Dominion Digital’s Culture Book

Thoughts on Dominion Digital’s culture, values, and vision as defined by our employees

2010

Legal Notice

Please note that this book is intended to show how some individual Dominion Digital employees have expressed their feelings about Dominion Digital. These personal feelings don’t carry the legal effect of management policy or promises. Rather, they are intended to share the views of individual employees about what their work with Dominion Digital means to them.

We appreciate them sharing these thoughts and hope that you enjoy reading the rest of this book and learning about the Dominion Digital culture.

Table of Contents

Forward .............................4

Our Values .........................7

Our Culture......................15

Our Shared Vision.............41

4

ForwardWelcome to the 2010 edition of the Dominion Digital culture book!

For many years now, we’ve considered our culture to be our biggest asset and

something we feel differentiates us from our competition. What better way to help

define and celebrate that culture than to ask everyone in our firm to provide a few

of their own words to describe our culture and what it means to them. As we grow

our firm, we believe that it will be vital to help new employees understand and

become part of our distinct culture.

We are indebted to Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, for providing the idea and

example for this book. For many years now, Zappos has been creating a culture

book for their company in a similar format.

5

This book is also a surprise for Chris Little, Dominion

Digital’s President and CEO. As we prepare to

celebrate our firm’s 13th anniversary this December,

we thought this book would be an ideal gift for Chris.

Chris has provided steadfast leadership to our firm

over the past 13 years to help build a culture that is

the foundation of everything we do. Chris, this book

is for you.

We hope you enjoy our book!

Dave Birckhead

SVP & COO — Dominion Digitaldbirckhead@dominiondigital.com

“People may not remember exactly what you did or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos (paraphrasing various authors)

Our Values

9

Service & Value

We always act in the best interest of our

clients, as measured by client satisfaction

and value created.

11

Passion & Excellence

We do our best in every situation and set

the standards for excellence in our industry.

13

Teamwork & Respect

We embrace individual initiative and

team collaboration, such that in mutual

partnership with our clients and in our

communities, we are all stronger and more

successful.

Our CultureAs defined by our employees

17

Adam R.“I’d say the part of the firm culture that has made an impression on me is ‘startup’

feel DDIG has. I mean that only in the good ways: entrepreneurial, flat hierarchy,

low bureaucracy—it’s like a startup with great benefits J”

Al T.“Dominion Digital’s culture values excellence, integrity, passion, and other key

differentiators. But what makes our culture unique is the mutual trust and respect

that pervade all interactions. From management down to interns, within teams,

across teams, when discussing clients, even outside of work—everyone exhibits

genuine respect for their colleagues and trusts them to do their best.”

18

Anthony W.“When I first joined Dominion Digital, I was

eager to be surrounded by others who were

highly engaged and motivated by the work they

were doing. Over the past 13 years, I’m glad to

see that our culture of excellence and passion

for what we do has only grown stronger—an

‘all-star team’ where each player brings their

unique strengths and expertise to the benefit of

the whole team.”

“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” H.S. Truman

19

Anthony Z.“Everyday when I come to work, I’m driven to perform my best because of the

example and tradition that the leaders of this firm have set both present and past.

Because they are so clear and consistent in their message of values and ethics, as an

employee it’s very clear to me what I need to do in order to perform my best and

meet the expectations of my peers. The trust that I’ve developed for the leaders of

this firm because of this consistency, their demonstrated integrity, and finally their

actions that show they truly care about their employees cannot be overstated. It

truly makes Dominion Digital a wonderful place to work.”

Aretina Y.“DDIG’s culture fosters an environment which allows its employees to flourish

professionally, collectively and individually. As a result, we are able to provide first

rate service to our clients and our community.”

20

“I’m a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” Thomas Jefferson

Becky B.“The degree of value Dominion Digital places on

employee well-being and happiness is something

that is hard to find at any other company. DDIG

is truly like a family to me and it is a good feel-

ing knowing the people I work with care about

me. I can confidently say that I work with ‘good’

people and I’m proud to be part of that.”

