Latest / Speak In Flow / Your Trauma Is Not Your Identity
Transcript
- 0:02Melinda Lee: Welcome, dear listeners, to the Speak and Flow podcast, where we just slow things down a bit to help you communicate with more clarity and confidence.
- 0:11Melinda Lee: Each episode is only 20 minutes long, and we're going to give you practical tips to help you respond to current events of today, what is happening in your work and at your world. We are focused on generational
- 0:26Melinda Lee: conflict, generational disconnect. In our workplace today, you probably are finding four
- 0:33Melinda Lee: five, three different generations, and so how are we communicating? How does this impact our work? And joining me today, we have the Senior VP of Global Client Experience at Mindgroove. Her name is Rachel Giggly Courier.
- 0:52Melinda Lee: Hi, Rachel!
- 0:53Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Hello, Melinda, how are you doing?
- 0:56Melinda Lee: I'm so glad you're here, thanks for joining.
- 0:58Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Thank you for having me!
- 1:00Melinda Lee: I'm looking forward to our conversation today, and so I'm just gonna kick this off to ask you, what would you hope that when someone finishes this episode, that could change in their lives?
- 1:15Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: That they are able to think more compassionately and speak more intentionally with team members in their workplace, regardless of the discipline they work in or their generation that they were born into.
- 1:33Melinda Lee: I love it. Because so often, we're just speaking from where we're coming from and what our beliefs are, what our values are, which may be so different from the different… from the multi-generations that are in the company, so you're saying to have the forethought and intention to slow down and really think about how they receive it.
- 1:52Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Absolutely. In fact, my, my dear colleague Christy, who is our VP
- 1:56Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: resources at Mindgroove. She talks about, intentional, communication with her children, and talks about it in the analogy of toothpaste.
- 2:05Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And once you've squeezed the toothpaste out of the tube, you really can't put it back in, you know, and your words are like that, and so being careful, or at least thinking.
- 2:16Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: in moments when you, have some downtime, have some learning time, to think about how you use your words will help you then when you're live. Because I'll tell you one thing I know for sure, it's very difficult when you are in a fast-paced industry, like advertising, where I work.
- 2:34Melinda Lee: To, in the moment, be coaching yourself live.
- 2:39Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: to be speaking in flow. You're going to be live in the minute, and you've got to be then dealing with your boss, your coworker, your peer, your teammate, your junior, your support, your admin, your executive assistant, whoever you may have the luxury of communicating with. And those team members are all going to come from different perspectives.
- 2:57Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yes. And what we're going to try and speak about is how we land our communication.
- 3:03Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: In a way that they can receive it as it was intended.
- 3:07Melinda Lee: I love that, and that's what we're gonna do today. So what… before we get into the meat of the episode, can you share with us what are you passionate about? Tell us more about what you do at Mindgroove.
- 3:20Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yes, so, at Mindgroove, an agency, a full-service marketing agency, we, focus in on different modern media channels.
- 3:32Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And the role of data and, deep, deep analytics can really pull together sophisticated marketing,
- 3:42Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Campaigns, strategies, and momentum for our clients that will deliver their performance and growth story.
- 3:49Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: So, all those words were a lot, and that represents, I think, the complexities of today's modern agency environment, where we are really trying to help clients of all different types of industries and verticals
- 4:03Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: To solve their, their business challenges by using, the power of performance marketing or the power of e-commerce
- 4:12Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And the connective tissue between all of those pieces, with rich business insights driven by data platforms, and gosh, that is so much for a team member to have to deal with. And so, I work with different cross-functional teams within that environment, media.
- 4:29Melinda Lee: edit.
- 4:30Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: commerce, creative, analytics, and strategy, and I personally lead the team that interfaces most and primarily with the client.
- 4:39Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Then brings that information back to.
- 4:42Melinda Lee: Oh my god.
- 4:42Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: different team members to try and solve for our clients' problems.
- 4:47Melinda Lee: Right. That is a lot of different people that you're working with, a lot of different angles of perspectives that you have to consider, and… and you're working with global brands. I saw eBay, Sony, correct. Yeah, so you're working with a lot of.
