As a Strategic Leader with almost 2 decades of experience working with major organizations, I’ve been at the center of many large efforts to evolve businesses and drive change. I’ve experienced first hand the necessity and power of teamwork and allies to make this impact. barbara (mih-CULL-skee) mikulski said it best — “each one of us can make a difference, together we make change.”
Here are 3 lessons I learned after spearheading large initiatives…
- ESTABLISH INTERNAL ALLIES: My successful internal negotiations were an outcome of establishing those allies by simplifying the ask through relatable analogies, clearly defining the “whats in it for you” and getting them excited about being a champion for changes that will yield positive returns for the organization.
- BUILD SUPPORT TEAMS TO PLAN FOR CURVE BALLS: Successfully balancing work and life require constant reprioritization and unbelievable support networks. Since both matter independently, curve balls will be thrown and tough choices will need to be made. One way to still hit a home run is to have those strong teams at work and home who can step up when it matters most. Trust me, I would have never planned to launch Salesforce at ESPN (after over a yr of intense campaigning then planning) the same month as the birth of my 2nd child! –
- REMEMBER TRANSPARENCY BUILDS PATIENCE AND TRUST: The reality is not everyone will be on board, but with enough diversity of opinion from the larger whole and with clarity of “mini-milestones” or small wins that show progress to the end goal, you will define a clear roadmap that resonates with players and teams. With that roadmap and transparency of progress along the way, expectations can be managed and you can more easily gain believers.
These are a few key tools I leveraged to deliver on the efforts I’ve led in digital, finance, sales and operations. While i’m known for my passion, resilience, and ability to drive results, my best achievements are those I’ve accomplished with championship teams right by my side. As the letters in TEAM stand for…..together everyone achieves more!