21

Beth M.“I went to a University of Richmond seminar last Saturday and the presenter

summed up how I feel about our company’s values by reminding me of a quote

from Shakespeare’s Hamlet:

This above all: to thine ownself be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.

We as individuals have service & value, passion & excellence and teamwork &

respect as our own personal core values. We are not perfect, but we aim to be and

we are free to pursue our passions to achieve our own personal vision of our ideal

world. Dominion Digital and the community it serves can’t help but benefit from

such individuals and I feel truly honored to be a part of such an amazing group

of people.”

Carl K.“Dominion Digital is a group of highly professional individuals who collectively

have a passion for excellence in serving both its clients and community.”

22

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”John Quincy Adams

Chris A.“When I think of the competitive advantages

of Dominion Digital, one thing stands out: the

people. From top to bottom, this firm has the

highest quality people of any company I have

ever worked for or worked with. I was reading

an article on the top growth companies in the

Richmond area. Again and again, the compa-

nies claimed their people were the secret to their

success. I’ve work for and with several of those

companies and I can say , without question, that

they do not have the quality of people. More

importantly, these other companies do not do as

much to foster the growth of their people that

Dominion Digital does.”

23

Christine E.“I love working at Dominion Digital because of our strong quality-focused and

compassionate culture. Being around people who ‘truly care’ makes a huge dif-

ference and really shows, not only internally, but to our community and clients.”

Chrissy K.“I feel lucky to be a part of a company that truly cares about its people, our clients,

and our communities. This caring culture was created by leadership example and

is reinforced through daily interactions with a great group of talented people.”

Darrell E.“When I was job hunting back in 1999, the website at the time stated Dominion

Digital was started by folks who intended it to be ‘the type of company everyone

dreams of working for.’ That really struck me as an awareness that this company’s

culture is foundationally built on its people—it works for them. This sentiment

has been demonstrated over and over again throughout the years, and shows how

much of this caring is ‘baked’ into our leadership and culture. It is a Blessing to

be living the dream.”

24

Dave B.“I’m proud to be part of what some call a dual bottom-line company—a firm that

measures success by both its fiscal results and its positive impact on humanity. Our

commitment is to develop healthy relationships and establish sustainable success

for the people we care most about: our clients, our employees, and our community.

It’s our culture, values, and shared definition of success that makes it fun to come

to work every day.”

David D.“During my short time at Dominion Digital, I can truly say this is the first orga-

nization I have every worked for where the advertised culture is the real culture.

Chris has built a unique organization that really values people above everything

and it is a pleasure to come into work every day and interact with team members

who share his philosophy.”

25

“Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.”Oscar Wilde

Derek N.“When I was looking for a job 6 years ago, I did

not know what I wanted, as I was a recent gradu-

ate, but after talking with Chris, I just knew that

this was the company I wanted to work for. The

fact that I stayed in his house while signing the

papers before moving here made me feel like I

was home. He said to me, ‘if I like you enough

to hire you, then I like you enough to stay in my

home.’ I could not believe I was hearing this, and

to this day I believe what he said and in what he

said. While I have always tried to live up to and

exceed DDIG’s expectations and values, I have

always believed that DDIG has upheld their core

values throughout my 6 years and permeate

them throughout the whole company through

each individual. Chris’ personality, humor, val-

ues and ethics are infectious, and I am looking

forward to many more years of learning from

him.”

26

Drew M.“This company is one of very few that actually practices what it preaches. Dominion

Digital truly is a second family us, and I’ve been treated that way since I began here

five years ago. As someone who relocated without knowing anyone, I never felt

alone. We all have Chris to thank for the culture and values he has instilled in this

company from the start.”

Frank E.“Dominion Digital’s culture gives its employees the freedom to explore new and

exciting opportunities for themselves, the firm, and the community. It is this

environment that allow us, as consultants, to creatively pursue the best possible

solutions for our clients.”

27

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”William James

George H.“Everyone at DDIG is dedicated to excellence

and is passionate about what they do. This

atmosphere provides for the best working envi-

ronment I’ve ever encountered.”

