Looking for lessons learned from this Federal IT Services provider, deeply focused on customer experience (CX) and human-centered design (HCD), we spoke with Raza Latif, NuAxis CEO & President; Tiffany Bailey, SVP of Federal Civilian; Jessica Price, Customer Success Director; and Lindsey Tepp, Chief Strategy Officer. Need inspiration for what to do about unused office space, how to embrace graduating from the 8(a) program, or want to get to know one new mid-sized team eager to embrace partnerships? Read on.
Evolution of the Lab
NuAxis has grown over time to a team of 400 across 25 States, with work across DOI, DOL, USDA and HHS. As it has grown and adapted to its changing environment, so too has its culture evolved. “From that initial start-up culture, we added people with experience who were in line with the collegial kind of culture we had adapted. Through COVID and post-pandemic that had to shift again to ensure we maintained our close ties and connections.”
Now, with the back to office question that hangs over many, the team continues to focus on its people, on a solid employee experience model, and on solutions that make sense, and has settled on a brilliant solution.
“We had been struggling with the idea of what to do with our office space. Did we need it? Could we let it go altogether? To work independently you don’t need an office and can likely do much better from home. To come together though, to collaborate, to have the opportunity to connect with and build networks within your team, a shared space is important.”
The solution: Giving up the old space, and old ways of thinking about what an office is to create something that will serve the team, and represent who the company is. This new CX or HCD Lab – name to be determined – will be a collaboration space, a place where employees, customers and partners can come together. “This will be a place for events, for learning, of gathering. Let the serious, focused work be done where you are best suited to work, but then come here for the opportunity to learn from and connect with the community.”
A North Star of Empathy
Noting a breadth of empathy within the organization, a spirit of mutual respect, as NuAxis has grown, it has worked to professionalize that as part of its culture by focusing on human-centered design and customer experience as a value and a practice area. “Focusing on the very human elements of CX and HCD we base our culture in that, attribute that culture to being our North Star and convert that to align our mission and purpose.”
As a small business it is easy to allow your identity to be shaped by your clients and their needs, rather than by your own purpose and identity. As it approaches new projects and grows with clients, within its scope of work, the team is continually looking to maintain their values and brand while understanding how to always deliver for customers. “When you have that North Star and understand the markets that are interested in that message, know who is motivated and believe in the why behind the business, you find customers and partners who are moving in the same direction.”
The “GRADstravaganza”
NuAxis recently graduated from its small business status, something it took as an opportunity to celebrate and embrace, hosting an event called “GRADStravaganza” which brought together the team and its extended community. “Our GRADstravaganza was the opportunity to celebrate our journey as a small business that made it this far, to celebrate the power of being a small business in GovCon.”
Pre-graduation, 99 percent of the work NuAxis took on was as a Prime. Now the team is prepared for and excited to work as a subcontractor, to work with small businesses as the customer, to help them and be helped by them. It is a new paradigm the team is embracing.
Mentor Protégé
NuAxis has grown with a focus on the mentor protégé relationship, on working with good, high-potential companies. Leaning into the experience it has gained over time, over the relationships it has established, the company takes this kind of relationship as an opportunity to share insights into operational maturity, and to open new markets.
“If we can help them achieve efficiency, understand how to do something in three steps, when it took us 10, to share our lessons for success and failure for their benefit, they achieve something. We, in turn gain from their enthusiasm and excitement, can see the space from that fresh view again.”
The Large View
Supporting such an organic industry, knowing how quickly things change, the NuAxis leadership team recognizes they don’t know it all. Entering the mid-sized market, knowing they will now compete openly with large companies, they will continue to look at others and how they are working. “We look at disruptors and name brands, always seeking to learn what we can, to emulate what we see as their successes, and to learn from what we see as their mistakes.”
The company will also learn from the community of mid-sized and growing smalls it now joins. “Working together, learning from people who are willing to share their own experiences, there is this informal community who really can support and help each other.”
Widening the Aperture
Being deliberate about its growth and structure, over time, NuAxis has reoriented its leadership team, creating distinct lines of business in line with its target markets and solutions. Using clear goals, milestones and KPIs, its strategic planning has become more focused, more rigorous.
Along with that, the company has expanded who is involved in that planning, moving away from the heroic view of the few doing the bulk, to a place of getting more of the team involved early on. “Letting the broader team have a say in how we execute, in what we are driving fosters and solidifies who and what we are. That strategic plan becomes a touchstone for people and helps drive everyone through the year successfully.”
Asking the team to tie thoughts and ideas to specific objectives, to supporting a specific goal with their recommendation, the team is more intentional about what they are bringing forward and ensures new initiatives and efforts are aligned with who the company wants to be. “The beauty of this team is that they really care about the company, so we get a lot of really great ideas. We then can prioritize what can and should be done first and what will be held and executed later.”
A Product of Giving Back
NuAxis views the 8(a) program as a great launching point for those who may not have the same opportunities as others, and now they want to help other small business owners in the program make big leaps.
“Giving back is so important. We have all had struggles and have lessons we have learned. Being there to help, to give people a shot, to say that you believe in someone is so valuable to us and to them. As you move through life you can either rise up the ladder and kick it behind you once you are there or you can reach back and lend a hand to someone coming up behind you.”
About NuAxis
NuAxis Innovations is an IT company helping Federal agencies modernize through a focus on customer experience. We work with federal leaders to reimagine government services by pairing innovative technology with human-centered design. For the past 20 years, our customers from the Department of Labor to Capitol Hill trust us to listen more, build faster, and create products that citizens and staff love to use. Headquartered in Northern Virginia, we provide mission systems, platform, enterprise operations and CX services that help the government create lasting change. Learn more at www.nuaxis.com.
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