Under a Blooming Tree
By By Nick Horton June 18, 2010
This article originally appeared in the July 2010 issue of Seattle magazine.
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Madrona Solutions Groups management team has made the |
If you search deep in the red-brick heart of Pioneer Square,
youll find Madrona Solutions Group, a small consulting firm that is turning
out large-scale services. This 16-person outfit specializes in implementing
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systemsthats a term for digital tools
that organize interactions with clients. CRM is no niche field, though; Madrona
works with companies ranging from WinShuttle to Corbis to Microsoft and
beyond.
Madronas expertise in fostering relationships isnt limited
to clients and customers. The five-year-old company gives its full attention to
its employees, tooand it has paid off.
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In a sector thats often cutthroat and exhausting, Madrona
has created a balanced atmosphere that both challenges and recognizes
employees. In the words of one staffer, Madrona has a culture of camaraderie
where everyone shares information and experience. There is not a sense of
competition or ruthlessness.
Those are rare words in the world of consulting, but Madrona
Solutions Group garnered across-the-board praise in a survey of the companys
employees. Madronas workers
described the groups culture as diverse, dynamic, fun and relaxed. Perhaps
thats due to the monthly Friday afternoon happy hours or the gym memberships.
Or it could be due to the full suite of health benefits. More than likely, its
all of the above.
Madronas co-founders, Brian Paulen and Jeff Finken,
encourage their employees to strive for professional and personal growth. Each
year, the company provides every worker an educational budget of $2,000, which
can be spent on classes or training of the employees choice. Madrona even
offers additional bonuses if the chosen class benefits the employees job.
The perks keep coming: Madronas employees are eligible for
annual and spot performance bonuses; they receive monthly stipends for mobile
phones and parking; and theyre free to work at the companys headquarters, at
their current project site or at home as needed. In addition to regular social
events and a holiday party, Madrona hosts yearly weekend getaways to Northwest
resortsspouses are invited; work talk is not.
From the companys beginnings, Madronas leadership fostered
a spirit of community service throughout the organization. (CEO Brian Paulen is
president of the board for the Music Center of the Northwest.) An in-house
charity committee solicits donation suggestions from all employees, and the
group participates in volunteer projects every quarter.
Madrona prides itself on its flat organizational structure,
which allows employees from any level to approach and collaborate with
management at will. That ease of communication is reinforced at all employees
twice-monthly one-on-ones with their manager. Theres no political drama, one
employee wrote, and there are so few levels/titles that everyone is treated
the same.
Its evident that Madrona Solutions Group has been planted
on some very rich soil. And with the way that soil is being turned and
enriched, it seems clear that this tree will continue to grow.
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