Heather H.“Chris Little is a moral compass in the business

community. He truly means it when he speaks

passionately of his commitment to doing right

by the DDIG employees, our clients, and our

communities. With his leadership and that of

those he has encouraged, DDIG has become a

shining example of social responsibility and

commitment to our values. He cares about us

and the feeling is mutual. Thank you Chris for

founding and nurturing an organization we can

all be proud to be a part of!”

28

Heather K.“It always makes me proud that whenever I tell people where I work, they already

have something nice to say about Dominion Digital. They know us from our

charitable work, thought leadership and active presence in our communities and

it makes me proud to be a part of that.”

Hope N.“At Dominion Digital, the emphasis on core values and the integrity of our

leadership has not surprisingly led to a collection of employees who are not

only focused and intelligent, but are also kind, selfless, amicable, and inter-

esting. I laugh every day at the office, and I feel genuine affection for my

coworkers.”

29

Jack L.“Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘Be the change you want to see in the world.’ At

Dominion Digital, we clearly want the world to savor life, to care deeply, to seek

challenges, to innovate, to grow, and to achieve excellence.”

Jane S.“Most companies have values that they espouse but often they exist as posters on

bulletin boards or words in an annual report. When the difficulties arise these

values are often left at the door and the focus on short term financial gain is all that

is important. Although profitability is important, the depth by which everyone at

Dominion Digital holds true to the values we espouse creates a unique cultural

environment. Working within this culture is a privilege and motivates everyone

to be the best they can be. This culture can only be sustained by the leadership of

the firm standing true to these values.”

30

Jason D.“Our culture is one of interpersonal caring—the individual before the firm. We’ve

been through some tough times together and they’ve brought us closer together

rather than driving us apart. By putting the individual first, the firm becomes

something that each individual wants to preserve and promote—leading it to suc-

cess in the future.”

Jeff B.“Dominion Digital is the first place I’ve worked where I feel like I’m part of a

cohesive team that truly cares about everyone in the company. The people and the

culture are the reason I joined Dominion Digital, and the reason that I continue to

believe it was the best decision I’ve made professionally.”

31

“K = R = PKindness = Repeat Business = Profit”Tom Peters

Jeff H.“I feel that Dominion Digital values me as an

individual and treats me as a part of the family.

I didn’t know that firms like this existed before I

started working here.”

Jimmy C.“I love that we are a family of professionals.

While we’re passionate about delivering tangible

value, sometimes our greatest contribution is

in our lasting relationships and the individual

growth of all team members—that makes all the

difference.”

32

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

John G.“Well I have thought about this and I am no poet

so I will keep it succinct: I like working with

smart people and I like working at Dominion

Digital.”

John H.“It’s been a remarkable experience to be part of

a team that really cares about each other, the cli-

ent, and the quality of work produced as much

as Dominion Digital does. The respect shown

for all aspects of work and life at DDIG is truly

one of a kind.”

33

John P.“I continue to be encouraged and impressed by the team first atmosphere at

DDIG. I have witnessed countless examples of people living and reinforcing our

core values to inspire, direct, and grow the collective success of our team.”

Jordan B.“The pride I feel for being involved in the DDIG experience continues to grow

with each passing day. Every new member selected to join the DDIG team helps

to contribute to the values we strive to achieve, serving to solidify our unspoken

cultural promise of excellence through honesty, morality, thoughtful character and

a tenacious attitude toward learning and adaptation. Whether we’re faced with

calm waters or rough seas, the individuals of this organization who compose our

sail need not be questioned; reliable and often diligent beyond request. Without

leadership who share the very same values as those who are involved more with

the ‘day to day’, this cycle of excellence would otherwise break down. I commend

all who contribute to steering our ship for keeping true to their own hearts while

casting decisions for our organizational progress, and for recognizing in others the

values which drive our team as a whole.”