- 5:04Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yep.
- 5:04Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 5:06Melinda Lee: So you mentioned, and the marketplace is definitely… your clients, their demands, what is happening has evolved, I'm sure, over time, and a lot more data, a lot more analytics, but a lot more rich content. So you're dealing with that, but then you're also dealing with the multi-generations of
- 5:24Melinda Lee: people within your firm, how has that… changed… or evolved
- 5:31Melinda Lee: In the way that you work.
- 5:36Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Well, I think, first and foremost, I find, of course, as I mature, and.
- 5:45Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: I'm more senior myself, of course, I have become one of the older team members in the group.
- 5:54Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And right now, one of the new media, channels that I personally, am learning and adapting to is the complexities of, and opportunities of Amazon ads, and how deep
- 6:10Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: a commerce platform such as Amazon can reach our audience, how connected we can think about insights, and how richly we can message to our consumers, and so…
- 6:22Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: I'm learning that new channel.
- 6:26Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And so… but in 2006, I was also learning Facebook as it launched.
- 6:34Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And how we would use that for marketing. And so, I can kind of think about the role of not only in multi-generational experience, and the way in which it's important for us to always have embraced new channels throughout our career.
- 6:53Melinda Lee: And so when you're working in marketing.
- 6:56Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: The experience that you gain through, embracing new media, new channels, new ways in which people consume, content, the… the generational, element
- 7:10Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: is also something that links to, a deeper understanding of channels, marketing tactics, initiatives, and experience. And so.
- 7:23Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: With all of that comes a need to… to train and pass that on.
- 7:29Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Right?
- 7:31Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And there are certain elements of our industry that are… are very much transferable, and there are certain elements that,
- 7:40Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: that are not, and some things that are linked to, perhaps, communication, or grit, graph.
- 7:47Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: That link to our ability to be concise, our ability to be able to, understand a client need or ask, and distill it in a way that is simplified and easy for the next team member to pick up.
- 8:05Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: That is also evolving and changing.
- 8:09Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: So yeah, I'll pause there and… And we can think more.
- 8:14Melinda Lee: Yeah… I can see that. So you, yourself, with your role.
- 8:19Melinda Lee: Have to consider a lot with regard to the different channels that are available, the different channels that are
- 8:27Melinda Lee: Work and do not work for your clients? But then also, how do you pass down all this information to your team so that they continue to evolve it, continue to refine it for your clients?
- 8:41Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yay!
- 8:42Melinda Lee: some information you can change, some information you can pass down, and some information you don't. So how does that impact your team as you involve them?
- 8:51Melinda Lee: And you're… we're working across multi-faceted, multi…
- 8:55Melinda Lee: department, or multi-rooles, right? How does that… how do you do that? How do you do that effectively?
- 9:07Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Try and, we try and do some good documentation.
- 9:11Melinda Lee: So, first and foremost, try and make sure that, any new elements that we need to teach are distilled into a one-pager.
- 9:20Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Or some kind of really easy guide. Yeah.
- 9:24Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And then there are other things that are softer skills, Client Communication 101, the art of,
- 9:33Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: the art of…
- 9:36Melinda Lee: Pausing, or listening.
- 9:37Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: The art of negotiation, you know.
- 9:39Melinda Lee: Oh, yeah.
- 9:40Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Discussing, when you're discussing timeline or missed feedback, the role of, of receiving complaint.
- 9:48Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: You know, there is… there are all different nuances in the… in the job, and some of which are built on experience, and others of which you can bottle up and put on paper and try and teach.
- 9:59Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And I guess right now, where I am in my role, and as our agency grows, I'm navigating which are the ones that I can teach by putting it on paper and sharing it along, and which are the ones that just have to be worked through as experience.
- 10:15Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yeah, yeah.
- 10:16Melinda Lee: I could see that. And do you also consider how the person receives the information, how they prefer to be trained?
- 10:24Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yes, I mean…
- 10:25Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 10:26Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: The other role of that, as working with newer teams, younger teams, junior teams, is the role of feedback.
