It’s a well-documented, Formstack tradition for ‘Stackers to gather together every year to reflect on last year’s accomplishments, set next year’s goals, and spend time with coworkers and friends. This year, nearly 200 Stackers met up at Hotel Xcaret in sunny Playa del Carmen, Mexico for a week of education, inspiration, and fun.
Converge 2020 (formerly All Hands) was filled with friends, sun, and a lot of numbers. We reflected on rebranding to bring four products under a single brand umbrella. HR shared how they onboarded 99 new hires. And we learned that as a company, we sent one million emails. But during his presentation, Director of Product Marketing Duncan Huffman shared a much more powerful statistic.
Formstack is for doers, and every day in 2019, we helped 300 new organizations do what they needed to do. In 2020, we want to help even more people with data gathering, document automation, eSignature collection, and other workplace productivity needs. Our Leadership Team took some time at Converge to share how we plan to do it.
Here are a few key takeaways.
Four Rules of Collaboration
Miranda Nicholson, SVP of HR, and Jeff Johns, SVP of Engineering, shared tips on working within our team and interdepartmentally. They introduced the Four Rules of Collaboration, which include:
1. Think Big, Work Small
2. Own It
3. Celebrate Status
4. Be Persistent
Then, we were tasked with applying these tools.
In groups of five to eight, we worked to build a spaghetti tower that could support a marshmallow on top. The tallest tower was crowned the spaghetti-tower building champion. This activity required planning and communication and resulted in a lot of creative ideas. Needless to say, hilarity ensued.
Formstack For Good
On day two, VP of Customer Experience Jess Haas unveiled a new service initiative, Formstack for Good.
She shared stories of employees who have taken advantage of our Volunteer Time Off (VTO) program and discussed some new initiatives we’re introducing in 2020. Jess’s presentation reminded us of the Formstack dedication to giving back to the community, and I know many of us returned home with a plan to take advantage of the volunteer benefits Formstack provides.
Learn More: Interested in learning more about how Formstack employees give back? Check out this blog post.
What’s Next?
On the last day of Converge, Head of Marketing and Product Strategy Rob Wiley shared Formstack’s vision for the future. This included a vision prototype demonstration from Director of Product Engagement Nathan Sinsabaugh, an outline of Formstack’s ultimate goals, and a discussion about where we hope to be in five years and how we plan to get there. I won’t unveil anything here, so you’ll just have to stay tuned to see what the future holds for Formstack!
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Building a Remote Community
While Converge 2020 was filled with inspiration, goals, and vision, our main goal is always connecting with ‘Stackers we don’t get a chance to see every day. You didn’t think we went to paradise just to sit in a conference room all day, did you?
Not a chance! Formstack took to the streets of Mexico in droves to talk, eat, and explore together. We came back to work rested, recharged, and ready to take on 2020!