34

Josh L.“Dominion Digital’s culture is incredibly important to me. The thing that makes

working for DDIG awesome is the incredible talent of all of my coworkers, and I

think the culture is the reason we are able to find and keep such amazingly smart,

talented, and motivated people. I remember a quote that attributed to Tania saying

that she wanted to ‘work with people who give a $@#!’ and that quote really stuck

with me. We probably can’t use that as a pithy slogan with our clients, but I think

it really sums things up. Everyone at DDIG strives for excellence in the quality of

their work and the impact they make to those around them whether it be clients,

coworkers or the community at large. I find that attitude attracts more of itself,

reinforcing who we are as a company and making it hard for me to imagine myself

anywhere else.”

Kevin N.“Dominion Digital is not simply a consulting firm—it is a family. Referring to

colleagues as good friends would be an understatement. Here we’re as committed

to each other as we are to delivering excellence to our clients. That shared commit-

ment and passion fuels our collective drive towards building the company we’ve

always wanted to work for.”

35

Michele M.“The most important thing to me is to wake up every day and come to work and

feel a part of a team and a culture where I am passionate; the people around me are

passionate, creative and free to be ourselves doing work we enjoy. During the few

short months I have been at DDIG, I have already made some wonderful friends

and I feel part of a team of a culture of people with similar values and interests.

I am looking forward to growing together as a team of people as we enjoy many

successes.”

Niall L.“In short, dominion digital is the company I wish I had founded and am happy to

work for. I love the people for their camaraderie and exceptional talent and I love

that the firm has always taken care of its people.”

Nick N.“A culture of ongoing professional growth, of integrity, and of unwavering com-

mitment to our guiding principles.”

36

Ramon M.“DDIG’s firm culture encourages open communication and collaboration between

the executive team and employees about matters that affect the employees, the

firm, the firm’s clients, and community.”

Robyn W.“It is refreshing, and an honor, to work for a company who not only claims to have

a high values, but practices these values on a daily basis. Thank you!”

Ryan P.“It is easy for a company to claim certain core values; it is much harder to create a

culture that is truly representative of them. I continue to be amazed and encour-

aged by the people and the culture at this firm, the teamwork and respect that they

provide, and the collective efforts of the firm to give back to the community. Most

importantly, I’m impressed at the ability of our CEO to lead by example and set the

tone for the company’s culture.”

37

Ryan S.“Our shared culture and values makes it easy to do the right thing, always. In my

nearly eight years of managing engagements, I’ve never seen us sacrifice our values

in the pursuit of profit. This honest and refreshing approach to business that values

people over profits and long term success over short term gains makes me proud

of Dominion Digital and what we stand for.”

Stephanie B.“Each day I come to the office, I am delighted to be surrounded by such intelligent

and talented people. Our culture produces an enjoyable place to work because

we take pride in the way we treat our clients, colleagues, and community. The

outpouring of support for personal events (be it happy or sad) always amazes me

and makes me feel part of a big, caring family.”

Stephen J.“As someone who is young in their career, is it inspiring to have met Chris. He

is a kind and caring individual who sees his profession in the context of his com-

munity and who is truly committed to the values of his company.”

38

Tim Y.“It is very refreshing to work for a firm that genuinely cares for both its people and

its community beyond just creating a hospitable working environment and cash

donations, respectively. Seeing the firm stick to these values and beliefs during a

rough year in 2009 demonstrated true commitment. Additionally, our commit-

ment to providing real business value to our clients, and feeling free to act in their

best interests as well as ours is somewhat unique in Corporate America today, and

is something I truly value.”

39

Travis W.“For me, I admire the respect we have for one another as people and friends before

all else. I’ve never experienced that sort of commitment to the team in any envi-

ronment I’ve been exposed to. I also admire and respect the passion throughout

our organization to be the best we can in the areas we choose to participate as an

organization. I’ve heard Chris say that he founded DDIG to enable him to work

with like-minded folks he enjoyed working with. I think this sentiment speaks

volumes about why I continue to enjoy being a member of the DDIG team.”

Tricia R.“Why I love working for DDIG…I smile and laugh at work more than I ever

thought possible—mostly because of the incredible people I work with. I had a

feeling they would help me become a better professional, what I wasn’t expecting

was how they’ve helped me become a better person.”

