Okay, I thought to myself, focusing on the role of ‘Editor.’ Someone must have heard about my minor in Journalism. I asked around. Nope. Only the manager who hired me nine years ago knows anything specific on my resume. So why, I wondered, would I be asked to be a Culture Editor for a medium I know next to nothing about? Maybe the keyword is Culture. Hmmm – I am a Director in the Human Resources Department. Aha! The light bulb went on.

Do I appreciate the culture at WOW? As a human resources professional for the past 20+ years, you bet your last paycheck I do. I consider working in MY field at a company like WOW! to be the gift I will never take for granted in my career. So I followed my journalism-honed instincts and decide to gather some firsthand facts.

> Fact: I was at the leadership meeting when we selected the 4 core values that would define our management approach: Respect, Integrity, Accountability, Servanthood.

> Fact: I have nine years of experience watching a company grow from 60 employees to 1300 employees and in the last 5 years I watched WOW! earn 10 J.D. Power and Associates awards for Customer Satisfaction.

> Fact: I know in my heart it is our commitment to Servanthood that drives our employees’ eagerness to create the customer experiences that earn those awards.

> Fact: We faced an incredibly tough budget process for 2009, following the economic crash at the end of 2008; we had to make some sacrifices this year that affected everyone in the company. We did not cut out the line items dedicated to rewarding and recognizing employee performance and accomplishments.

Next I wondered how employees were feeling about WOW! after three-quarters of this really tough year, and I did what every good human resources manager would do: I sent out a survey. I asked employees on a voluntary, anonymous basis this question:
“If you like working for WOW!, please let us know (in order) the reason you like working here.” I gave them six choices: Compensation, Benefits, My Boss, My Team, The Overall Company Culture and ‘Other.’

It was my guess that our overall culture would be more important to our employees than their benefits or even their compensation. The chart you see below is the result.

Almost half (204) of all responders picked Overall Culture as the #1 reason they like working here. Our employees’ responses are the ‘proof in the pudding’ that culture can drive performance. I invite you to learn more about our culture by finding your way here again next week.

You know what? I think being Culture Editor for the WOW! Blog is going to be fun.

- Sherry Zachary, Director of Human Resources, Field Operations

I have been involved in technology as long as I can remember, although growing up in rural Montana may seem a bit incongruous with that statement. Still, I’ve always used technology to solve problems and enhance my life and the lives of those around me. Presently, I am a self-professed “gadget guy” with interest and involvement in most all consumer and “prosumer” technologies, including video, audio, photography, mixed media, and others. I guess I was destined to be a bit of a “geek”, and I wear that term proudly.

It will be my privilege to write about some of the great present day technologies that touch our modern lives. Occasionally, I will write about exciting aspects of my professional life with WOW! and some of the cutting edge technologies we are exploring to enhance our customers’ experience. But generally, I will focus on questions, your questions, about technology generally and how that relates to WOW! in particular. I will also solicit content from my colleagues at WOW! in other technical disciplines as well as outside sources that are willing to share their perspective.

I have one worry. As a technologist, it’s easy for me to get “carried away”, either in the sense that what might be written is not relevant to the vast majority of our WOW! family, or that what is written is too complex (or too simple) for our readers. I would ask that you help me here; let me know what is helpful and what is not. Together we can steer this exercise to be as valuable as possible for everyone. I ask for your patience in that process.

Steve Stanfill

Hello and Welcome to the Customer Experience and Support section.

My name is William Wright, CEO Customer Advocate for WOW! Internet Cable and Phone. I have been with WOW! before we had customers and have seen the company grow with the help of our customer’s feedback. The idea for this section is to get feedback from you, our customers, on experiences that you have had with WOW! as well as the behind the scenes support. We will be posting articles on this site, regarding these issues, and look forward to your feedback.

Thank you,

William Wright

Looking forward to an educational and fun dialog!

Regards,

BK

If you think about it, 10 years ago we did not even know what a DVR was and a cell phone was not considered a necessity. Now, many of us cannot live without them. Well, speaking for myself, I sure cannot. It is the additional options that help me keep connected to my world. Without them, I would never be able to consider myself an “entertainment multi-tasker.”

My fellow entertainment contributors and I are excited to share our point of views on many different entertainment topics. If there is an entertainment topic you would like to see us chat about, let us know. Enjoy!