In this episode of the Story of Software podcast, we’re joined by Jack Godau, CTO and Managing Director at VRR Consulting, a digital evolution expert with over 24 years of experience. Jack is known for his expertise in driving transformation and innovation, particularly in complex environments. He helps organisations bridge the gap between business strategy, goals, and technology, enabling them to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing digital world.
The Guest – Jack Godau, CTO at VRR Consulting UG
Jack Godau is a digital evolution expert with over 24 years of experience, specialising in driving transformation and innovation in highly complex environments. His expertise lies in bridging the gap between business goals, strategy and technology, enabling organisations to adapt and thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Jack has an extensive career that spans a variety of sectors, from large corporations like IBM to smaller startups.
Jack discusses the critical role of culture, values, and vision in shaping successful teams and organisations. From his extensive work in both large corporations and smaller startups, Jack shares insights on how culture and values can drive performance, as well as the steps leaders can take to ensure their vision inspires and resonates with teams.
Insights from the Episode
1. Culture vs. Values: What’s the Difference?
Jack highlights the distinction between culture and values:
- Culture is what a team does.
- Values are what a team says they stand for.
The key challenge is aligning the two, as disconnects between stated values and actual behaviour can lead to dissonance within the team. Jack emphasises that leadership must ensure values are not just words on a wall but principles lived and applied daily.
2. Building and Maintaining a Strong Culture
Maintaining culture as a company scales is a challenge many face, particularly as new people join the organisation. Jack suggests that it’s not about maintaining the same culture but rather ensuring the essential parts of it remain intact, even as the business evolves.
Jack recommends keeping teams involved through workshops, constant reinforcement, and by fostering a shared understanding of the values during onboarding and beyond.
3. Measuring the Impact of Culture and Values
While measuring culture can be difficult, Jack stresses the importance of using tools like eNPS (employee Net Promoter Score) and regular employee surveys to assess engagement and alignment with company values. He also points out that feedback mechanisms, like peer reviews, help keep the culture and values in check.
4. Vision as the Guiding Light
A strong vision is crucial to inspiring teams. Jack explains that leaders must regularly reinforce the vision and break it down into manageable, actionable steps to ensure everyone understands their role in achieving it. Touching on his previous experience with Doctorly, Jack explains that the company’s vision of “enabling people to live healthier lives” was wide enough to fit different missions under it, clearly communicated and applied in every decision, helping to align the entire team towards common goals.
5. Adapting Vision During Change
Vision and culture must evolve as businesses grow or pivot. Jack describes how companies must be open to adapting their vision in response to market shifts or changes in technology. The key is to keep everyone informed and involved when changes happen to prevent alienation and ensure continued alignment.
Leadership Lessons & Resources
Jack shares several essential leadership lessons:
- A compelling vision is vital for team alignment and motivation.
- Values must be actively lived, not just stated.
- Leaders must communicate frequently, making values and vision a core part of team dynamics.
In terms of resources, Jack recommends these books:
- The Culture Map by Erin Meyer (for understanding cultural differences)
- Think Again by Adam Grant (for reframing decisions and leadership thinking)
- Team Topologies by Matthew Skellton and Manuel Pais (for insights on structuring teams effectively)
Here, you can find a previous episode where Jack had joined us and shared his insights on the evolution of digital healthcare:
The Evolution of Digital Healthcare – Story of Software S02E27
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