Embrace complexity for impact: Articulating Dimagi’s culture and values with Lucina Tse, Gillian Javetski, Avni Singhal and Simon Kelly (Part 4)

Episode 19  |  15 minutes

“I think the work that we're doing is inherently really complex. A lot of our partners are doing complex work and they're working in really complex environments. This a very necessary value because without this, we wouldn't actually be on that road to greater impact.” - Avni Singhal

“We intentionally run towards taking on the highest impact projects. Knowing that of our portfolio of national scale programs, there’s a high likelihood half of them are canceled or put on pause or, or are never picked up again for reasons completely outside of our control. But the next time it comes up, like we run just as fast to that because we are running not to embrace complexity for complexity's sake, but complexity for the greatest impact.” - Gillian Javetski

Co-hosts, Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro sit down with four Dimagi team members - Lucina Tse, Chief Operating Officer; Gillian Javetski, Chief of Staff; Avni Singhal, Senior Customer Success Manager; and Simon Kelly, Director of Server Engineering - to discuss the fourth and final in Dimagi’s newly articulated values: Embrace complexity for impact. At Dimagi, we care deeply not only about what we do and the impact we have, but also about HOW we do it. Articulating our values has become incredibly important as we continue growing. Listen to this episode to hear candid reflections on what it looks like to embrace complexity for impact and why this is so important for achieving high-impact growth.

Full description of the newly articulated value:

Embrace complexity for impact

Doing this work is by no means straightforward. We often come across forks in the road in our work: the simpler road, or the windier road to drive High-Impact Growth. We choose the road for greater impact - while always keeping our destination in mind.

• We believe in the potential for positive change. While the work we do is hard, we believe in the potential to do ambitious things that create real, meaningful change.
• We are comfortable in the gray. The path to greatest impact may not always be clear. We close the loop when we can and also find patience and comfort in navigating the unknown.
• When we fall, we get back up. We will hit blockades along our winding road to impact. We persevere in the face of inevitable setbacks.
• We evaluate when to stop. While we’re not afraid to embrace complexity, we consistently evaluate if we are doing the highest-impact work and actively choose work to stop doing. We try to avoid making the same mistakes twice.

Related Resources:

• Dimagi’s Careers Page: https://www.dimagi.com/careers/