Note: When this story was written in early 2020, Abel was in the process of transitioning from Alpha Team Service Manager to Orange Team Service Manager. That transition is now complete! He still brings the same level of "Awesome" to his new role.
Each day as Abel Vega reports for work as Alpha Team Service Manager at Accent Computer Solutions, he strives to make it the company’s best day yet. No matter what new challenge arises with every help desk call and email ticket, Abel handles the flurry of activity without breaking a sweat. He’s committed to solving client problems and lifting up his team members while discovering new opportunities for his own personal growth.
“Alpha Team has been extraordinary so far, working together, solving problems, and bringing issues up to management,” Abel said. “It definitely gets me up every morning, to start work on time, and do a good job.”
Abel’s coworkers and clients benefit from his dedication as well.
“When we approached Abel to be a manager of our Alpha Team, he wasn’t sure at first,” explained Derek Woolf, Chief Operating Officer. “But he was willing to try. Not only did he do it, but he owned it, and it’s an amazing team because of his leadership.”
From Joining, to Leading, the Team
Abel didn’t start his tenure at Accent as the head of the Alpha Team. In fact, his first role was as a temporary employee. Over the course of a decade, he worked his way through positions in a centralized service role, field engineer, and at the help desk – a role he didn’t embrace right away.
“When I was a field engineer, I’ll never forget the day when my supervisor asked me what job at Accent I wanted to do least. At the time it was the help desk, and the next day I was on the help desk,” Abel said with a laugh. “I actually love it now, so I think they were trying to challenge me on my next step in my career.”
Abel’s Alpha Team handles the first response to any help desk tickets that come in. They quickly respond to client requests for help, with a goal of reaching a successful outcome during a phone call within a maximum of 15 minutes, along with closing 95% of tickets by the end of each work day.
In case his days aren’t demanding enough, Abel is also currently transitioning to manager of the Orange Team. After handing over the reins of the Alpha Team to another manager in a few months, Abel and the Orange Team will handle escalated and more complicated tickets in addition to network health checks for their clients.
Moving Forward Together
More than anything else, it’s Accent’s team-oriented culture that motivates Abel and is an essential ingredient for his day-to-day-activities. In an organization where employees stick around for years and become more like a family than just coworkers, it’s easy to build relationships and invest in the work.
“What keeps me here is the teamwork,” said Abel. “I’m grateful for the people that have taught me things throughout the years, and I try to pay it forward and do the same thing with the new hires so they can be successful too.”
Open communication helps Abel build up his colleagues and feel like he has an important voice in the organization. It creates the loyalty that ties the team together.
“Abel is loyal and does a great job of putting others first,” Derek said. “He’s a servant leader and works for the good of the team.”
Investing in the People
Through each step of his career at Accent, Abel believes management has provided plenty of opportunities to support him in his professional growth. From investing in training and certifications to recognizing accomplishments in the monthly all-hands meeting, Abel has gained confidence and support from his coworkers.
“Accent has opened the door for me to try new things,” Abel explained. “They’ve given me the tools I’ve needed, as well as a great team, and I’m truly thankful for the career paths they’ve opened for me.”
Whether it’s the owner or the person who restocks the snacks, everyone at Accent is approachable and down-to-earth. Abel feels comfortable connecting with anyone at the company and knows that his opinion will always be valued.
Leading with “Awesome”
No matter what challenges each day presents to Abel, he shines as a leader at Accent and brings positive energy and a can-do attitude to his team members. Whether he’s tracking down lost files for a client or mentoring one of Accent’s new hires, he always strives for “awesome.”
“We used to joke about it, but Abel’s nickname is ‘Awesome,’” said Derek. “All the clients love him, and their feedback on his work was that he did awesome.”
As he moves to his next challenge with the Orange Team, Abel will be sure to make each day at Accent his — and the company’s — best day and that’s pretty awesome.