- 10:36Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: As they are navigating, perhaps, a new discipline, a new media, a new opportunity, for example, a team member may have never worked with influencers before, and they have an opportunity to work with influencers on a new client.
- 10:49Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: how do we get that team member comfortable enough to confidently navigate that work through the system? Those are elements that are easy for us to help, to kind of connect the dots and stay close with that team in order to make sure that they have that leadership.
- 11:04Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: But then, what if that team member says something on a call that maybe was a little tone-deaf, or lacking.
- 11:10Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: a little piece of feedback, and they haven't quite threaded it through. There, you want to give feedback in a way that the team member is able to hear it without getting too downheartened, so that they can go, got it, and on to the next.
- 11:23Melinda Lee: How have you been able to do that? Yeah.
- 11:25Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: How have you been able to…
- 11:26Melinda Lee: Find that balance.
- 11:28Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Giving feedback in a way that keeps
- 11:31Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: A focus on the results at the.
- 11:33Melinda Lee: Oh yeah, let's.
- 11:34Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Well, I do definitely recommend a book called Radical Candor by Kim Scott, which, is definitely one I live by, or try to, which helped me see a blind spot in my own
- 11:50Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: practice, which was that when somebody does, you know, a team member, perhaps, misspeaks in a call.
- 12:00Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Or perhaps we get to the call and we weren't prepared. Perhaps the client deliverable has not had quite enough, review internally before it's been shared with a client. Perhaps we've missed the mark. There are all kinds of ways in which, as we progress, the work needs improvement.
- 12:20Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And as a manager, there are all kinds of feelings you might have as you see work that is in need of improvement. Why did we not get that right? What… how come we missed the deadline? Why did we not capture that feedback?
- 12:33Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And I think in my younger years of management, my emphasis on the why did this happen.
- 12:41Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: was unhelpful.
- 12:43Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Because the real emphasis needs to be, what do we need to do to ensure we've got it now? What else do we need to clarify with client to make sure that we don't miss this again? How can I help you take this to the next step? Because right now, we've clearly got a disconnect in the information.
- 13:04Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And so, that was part of the…
- 13:06Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: the training, the experience that I had to build, and that I try and use today in my daily work with the team, is in
- 13:15Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Not focusing so much on the myths, as in focusing… because in doing so, people's defenses get up.
- 13:24Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 13:25Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Instead, what we need to do in the moment is focus on the work and the improvements we need to see in the work.
- 13:31Melinda Lee: Right.
- 13:31Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: the improvement we need to see in the client relationship, or the reassurance we need to give to the client. And we can worry about, why did we get here?
- 13:41Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Right now, we gotta put all of our energy into helping to solve the problem so that we get it better.
- 13:49Melinda Lee: Right, right. So they're not afraid of making the mistake in the future, because, yeah.
- 13:57Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: So in Canada.
- 13:57Melinda Lee: Yeah, I am curious, though, in this generation, do you find that a lot of them, are putting in the work, and then wondering, when am I going to get a pay raise, when am I going to move up? Are they… are they wanting to move up faster?
- 14:14Melinda Lee: And then also, do they truly… because I could put myself back in when I was, just starting out into the workplace.
- 14:22Melinda Lee: not truly understanding the… you have the impact, you have the gravity, you have the pressure of meeting client deadlines. As an employee.
- 14:33Melinda Lee: I get my paycheck, I feel like if I do the work, I should be…
- 14:38Melinda Lee: elevated, promoted. It's like, you know, a step-by-step, but it's like, we… I don't… I didn't have the pressure, and I wish I kind of knew the impact that I have to move the company forward, to help the company grow. I don't think that clicked enough. It was more about just doing the work and getting a promotion, but not necessarily really understanding the gravity and the pressures
- 15:02Melinda Lee: That the company has of meeting client satisfaction, meeting client expectations, and how does this all impact
- 15:10Melinda Lee: the client, versus just doing the work. Does that make sense? Yeah, completely. What do you think?
- 15:17Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Well, I think… There are so many little nuances to it. So, for example… Yeah.