Our Shared VisionAs defined by our employees

43

During a series of visioning workshops held during September 2010, participants completed an exercise to help them define a personal vision: what they want to create of themselves and the world around them. The participants then used their own personal vision to help expand and inform their vision in a larger context—their vision for Dominion Digital.

During the workshops, the participants answered and discussed the following questions. The individual responses to those questions are summarized in this document. They reflect powerful statements regarding the future vision for the firm.

44

Culture, Values, Team Members

Values-driven.

Value happiness of employees.

Tight-knit team with great interper-sonal relationships.

Bright, driven and committed team members.

Always looking for innovative ways to become better.

Entrepreneurial (individuals take good ideas and run with them).

Services

Innovative services and products.

Leader in technology and innovation.

Improving client business functionality.

Strategy-oriented (in our services).

Clients

Provider of impactful business solutions to executives across all types of businesses.

Selective with respect to clients (values and type of people/organizations).

What would you personally like to see Dominion Digital become, for its own sake?

45

Reputation

Top-rated consulting firm with 100% client satisfaction.

Cross-functional consulting firm with reputation of being a first-rate employer.

Recognized for expertise and ability to bring valuable change.

Top of mind consulting firm in Richmond and Charlottesville.

Industry frontrunner.

Company that all others in our industry are compared to.

Perceived as setting the bar high.

Social Responsibility

Known as a charitable company.

Significantly involved in community service.

Quality work and doing more for the greater good.

Human-oriented and socially responsible business.

46

What reputation does it have?

Employer of Choice

Wonderful place to work.

Everyone wants to work with us and for us.

Involved in the personal and profes-sional growth of its people.

Honesty, Integrity, Trusted

Trusted to do what’s best for the client.

Innovators and trusted advisors.

Highest integrity.

Trusted for analysis, execution, and resolution of business challenges while maintaining highest standards of performance.

People

Wonderful people to work with.

Highly skilled and caring.

Leadership in business and community.

Caring, community-oriented, top-notch professionals.

Truly passionate about what we do.

Employees with positive attitudes.

A “family of consultants who support each other.”

Valued not just for the value delivered but also for the time they spend with our team.

Reliable.

47

Competence

The best.

Known for awesome work where clients recommend us “hands down.”

Ability to get things done.

For being the best.

World-class delivery.

Supremely competent.

“The silver bullet” consulting firm.

Delivering measurable business value.

Ability to solve complex business problems and recover failed or troubled projects.

Providing simple solutions and wanting to make a difference.

Helping clients obtain what is a right solution for them.

Able to handle the toughest problems.

Emphasis on evidence based decisions.

Very thoughtful and measured in advice to clients.

Expert / Collaborative / Open / Accurate / Honest / Self-improving / Timely.

Innovators and first adopters of new process and technology.

We do great things for our clients, our people and our community. No one does it better.

Renowned for providing the best value and innovative solutions.

48

What contribution is it making?

Community

To welfare of community (volunteer-ing and pro bono work).

Positive corporate citizen.

Visible leader in community improvement.

Team Mates

To the welfare of employees (work/life balance, professional growth, etc.).

Balanced, challenging and rewarding workplace.

Positive influence on every person we touch so that this can spread and multiply.

Clients and Client Employees

Measurable value for clients.

Clients are empowered.

Innovating in our industry.

Improves performance and people of business we work with.

Provide high-value and efficient solutions to clients.

To welfare of clients and partners.

To bottom line of clients and also the day to day of client employees.

49

Help the community and employees.

Integrity; high-performance; value delivery.

Integrity; support of one another.

Commitment to seek a certain % of projects that support the social good.

We respect and celebrate individuals as well as the team.

Provide value to everyone.

Respect for our clients and focus on their needs.

Respect for our colleagues and focus on what is best for them.

Integrity, honesty, openness, ability, ambition.

Values aligned with enabling people to be the best they can be.

People first, customers second, profits third.

Honesty, integrity, open-mindedness, respect, professionalism.

Honesty, integrity, fairness.

Service, community, honesty, transparency.

Our current values.

What values does it embody?

50

Always provide value.

Honesty with clients and ourselves.

