During the last internal conference, our CEO - Jacob Lärfors - said that he thinks of Verifa as a baby and all of us its parents - that we all are responsible for shaping this baby into something bigger. It’s a nice analogy, but I see it a little different. Yes, we do have an impact on the future of Verifa, but Jacob is the parent with the final say and we support him as much as we can in this. We are more like a village - or a community - where each one of us plays a vital role in raising this child.
Let’s break down what this actually means for us and why Verifa is not just another consulting company, but rather a community.
It takes a village to raise a child.
-old proverb
Some background#
I’ve been at Verifa for two and a half years - since April 2022. Like any company, there have been ups and downs, but what stands out to me is the sense of community and shared responsibility that Verifa fosters.
Prior to joining Verifa, I worked in a range of organisations - a mix of product companies and consultancies - each with their own way of operating. As a consultant since 2015, I’ve also gained insight into quite a few different company cultures. As a matter of fact, I’ve been working in this field professionally for over two decades. However, few have embraced an employee-driven mindset quite like Verifa.
At Verifa, we don’t just focus on the tasks at hand; we focus on lifting each other up, both personally and professionally. This creates an environment where everyone feels supported and empowered to contribute their best.
Our child#
At Verifa, we have some awesome enablers that strengthen us:
- VeriFriday: Dedicated time away from customers to improve, reflect, share and discuss ideas - either together or individually.
- VeriConf: An annual retreat where we meet, bond and dig into the future (and past) of Verifa and the industry.
- Opt-ins: The freedom to participate in initiatives that align with our passions. And the freedom to take responsibility and drive whatever we find is important.
- Transparent Economy: The economy is fully transparent - even our salaries are in the open - which fosters trust, collaboration and understanding.
- Friday-feelings: A weekly meeting where we are encouraged to share the emotions we’ve experienced during the week.
- Seed2Tree: A space to discuss ideas which could grow into well-defined problem descriptions or solutions resulting in blog posts, new products and meet-up topics.
The real enabler, though, is our CEO, Jacob. He empowers us by listening, sharing and caring about what each of us can bring to the table. He allows us to be ourselves and contribute in our own way. This environment enables us to improve one another, both directly and indirectly. Even in casual meetings, the mere exchange of ideas and feedback has a positive impact on how we each approach our work
But in reality, we have many children#
It’s not just Verifa itself that benefits from this communal mindset. All our customers are positively impacted by the Verifa mindset too. I’ve found that the support I receive from my colleagues helps me serve my customers better than I ever could alone.
There’s an element of osmosis here; just by being part of the Verifa community I absorb ideas, perspectives and knowledge that I can take with me to my customer engagements. The conversations we have in our meetings or when a colleague shows something they’ve done for their customer aren’t just theoretical; they inspire me to think practically about how to realise those ideas in my customer’s environment.
But why not spend more time at your customer?#
It’s a fair question - why not spend even more time directly with customers to fully immerse ourselves in their world, focus on their problems and deliver better solutions?
The reality is, if you become too deeply embedded in the customers environment, it can be difficult to maintain an objective view. You risk becoming part of the system, making it harder to see the bigger picture or the underlying problems that need solving. Sometimes, being too close to a situation can make it harder to find innovative solutions - you’re more likely to focus on immediate issues rather than root causes.
When you work with one of us, you’re not just getting a consultant - you’re getting the support, knowledge and insights of the entire Verifa crew.
By staying connected to Verifa, I can sometimes take a step back, gain fresh perspectives and avoid tunnel vision. The diversity of ideas and experiences gives me insights which help my customers. It’s not about time spent; it’s about using that time wisely, to ensure that our impact at the customers is targeting the actual problems and not just quick fixes for the symptoms.
When you work with one of us, you’re not just getting a consultant - you’re getting the support, knowledge and insights of the entire Verifa crew.
So, where do we go from here?#
Verifa is an incredible place. The community thinking and the way we operate together is something special. But does this sense of community have to be limited to those of us who work within Verifa?
What if the Verifa community could extend beyond our own employees? What if customers, partners and even people outside of our immediate network could contribute to this ecosystem?
The old proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” What if it doesn’t just take a village, but a town or even a global community to create something bigger and better?
Let’s continue to nurture our Verifa child and let’s invite others to join us on this journey. Together, we can raise not just a child, but an entire thriving ecosystem of innovation and support, and create something truly impactful.
