGG. We look forward to more opportunities to support our authentic culture and deliver impactful work together.
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Interested in learning more about how our great culture comes to life? Click here and see what fuels our team, our relationships, and our work.
Ready to jump in? Our TGG team is growing and we are currently hiring! Click here to see our open positions and apply.
INC. BEST WORKPLACES Q&A
The TGG team is excited to share that last month The Gunter Group was named to Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces list for 2022! This was the second year in a row that TGG was recognized with this national honor from Inc.
When announcing the 2022 winners Scott Omelianuk, Editor-in-Chief of Inc. Magazine stated:
“The competition this year was tough—thousands of best-in-class companies competed to make the Best Workplaces list, agreeing to employee surveys that determined which participants had the most satisfied teams. All winners have something special in common: a culture that encourages people in a way that allows teams to stay strong in the office or in one’s home office—even if the home office is at the kitchen table! That kind of leadership and the resilience it creates are worth celebrating!”
To highlight what the award means to TGGers everywhere, we visited with three team members located across the Western United States.
What does the Inc. Magazine Best Workplaces Award mean to you as a member of the TGG team?
Josh Eife (Denver): As a newer employee, I am not surprised by this recognition because it was evident during the interview process that TGG is a special place. I have not seen an organization as committed to their employees while serving clients in the right way, and this award validates that personal observation.
Tracy Bell (Seattle): It acknowledges how I feel as an engaged employee – I work for a company that cares about its employees and supports them to grow and learn. I feel this every day. An award is confirmation that others feel the same.
Jim Calko (Los Angeles): It’s exciting and validating for our organization to be recognized as one of the best places to work in the country. For me having been at TGG since the beginning of the journey, it’s really fulfilling to see as we all do our part to help build something special.
What makes TGG’s culture special and unique?
Jim: Authenticity and sincerity have been huge components since the beginning. Being able to show up, be your full self and be celebrated.
Tracy: TGG’s culture is special because it puts values at the center of what we do. They are foundational to how we hire and we show up for ourselves, our company, and our clients. Notably, values are an ongoing conversation at TGG which is a rare practice in and of itself.
Josh: Genuine relationships! TGG’s emphasis on hard work, doing the right thing, and making friends along the way is a rare dynamic in the working world. We are all on this journey together, and having value-based colleagues makes it a special place to work.
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Interested in learning more about how our great culture comes to life? Click here and see what fuels our team, our relationships, and our work.
Ready to jump in? Our TGG team is growing and we are currently hiring! Click here to see our open positions and apply.
TGG RECOGNIZED ON NATIONAL BEST WORKPLACES LIST
For the second year in a row, The Gunter Group has been named to Inc. Magazine’s annual Best Workplaces list. Featured in the May/June 2022 issue, and prominently featured on Inc.com, the list is the result of a comprehensive measurement of American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company culture.
The Inc. recognition marks the thirteenth workplace award The Gunter Group has received since its inception in 2011. The honor comes as The Gunter Group successfully undertakes expansion efforts in Denver, CO, Salt Lake City, UT, and Southern California providing its management consulting services to public and private companies across a variety of industries.
Upon learning of the national recognition, Mike Gunter, founder of The Gunter Group commented:
“We are thrilled to receive this award for the second year in a row. It is a true testament to our team and the culture we have built together in our company, and continue to build as we grow our team across the country. Our goal has always been to put people first and being nationally recognized by Inc. is a great honor.”
After collecting data from thousands of submissions, Inc. selected 475 honorees this year. Each company that was nominated took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, which included topics such as management effectiveness, perks, fostering employee growth, and overall company culture. The organization’s benefits were also audited to determine overall score and ranking.
