It has been interesting for me to watch the faces of the visitors as they come to the Infusion office.
The second they walk through the Infusion doors, they get hit with one of two things. If they somehow avoid being pelted by one of the many Nerf basketballs or darts that seem to always be in flight, then they will likely be “hit” with a feeling of energy and excitement and passion that permeates the entire atmosphere.
We call this the process of “getting infused”. In fact, this process of “getting infused” (coming to Infusion and catching on fire) is now a regular part of Infusion vocabulary. We jump at every opportunity we get to invite customers, prospects and vendors to come to Infusion.
I have heard so many prospects, customers and employees comment about this energy and passion, that for a period of time I almost became desensitized to it. One day, Clate had to make a visit to some kind of government office for some reason. When he came back, he had this half-depressed, half-excited look on his face.
He told me that he walked into this government office and immediately had the life sucked out of him because of the draining, dry, void-of-life, innovation-free environment. He came back more excited and thankful than ever, realizing that what we’ve been able to create here is remarkably different than most places.
I’ve thought a lot about how the Infusion culture has developed and progressed over time. We have always prided ourselves in having passion and enthusiasm for solving small business problems… but where does it all come from? Why have we been able to take “normal” people (without MBAs or extensive training) and turn them into effective small business problem solvers (i.e. consultants) that have an unusual passion and excitement that spills over like a contagious airborne disease?
The complete analysis deserves much more treatment than a single blog entry, so I plan to give my analysis in chunks. For now, the question in our minds should be: how can we each create a culture where innovation, creativity and passion fill the air to the point that no employee, vendor, or customer can escape without filling their lungs with a couple good whiffs of “the good stuff”.
Posted In: Company Buzz
