We spent the spring and early summer months at Metromile refreshing our values to make sure they were aligned with who we are, the work we’re doing, and the future we’re building. The end result? Five updated value statements that express how we operate and treat each other:
- Create fiercely loyal customers.
- Invent the future
- Be intellectually persistent
- Be outcome oriented
- Nurture diversity, inclusion, and belonging
When we put our values in writing and commit to them, we’re saying something about what’s important to us as an organization, but also what’s important to our stakeholders, customers, and employees.
The best way to introduce our values is to let Metromilers speak for themselves. After all, values don’t mean much without the people who believe in them.
Be Outcome Oriented
Brandie Smith, Senior Principal User Researcher, has been around long enough to see former versions of Metromile’s values. “Be outcome oriented” in particular, she said, represents a “mind shift” for Metromile.
“I think it’s going to set us up on a really helpful path. It offers much more flexibility to make adjustments if we need to rather than just stay the course to get it done,” Brandie said. “It’s not so much about what we’re building; it’s more about how we’re solving the problem to get the outcome we desire.”
Customer Experience (CX) Manager Ti-Jael Stafford advanced her career with the customer service team during her time with Metromile, and it’s given her historical context for how Metromile’s values have evolved over the years. When Ti-Jael started as a CX Representative more than three years ago, Metromile had a firm “penalty miles” policy that didn’t allow as much flexibility for customers. The process was updated to be more tailored and fair, and eventually, the Pulse device was updated to better prevent penalty miles from being applied to a customer’s account at all.
“The old policy was enforced mostly through an automated process, and updating it involved changing how we connected with the customer, and eventually the device itself. It would have been easier to only update the policy without changing the device itself,” she said. “But being outcome oriented means that we value and prioritize follow-through, not empty promises or half-finished projects. It’s not enough to have a great idea and create a plan, that plan must be executed and completed. And in this case, it was a big win for our customers.”
Senior People Operations Manager, April Slater says it speaks to confidence in each other and the process. “This value shows a lot of trust in the people and managers we hire. It focuses on the outcome, not the tasks that get us there—so we know it’s ok to make mistakes as long as we learn from them and ultimately get to the outcome we’re looking for.”
Senior Process Manager Megan Kurin sees being outcome oriented as propelling Metromile’s other values forward.
“We have to have those end goals in mind every day when we’re making decisions,” Megan said. “It’s just all woven together.”
Thanks for sharing your perspective, Metromilers. Want to read more? Check out what Metromilers share about our Nurture Diversity, Inclusivity, and Belonging value, and look out for more on the other values soon.