Proactive Honesty: Taking Pride in Efficiency that Matters

Some years ago, Galactic Inc. sent out a mass email to all of our contacts- but there was an issue. One of John's clients made it clear they didn't want their employees to receive emails without them being screened by a manager first and when all their employees got an email that management wasn't expecting, John got an earful.

Despite his immediate frustration from receiving a lot of anger from his client, John took a breath and surprised the client by taking full accountability. Instead of getting defensive over what, to him, seemed like a minor mistake with little consequence, John was able to give an apology that his contact received well.

"I think it's really important to be proactively honest about these things. Ya know? Showing the client you really care about their needs and allowing them to do the thing they do best."

John Wittig has been Galactic Inc.'s Operations Project Manager for over three years. Even though he's no longer a payroll account manager, he still processes some of our payrolls and has to practice that same honesty with his clients and his team. When asked about where his passion for honesty comes from, he laughed and admitted that he doesn't have any poker face that would make him a successful liar. He expressed that on a deeper level, it makes him cringe when others constantly "enlarge the fish" when talking about their lives. "I mean, who is that for?"

John has worked at Galactic Inc. for six years in all and has appreciated, amongst other things, being able to learn so much about other small businesses and the innerworkings of things like benefits and taxes. He shared that it feels good for him when someone says, "Hey, you work in HR. What does this mean?" and he can give them a true answer.

"Remember that you don't know everything. You should be open minded... You bring value to the team by being on it. [It comes from] your unique perspective and the life experiences you bring to the table."

To people new to the industry, John, above all, encourages all towards the honesty he upholds. He talked about how broad-mindedness can lead to better and more efficient solutions, saying, "Your way may not be the best way, other people bring value, too."

Being a 26 year old in leadership at a company with more tenured executives gives John a unique perspective from which he can push for new ideas in an industry with a lot of growth potential. "Just because someone's been here the longest, doesn't mean they're the best for a certain job."

"You have to embrace weakness and expound on strengths."

Right now, John is working on projects that center around proactive honesty. His long term goals are all about assigning projects to those who can do it best, not who has traditionally done it. John focuses on embracing smarter and more efficient solutions, not redundancy that comes from what feels right.

"Allocating resources properly really comes down to being honest with your teammates and yourself. You're part of the team even if you're leading the team."

We're proud to have John as part of the team, his authenticity is exemplary and you can see his passion for growth from a mile away.