- 15:26Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Let's go to, first off, like, why a team member who is working their butt off wants.
- 15:32Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Right?
- 15:33Melinda Lee: They want a promotion.
- 15:34Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: They do. They want a promotion.
- 15:36Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Happens every day. They're all knocking on the door, right? They're all knocking on the door. They all walk. They're like, I did this, I did this, look at what I did! They all go… well, let's say they all deserve one, right? Let's say, for example, they all deserve one.
- 15:51Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Well, in that moment, maybe they all do their one, but do they consistently demonstrate
- 15:56Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: That they have what it takes for me to say to the company, we should take
- 16:02Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: 20 or 30 grand and put it into this addition… this team member, versus taking that times 3 or 4 and getting us an additional support team member, you know, like, the.
- 16:14Melinda Lee: It's like,
- 16:15Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Have around budgets around promotion.
- 16:18Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: At the same time, I can imagine that a team member who's an account manager, and they're, you know, still on their early rungs of the career ladder, are easily frustrated around more money and a better title. I can
- 16:34Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: I can really still feel that in my own bones.
- 16:38Melinda Lee: I agree.
- 16:40Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Can you? Yeah. I feel it. I remember it.
- 16:42Melinda Lee: I do!
- 16:44Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And so… And I love the team, and I want them to succeed, and I want them to stay.
- 16:52Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: So, part of me wants to give out promotions to everyone, left, right.
- 16:56Melinda Lee: Right.
- 16:57Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: You know, it's the Oprah Winfrey meme. You get a promotion, you get a promotion, you get a promotion, right?
- 17:03Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: At the same time, does it do… I remember when I left a company to get a senior AM,
- 17:09Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: from an AM, and I left a company for it.
- 17:14Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And I remember the CEO saying, you gotta be careful that you don't try and run before you can walk.
- 17:19Melinda Lee: It stayed with me this whole… this whole time.
- 17:24Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And I… and I reflect upon it. I reflect upon…
- 17:30Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: My own hiring challenges of needing a team member who is mature enough to.
- 17:36Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: single-handedly handle a client, or a team member whose maturity isn't there, and I could not leave to single-handedly handle a client, and the difference between that. And when I make a choice about promotion or not, if they are… that's just one example of one level. If they are not ready, then I'm doing a disservice to me.
- 17:56Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: the team members around them who are also looking, and will start asking more if I… if I give that team member…
- 18:04Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: an easy promotion, let's say. Now, they would say, this isn't easy, I'm getting paid peanuts, and I'm working my bottle. So then you go to the other elements, which is around,
- 18:15Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: trying to…
- 18:16Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Manage expectations around growth, and try and encourage consistent practice of their discipline, consistency around their support level, their…
- 18:28Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: they're always on, they're hunger, and of course, you know, I… I'm a demanding boss, and I want it all, and when, you know, our client expectations are higher, faster, more visible, they're…
- 18:44Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 18:44Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: For so much, too.
- 18:46Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 18:49Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: there's something in the DNA of the team member that I will… I'm getting much better at hiring.
- 18:55Melinda Lee: Oh, good.
- 18:56Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: if they have that DNA or not. And that does get into multi-generational, because it gets into things like grit.
- 19:06Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: The cognitive load of advertising today is very different to even 10 years ago, and your ability to be resilient while managing the complexities, plus maybe a tricky personality of client, plus…
- 19:20Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: The demands of all of the different energy within an agency in a fast-paced environment just makes it so much harder on a team.
- 19:26Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 19:27Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And if you're doing that while feeling underpaid.
- 19:31Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 19:31Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Or undervalued. Woo!
- 19:34Melinda Lee: that's a recipe for disaster. However, if they're doing it, and they're doing it even if they're underpaid, but they're doing it because of the love of just growing and developing their skills, and… and… what do you think? What is that? Is that a value? Is that something… do you see them…
- 19:54Melinda Lee: Or them doing that, or is there less of them that do that? Because they just want… they're looking at the pay versus the value of the experience.
- 20:10Melinda Lee: And are they really underpaid? They're probably at market.
