Innovatemap Values Deep Dive: Honesty with Lacey Lavies

Today we continue our Innovatemap Values Deep Dive series that explores our culture and core values alongside our colleagues who live and breathe them each day. We can’t explore our core value of Honesty without highlighting Lacey Lavies, Executive Partner, Product Strategy and Client Experience and a founding member of the Innovatemap team, because she is a shining example of how honesty goes beyond simply telling the truth and works to build and strengthen relationships – something that is absolutely vital for the success of our business and our clients.

At Innovatemap, we define this core value as: We believe in building relationships upon unwavering authenticity, sincerity, and compassion toward ourselves and others. Doing what she thinks is right, sharing her genuine and honest thoughts and running toward difficult conversations when they’re needed – not backing away from them – are just some of the ways Lacey leads by example when it comes to honesty. She knows people don’t build trust because of what you say, they build it because of what they see in your actions – day in and day out.

Lacey is a champion for professional development for herself and others. After reading the book Radical Candor, she realized Innovatemap could improve in the area of giving and accepting feedback, a critical component of honesty. Lacey says, “In the book, the author gives an example about all-star athletes and how they improve their games. Day after day, they run a play, get feedback. Do it again, more feedback, and so on. The best way to take their skills to another level is to receive a consistent stream of outside guidance. I wanted to open the door for people to not only accept feedback, but crave it, because they know it can help take their development and their craft to another level.”

Lacey implemented internal workshops to help us understand the book’s core concepts. As a result, many on our team have become more comfortable with receiving feedback and are actually seeking it out regularly. Both individuals within the business and our clients have benefitted.

Lacey says honesty is inherent in the everyday, but it’s not always top-of-mind for everyone. The impact of honesty in life and in business is more far-reaching that we can imagine. But at Innovatemap, the influence of honesty is deep, in many ways thanks to Lacey’s commitment to being authentic and sincere, and promoting the benefits of both to both colleagues and clients. Certainly, there’s plenty we can learn from Lacey.

Why do you think honesty is important to you personally?

I’m a believer in the power of authenticity. Our business is built upon relationships. People want to work with individuals who are genuine and trustworthy, and who believe that any question is fair game. I want to work with these people, too, and I get to! We built our team around these genuine, authentic and incredibly-talented people. It’s been a key in attracting clients with the same values, maintaining long relationships with them and doing some pretty awesome things together!

Innovatemap is a people-based business – we aren’t selling a thing; we are the thing. How does an internal focus on honesty benefit our clients and colleagues?

Honesty, authenticity, being genuine – it’s the foundation for every good thing we do. We all collectively benefit from trusting relationships that start during an engagement and last well beyond. Internally, honesty fosters an environment where people feel seen and heard, can come as they are, and ultimately, where they can thrive. It provides the stable foundation needed for the good stuff to happen!

By always learning and growing herself, Lacey encourages all of us to do so. And by being the person anyone can go to when something is on their mind, she empowers everyone to be their authentic selves, speak with radical candor, appreciate and implement feedback, and support one another.

If honesty is important to you, take a look at the Innovatemap Careers page. Join our watchlist if our core values intrigue you, but there isn’t a current job opening that is a fit for you.