Creating a Winning Culture with Deltek CEO Mike Corkery

We're All in This Together

This week we welcome Mike Corkery, President and CEO of Deltek, to the show. He and his team at Deltek have created a strong company culture that is focused on authenticity, collaboration, and performance. Mike shares his perspective on leadership and what it takes to create a winning culture. He also talks about career advice for the modern working world, the importance of taking ownership of our careers, and how Deltek’s values inform the way they operate and serve their customers.

Key Takeaways

[2:44] Mike joined Deltek in 2010 initially as the CFO and became the CEO in 2012. Deltek is the leading provider of Software and Solutions for project-based businesses globally. They are well known for the 60% of business in the government space, and 40% in other professional services such as consulting, creative agencies, and architecture.

[5:28] Deltek has just over 3,000 employees, and they are based outside of D.C.

[11:13] Mike’s parents had a huge influence on him as a leader. They ingrained in him a sense of humility and the importance of perseverance.

[15:31] There are times in personal and professional life where we feel we have been thrown into the pool. It’s important to keep swimming and know that success lies on the other end of hard work.

[16:55] Mentors and executive coaches can be instrumental in helping us evolve and stay motivated.

[20:33] Mike sees a shift where rather than focusing on individual contribution, people are looking to draw from experience to feel valued and accomplished in their work. When people can draw experience and are able to build a career, they are more likely to feel loyal and dedicated to their work.

[25:23] It’s up to leaders to make sure they are providing a vibrant opportunity for their team, but also important for employees to be sure they are working at a place they feel excited to work for and where they are aligned with the mission.

[28:26] Deltek puts forth many resources for their team for people to feel empowered and own their own careers. Three items were:

1. Organizing and sharing professional development content and resources.
2. Developing internal curriculum that help people advance inside of Deltek from a leadership and management perspective.
3. Moving away from the performance review process, and more towards regular check-ins to make sure everyone is getting development feedback and engaging in helpful discourse.

[35:13] Deltek has an employee engagement survey process every 18 months, where they get feedback from the team as for what’s working and what’s not. Through that, they create an action plan as to what needs to be addressed and worked on.

[37:06] Three important things Mike thinks about when potentially bringing someone on to the team:

1. Can you do the job?
2. Are you going to love us?
3. Are we going to love you?

[41:01] Deltek has high compassion and high standards that challenge and help others grow. They expect a lot and make sure they are taking good care of each other.

Resources:

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Mike Robbins Website

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TED Radio Hour

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