Leader/follower dynamics (in a virtual world)

At Insight Partners, the organization is very structured with clear teams and leadership positions/titles. Insight is composed of the investment team and Insight Onsite which is the department that turns the vision of Insight into a reality. Insight Onsite is composed of six different centers of excellence including Product & Technology, Marketing, Sales, Strategy and M&A, Talent, Business Development, Customer Success. Each center of excellence is considered a team that is composed of higher level Senior Vice Presidents, Senior managers, Managers, and so on (with interns being the lowest level). Throughout my time at Insight, the company as a whole has been working virtually and from surveys and recent feedback people have felt as though this has not impaired productivity. In recent conversations regarding returning to the office, many people are in favor of a hybrid model which includes some days of going into the office but also having the flexibility to work remotely.

In my team, the individuals at the senior level place a big importance on making sure everyone’s voice is heard and encouraging communication throughout the team. As an intern (being at the bottom of the barrel) I appreciate this because I feel as though my voice is valuable and I am confident giving my input and not feeling as though there is a big divide between lower level and higher level roles. My boss in particular (the woman I report to), does a great job of making me feel like my opinion is wanted and appreciated and this makes me feel confident and encouraged to actively participate and think outside of the box. On my team, everyone respects each other’s opinions and even if you do not have a higher-level role, we work as a team and everyone has an influence. This dynamic is not only apparent on my team but in my organization as a whole. Being in the marketing department, I’ve had to communicate with people on different teams in the company and I have always felt like I’ve been treated with respect and equally to individuals at higher levels which I really appreciate and find professional of the company. Not only have I found that higher-level people respect interns’ opinions, but they also trust the interns and trust the work that is received is accurate and up to their expectations. Because the leaders do a good job of including interns, this is received very well by interns and they appreciate feeling valued. This is not only apparent in the everyday work-setting communication, however the company goes out of its way to recognize interns and make them feel welcomed and valued. For example, this upcoming week the company is inviting all interns and their managers to come into the office and work from there. This includes a tour of the office, intern bonding events, and the opportunity to meet our teams in person. As an intern, this makes me feel like they care about me and want me to be involved and I really value this. Additionally, Insight Partners is nominated by WayUp to have one of the best internship programs and the company has done a great job of getting the interns excited for National Intern Day on July 29th as there will be a celebration and gift in the mail. Also, throughout my internship every Thursday there have been virtual intern team bonding events which has been a great way of getting the interns together from different teams who do not work together directly. I appreciate this as I believe it is important to build relationships and I want to work at a place that encourages this. Lastly, the company has zoom calls twice a month to meet as a company and review important things that affect everyone. While everyone works on their separate teams and especially in a virtual world you don’t see or hear from people that are not on your team, this is a nice way to get everyone together and ensure that everyone is on the same page.