- 20:15Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yeah! They have marty.
- 20:17Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: No, I mean…
- 20:18Melinda Lee: Okay.
- 20:18Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Well, this goes to the generational thing.
- 20:20Melinda Lee: Yes!
- 20:21Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Demands are significantly higher.
- 20:24Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 20:24Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: So, no, I would say there isn't a single team member who is underpaid, or undervalued, or at the wrong title.
- 20:32Melinda Lee: Yes.
- 20:32Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: At the same time, the expectation of the team and the companies that they join is that they.
- 20:38Melinda Lee: They can move.
- 20:39Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: that is going to honor their… their spark, and help them to get to the next level.
- 20:46Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 20:47Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: that next level to be, they honestly expect that next level to be, within a year.
- 20:55Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 20:56Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And that is… is difficult, too, and that's all…
- 20:58Melinda Lee: That is difficult.
- 20:59Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: handle, you know?
- 21:01Melinda Lee: That is very difficult.
- 21:03Melinda Lee: Would it help if they understood the big vision of the company, and they did it because of the mission of the company, they love the company, the values of the company? That's where I used to sit, and I used to stay at companies for a lot longer just because I love the people, I love the mission of the company, and I was able to grow my experience.
- 21:23Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Right. And, and develop them. And…
- 21:26Melinda Lee: So, is that lost?
- 21:30Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: No, I don't think so, but I think that they bemoan the, the difficulties of the job.
- 21:39Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: I think that more and more is asked of team members.
- 21:43Melinda Lee: Adam.
- 21:44Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And I think that…
- 21:47Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: we all have an expectation, for example, that AI is going to take out our junior team members. I don't… Yeah. I personally don't see it happening, right now where I see it, I think…
- 21:59Melinda Lee: Right.
- 21:59Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: We still have a real need for, facilitation through the… the work of
- 22:06Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: creative and production. We still need team members to interface directly with clients to help them solve what their marketing challenges are, and we still need somebody to… to kind of be in hand-in-hand partnership to do that, and so…
- 22:21Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: When we asked that of our team,
- 22:26Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: I wish that they could, and I need to myself better, communicate the value of tenure and experience, and that doing something once or twice or over 3 months is not the same as doing it for 2 years and really being.
- 22:43Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Nay, an expert within the space and the field. And then being able to, therefore, transfer that expertise to a different type of client with a different type of product or service, that is where you are able to then.
- 22:55Melinda Lee: That's right.
- 22:57Melinda Lee: Exactly, and that is where the company's gonna see your value, because now you're taking on these roles that actually directly impact the revenue generation.
- 23:07Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Right.
- 23:07Melinda Lee: of the company.
- 23:09Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yes, and that's where, you know, for team members who are demanding of.
- 23:13Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 23:13Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Of growth, who are ambitious to… to really succeed and push themselves into that, growth trajectory.
- 23:23Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: If they do show that they can, drive revenue growth within a client, if they can bring in money on that client, or if they can really help that client to drive huge success for their business, which.
- 23:36Melinda Lee: Right.
- 23:36Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: leads to success for our business, then that's where… that is where real professional growth comes from, you know? That is where demonstration, meets, true execution and the rubber meets the road, because they are proving their worth by turning
- 23:53Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: their hard graft into revenue dollars for the agency, and that is the ultimate role of more and more senior talent, you know?
- 24:02Melinda Lee: Yeah, yeah, versus, hey, I'm gonna do XYZ, I get my paycheck.
- 24:08Melinda Lee: And then, give me a promotion.
- 24:11Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yes, yes, but much more unheard of.
- 24:14Melinda Lee: Right.
- 24:14Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And so.
- 24:15Melinda Lee: That's great.
- 24:16Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: So going back to how we communicate on that.
- 24:18Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 24:19Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: So, one of the…
- 24:21Melinda Lee: The things, and going back to radical candor, or how to communicate in a way that.
- 24:27Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: that basically somebody is able to understand your feedback. Maybe that
- 24:33Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: their professional growth. Maybe they're also… it's just about how they were in that last meeting you were in together.
