Xin Jiang has grown a lot in her five years with LandSure Systems Ltd., where she is director of research and development. “My career path is an example of what is possible here,” says Jiang, who began work as an individual contributor and currently leads a team of 25 employees. “Now mentoring talent has become my job.”
Vancouver-based LandSure is a subsidiary of the Land Title and Survey Authority of British Columbia (LTSA). It supports the LTSA to continually innovate and improve delivery of services in the public interest.
“My role is to promote innovation,” says Jiang. “LandSure has created an environment where employees feel empowered and equipped to contribute to the best of their ability.”
LandSure supports employee development, and one way is through a new leadership program. Jiang took the program with 15 colleagues, including Alex Chan, a relatively new leader who had been promoted from developer to team lead after less than two years at the company.
The two joined an interdepartmental group to work through four modules on aspects of leadership over six months. “It was enlightening to do this with my team members,” says Jiang. “We’ve developed trust and a rapport with a common language and set of tools.”
As a manager, Jiang says she is now better equipped to share knowledge with her team. “If someone is struggling, I am able to give them a tool and a process and really show them their potential to achieve their goals.”
Jiang finds that her team is more engaged when they focus together on an employee’s challenge. “We look at it as our problem,” she says. “We don’t want people stuck doing things in the same way. We encourage them to find ways to innovate and improve.”
At LandSure, employees come together to brainstorm and reflect on successes and challenges. Jiang says her team talks about how to solve common issues. And it’s not always about the work. Members of the team chat around the water cooler and take part in events like an outdoor lunch and ultimate Frisbee in the park.
As a team lead, Chan says the most important thing for him has been support from management. “When I started, I was nervous to make changes,” says Chan, now application support development team lead. “But Xin let me know that I can make a decision and she will be behind me to support it. The CEO and directors are great to work with. Mistakes and problems are looked at as lessons.”
When Chan began working for LandSure, he found another family. “In my past work as a contractor at other organizations, I felt like a number,” says Chan. “At LandSure people care about one another. They step in to help if you’re struggling with workload or need to take a day to look after a family member.”
Chan was surprised to win the employee achievement award for leadership after just one year at the company. “I received the award from our CEO,” he says. “And at the ceremony, it was so cool to hear what other recipients had done in areas like innovation and customer support.”
“Seeing people grow into calm, confident leaders is such a fulfilling and rewarding aspect of the job,” says Jiang. “It’s great to see them in the spotlight!”