VISIONARY SPOTLIGHT:
A Conversation with Michael Skinner, CEO, Operitel

This month, we had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Skinner, CEO of Operitel, who has guided the company; from securing seed investment, through to becoming a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, landing them at number 45 on the Profit 100 list of Canada's Fastest Growing Companies.

Michael developed the methodology and standards for rapid web development that are currently used throughout the Operitel Application Engineering Division and their solutions have been adopted in seven countries - all within seven years. Mr. Skinner has also co-authored chapters and white papers on eLearning project management and the effective management of distributed educational content.

We think you’ll enjoy Michael’s thoughts about work/life balance, integrity and Operitel's fantastic ride to date.

Martyn Bassett Associates: Not only are you President and CEO, you are also one of 4 partners behind Operitel and were responsible for the management and development of your web-based Learning Management System - LearnFlex™. What is LearnFlex and how did this whole idea come about?

Michael Skinner: LearnFlex is a web-based application – a flexible framework - that is used to manage and track learning for individuals as well as for organizations. There really isn’t a 10 second “elevator speech” which can explain LearnFlex. It’s kind of a platform, an underpinning piece, to which organizations add their own training material. The training materials could be off the shelf training programs, it could be face-to-face training that companies themselves do, or maybe training they’ve set up with their outside partnership deals.

As to how this all came about, we actually acquired a Learning Management System back in 2001. The original idea came from Dr. Gary Woodill and Dr. Karen Anderson who built the very first version 1.0 and 1.5, then I became involved and for version 2.0, I re-architected the application’s technology, made it a lot stronger and then we’ve continued to build on it from there.

Martyn Bassett Associates: Operitel landed on the Profit Hot 50 list of Canada’s Emerging Growth Companies in 2006 and just recently placed 45th on the Profit 100 list of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies, in addition to multiple other awards and accolades. Your solutions are now being used in 7 countries and this has happened in less than seven years… Were you at all prepared for this much success and recognition to come so quickly?

Michael Skinner: (laughs) Well, I have to answer that question with both a yes and a no… As a management team, I think we did a good job forecasting what our growth requirements were, especially when it comes to our people, as they are a very important aspect of our company. We built the technology, but it’s really the people and the knowledge they’ve acquired over time that drives us. I remember back when we only had seven people, but our organization chart had forty positions on it...

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Michael Skinner "Respect everyone. The business world is extremely small... you never know who is related to whom. How you treat people now will definitely come back to you in the future."

Learn Always, Learn All Ways
The Benefits of Continually Learning!

“The most fatal illusion is the settled point of view. Life is growth and motion; a fixed point kills anybody who has one.” ~ Brooks Atkinson, American Journalist

Today’s world changes in the blink of an eye, especially for anyone with a career in the high-tech space. The keys to success no longer lie exclusively in what you know, but more and more, success is measured by how fast you can learn!

Technology and organizations change more rapidly today than at any other point in history. The concept of continuous learning has become more important than ever, because it prioritizes the ability to notice, adapt and learn from change. The benefits of continuous learning go far beyond career aspirations however, ultimately affecting us from a total mind/body health perspective as well.

The concept of continuous learning is not about continually taking courses, but speaks to developing your skills of inquiry, reflection, flexibility and openness to fit the ever-shifting landscape of your life. By viewing our life (including our work) as a learning program we can expand our capacity for living and our abilities in our careers...

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