Set the standard for quality consulting and ethical relationships.

To provide excellent service and improve the lives of its employees and community.

Demonstrate integrity, empathy, intelligence, collegiality, solidarity.

To bring value to the communities we live in, the people who make it work and the customers we serve.

To be the best and add value to our clients.

Delivering measurable business value.

Improving the lives of every person we touch.

To make people’s lives better.

To enable clients to be the best in their industry by providing guidance, as-sistance, and knowledge and by teaching and laying the foundation for continuous improvement.

Enable people to love what they do and feel passionate about their work.

Demonstrate consciousness of our place in the world (through commitment to giving, community support).

Great people collaborating with great clients to deliver great business value.

By achieving individual successes, the team succeeds, the client succeeds and the firm succeeds. This is true in both our working lives and our communities. We do everything we can to support that.

What mission or purpose does it have?

51

Like we do today; integrated Side-by-side; communicating constantly; time for joking and fun.

Treating each other as valued contribu-tors, assuming competence of colleagues, fostering friendships, working to improve each other’s knowledge, passion and lives.

People are free to pursue what they want and not what the company wants from them.

Cross functional, collaborative team work is vital to both individual and team success.

Recognizing everyone’s distinct skills.

Work hard and play hard.

People teach each other willingly without disparaging shortcomings.

People contribute as best they are able.

Culture of frequent and immediate feedback.

Consistent collaboration; always available to help and answer questions.

People are respectful and caring of each other’s feelings. They treat others the way they’d like to be treated. Work to make each other better. Help others feel safe.

People work together collaboratively, naturally cross functionally. Respectful but not too delicate.

Much like now; we laugh; we collaborate; we’re interested in seeing each other succeed; we’re cognizant of each other’s feelings.

Collaborative, transparent interactions.

Lots of team and client integration.

How do people work together?

52

Everyone helps each other. Very positive attitudes and people are very compli-mentary of each other.

Relationships and partnering Building long lasting and strong relationships; sense of belonging; desire to not let each other down.

Open to both positive and constructive feedback embracing differences; humility; willingness and desire to improve; openness in general.

People are willing to speak up.

Allow room for failure but always learning from those failures.

Collaborative with no silos.

Creativity and openness to try new things and ideas.

People respect each other and want to help each other.

Challenge each other constructively Teams are celebrated for success; not individuals.

Open and honest with positive interactions.

Willing to both learn from and teach each other.

In harmony; sharing ideas that further our mission.

Everyone contributes smoothly.

In line with values with fun and engagement.

Sense of family caring; respect; being there for each other; help each other.

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How do people handle good and bad times?

The burden is shared by all employees.

In bad times, keeping everyone informed and distributing any costs/bad things in a way that is transparent and presented along the way (so no one is surprised). Making people accountable for the things they control and not things they don’t control (billing, etc.).

Doing good when times are easy is one thing. Doing good when times are hard is significantly more important and telling about our values, integrity. It’s a big differentiator between firms and supports loyalty, recruiting and retention.

In good times, making sure that everyone is benefiting and making that plain to all.

Respond to bad positively in order to overcome. Enjoy the good but not rest on our laurels.

Support each other and care for each other.

As a team with positive and balanced perspective.

In ways consistent with our values and mission.

As a team. Good or bad we work together toward a common goal.

The same way—as a team—with compassion, humility and a sense of fun.

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Understanding toward one another, recognizing struggles we all face personally and professionally. We have friends at work we can share the good and bad times with. We handle the good and bad times on our individual way but we remain true to our values. Motivate one another; recognize and be aware of struggles.

Hold reserve from the good to help during the bad. Always look to improve how we operate in both good and bad times. During bad, understand that creativity is essential and the team is vital.

During good, don’t allow everyone to be so busy with client work that they can’t contribute to Dominion Digital – keep a sense of firm community for everyone.

People celebrate success and pull together when times are tough. They trust and respect leadership and are free to share feedback, concerns and opinions. They pitch in when necessary and reap rewards when deserving. They try to focus on long-term vs. short-term success.

Thank You.