Staff Spotlight: Jennifer Sutcliffe

I am the 7th child out of an 8 child family. I learned early on that I was part of not just a family but a team. There was a big age difference, but that did not stop us from just being family, we were a tribe. We did not just share genetics; we shared goals, aspirations, and core beliefs. Although we are now grown, we choose to spend time together, like no time has passed. Our tribe has grown; no longer just siblings, we have in-laws, children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and fur babies.

Not a lot of people can say they got the experience they could apply to their work from just being part of a very large tribe. I did. I have a keen awareness that not everyone can be treated the same, not everyone will agree, and more importantly, you always have to share. There is no room for big egos. Everyone’s opinion matters, and they deserve to be heard.

I have 29 years of industry experience. 10 of those years have been here at ComputerTalk. I have never spent 10 years anywhere. I do sometimes reflect on why ComputerTalk has kept my interest, challenged me, grown my skills, and matured me to who I am today. There is no one answer, but I do believe it comes down to belonging to this great ComputerTalk tribe that has been built to make the company work so well. 

Here at ComputerTalk, I am one of 3 women on an executive team of 4 people. This is very refreshing. When people ask me what my job is, the quick answer is, “I am responsible for the day-to-day operations.’’  What does that really mean? The longer answer is that I am responsible for making sure we can deliver and support our Contact Center as a Service product. I am not here to tell people what to do– I am here to make sure that any and all roadblocks and bottlenecks are removed so every single resource can be successful. Anytime someone comes to me, my first question is usually ‘’How can I help you?” My goal is that every resource knows I have their back. I will always support them and help them be successful.

Although I have scoured the Internet, I do not have a magic wand, hat with rabbits, or a crystal ball. The magic comes from ComputerTalk’s unique structure and dedication to cross-function teamwork. Sure, a lot of companies say they are cross-functional, but ComputerTalk shows it in everything we do. My job specifically allows me to bring together resources from multiple functions to solve a problem and plan for the future without all the red tape a lot of companies experience. Listening is key, ideas rise to the surface and decisions become easier to make.

Like any tribe, it cannot be all work and no play. We have fun. Laughter is good. We share meals, we play sports and games, and we never forget about celebrating successes and learning from challenges. We are in this together.

When new resources start, we ask them a series of questions to get to know them better. I went back and looked at the answers to one of the questions, ”What is your favourite thing about ComputerTalk so far?”  Some answers give you a really good idea of what it is like here:

• “The culture and the people”
• “People and the hi-tech atmosphere”
• “The amazing people”
• “All of you! I try to describe it to outsiders but you won’t understand until you get to work here!”
  

For me, I am happy here and ComputerTalk is always looking for good resources. The company is growing, and I am now at an age and experience level where I want to mentor and see new graduates succeed. I have been in the tech business for my entire career. I have had different roles and titles. Early on, I would sometimes be the only woman in the room and I would not speak up. I did not feel confident. 29 years later – that is no longer an issue. I always speak my mind. I am encouraged to speak my mind. I hope I do it with focus, intellect, and a little humour.