About The Gunter Group
Founded in 2011, The Gunter Group features an experienced team of consultants serving clients throughout the Pacific Northwest and Western United States. The Gunter Group prides itself on providing consulting services to a broad range of organizations spanning Fortune 100 companies to locally-based businesses. The firm has been named one of the “Best Companies to Work For” in Oregon by Oregon Business Magazine for eight consecutive years and named one of the “Best Small Firms to Work For” by Consulting Magazine three years in a row. The Gunter Group currently has over 70 team members with operational hubs in Portland, Reno, Salt Lake City, and Denver.
About Inc. Media
The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
About Quantum Workplace
Quantum Workplace, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee-engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com.
TGG PARTNERS Q&A – 2022 OREGON BUSINESS AWARD
Last week, The Gunter Group was recognized as the #3 Best Company to Work For in Oregon in the medium-sized business category, according to Oregon Business. This marks the second year in a row that TGG has ranked in the top three and the eighth consecutive year that TGG has been honored by Oregon Business as a Best Company to Work For in Oregon.
We visited with partners, Mike and Ashleigh Gunter, Matt Bader, and Tony Schweiss to hear more about what makes the 2022 Oregon Business honor special.
This is the second year in a row TGG has finished in the top three, what were your reactions when you read the rankings?
Ashleigh: For me, I was incredibly excited and incredibly grateful. Excited because it validates the work we do daily to build and maintain our culture and grateful because our amazing team members are the ones who live out our culture and our Non-Negotiables every day with each other and with clients.
Tony: I agree with everything Ashleigh said and would add that the recognition was also validating because our company continues to add new team members every year and we recognize that just because you have a strong workplace environment doesn’t automatically guarantee it will stay that way over time. For us, growing year-over-year while not only maintaining, but furthering our culture in the midst of a pandemic stricken society… it confirms that we have been investing time and resources in the right places as an organization.
On that note, how has TGG been able to maintain its workplace culture while steadily growing and expanding into new markets?
Matt: As leaders we really focus on listening to our team. Our mission has been, and will continue to be, to maximize potential for our consultants, our clients, and our communities. We genuinely engage our team in conversations about how to make our organization better and stronger, and a company that they are proud to be a part of. The strength and character of our team is our highest priority and it fuels the strength and character of our culture.
Mike: Absolutely. Building off of that further, we continue to look at every business decision, large or small, through the lens of our Non-Negotiables. Does what we want to do or what we think we should do align with all of our Non-Negotiables? Not just one or two of them, but all of them. As we look at continuing to build our company and grow into new markets over the next few years, our Non-Negotiables have never been more important as the basis for framing our decisions..
The Gunter Group has made the Best Companies to Work For in Oregon list for eight consecutive years. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear that statement? Ready, go!
Mike: To our team, thank you, thank you, thank you!
Ashleigh: Wow! Let’s keep it going!
Matt: Here’s to 8 more! I can’t wait to see what comes next!
Tony: I am honored to be a part of such an exceptional organization. I hope our whole team takes pride in this recognition!
TGG RANKED IN TOP THREE: 2022 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN OREGON
We are excited to share that for the eighth year in a row, The Gunter Group has been ranked as one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon’ according to Oregon Business.
The Gunter Group was recognized as the #3 Best Company to Work For in Oregon, in the medium-sized businesses category!
According to Oregon Business one TGGer stated, “This is the kind of company that I always wanted to work for, but didn’t think could actually exist. I feel cared for, appreciated, and there’s always support from every co-worker when it’s needed.”
We are honored to be recognized on Oregon Business Magazine’s 100 Best Companies list again this year.
Congratulations to our amazing team!
Be sure to visit guntergroup.com and discover what makes The Gunter Group so unique.
To learn more about the 2022 100 Best List, view the 2022 top ten video, and see the complete rankings visit: oregonbusiness.com
The 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon is an annual showcase that recognizes top Small, Medium, and Large businesses in the state. More than 9,000 employees across a wide range of industries complete an employee engagement survey that encompasses areas such as: management & communications, decision-making & trust, career development & learning, benefits & compensation, and work environment.