- 24:39Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Or maybe it's about providing feedback to a creative on the work that they did for a client. There's something about the way in which we deliver our feedback so that people are able to hear it, receive it, and then act upon it in the way you hope that they would, you know, whether that.
- 24:57Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Spark into some redos of creative, or whether that is to really knuckle down and get a timeline redone, or whether that is to just make sure that they're always on time for their client meetings next.
- 25:08Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: You know, we're hope…
- 25:09Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 25:10Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: What's important for me is that I get the team to be better, stronger, more experienced by retaining them and working out with them some of their improvements that they need to naturally make as they grow in their career.
- 25:26Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And so, as I see anything within the team, finding a way to… to get them better, to get them working a little bit.
- 25:35Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: at a better clip, or with a little bit less error, or a little bit more seamlessly, takes feedback, and that feedback can either be landed well, with compassion in a way they can receive.
- 25:48Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: or it can land in a way that makes them want to dust off their resume and get it spursed up onto LinkedIn and start applying for jobs, and that has been my experience, that
- 25:58Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: You've got to take care in how you then guide those improvements or growth areas in order to make it something that can be
- 26:08Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: tackled versus the defensive war going up.
- 26:14Melinda Lee: Right, right.
- 26:15Melinda Lee: Well, they're very lucky to have you, your team, the organization, for you to take a moment to really consider how they're receiving that feedback.
- 26:25Melinda Lee: And some managers won't even give feedback. So you're giving feedback, and also you're doing it in a way that hopefully they can receive it.
- 26:34Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yeah, absolutely, you know.
- 26:35Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 26:36Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: And making sure that it's not only in a way that they can receive it, I guess, but also in a way that continues to build your relationship with them, because that.
- 26:46Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 26:47Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Base of it.
- 26:48Melinda Lee: Right.
- 26:49Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: You know.
- 26:51Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: you've got to… if you want to keep your team members growing and staying within the company, and that is something that's of importance to me, you then have to make sure that, you're building a good relationship with them, you know, an honest working relationship. I believe that you should bring
- 27:08Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: You know, your full self to work, and really have an ability to be yourself at work.
- 27:15Melinda Lee: Yeah.
- 27:16Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: sense, of course. And hopefully have a dialogue with your boss and bosses, where you can talk about your career, you can talk about your clients, you can talk about your work, you can talk about your fears, even, in a safe environment at the right junctures. And that would be my dream, because that's what I think would keep team members retained.
- 27:35Melinda Lee: I agree. That is the sweet spot, absolute sweet spot, of when people feel most comfortable, when people are most creative, is when you can provide that safe space.
- 27:46Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yeah, yeah.
- 27:47Melinda Lee: to solve problems, and you're building that relationship, and they're willing to take action without feeling, fear, too much fear of retribution, or fear of failure, and so they have that safe space. Starts from there. So, cool! Thank you so much, Rachel. And so what is that one takeaway that you hope that people could remember?
- 28:07Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Mmm…
- 28:17Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: I think it's really important to try and speak clearly, speak directly with empathy for all team members. You know, at work, when people are putting their heart and soul into it, bring care to… to communication.
- 28:32Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: But also, find a way to, to build rapport and be direct.
- 28:38Melinda Lee: Right.
- 28:39Melinda Lee: Love it. Drop the mic.
- 28:42Melinda Lee: Drop them, I'm gonna pick up that book.
- 28:45Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yeah, you should do, it's really good.
- 28:47Melinda Lee: Yeah. Oh, thank you so much, Rachel, for your time, for a wonderful conversation. I really learned a lot about the different cultures and generations in our workplace, and how we can communicate and work better together, and be more aware of and intentional with our communication.
- 29:03Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Yeah, thank you! Thank you so much. It was really fun, and thank you, audience, for joining. I trust that you got your takeaway implemented in your day, and remember, anytime you have a chance to communicate, you're not just communicating, but you're also connecting and making a positive difference in our lives. Thank you so much. Until next time.
- 29:23Melinda Lee: Bye-bye.
- 29:25Melinda Lee: Hi, Rachel.
- 29:26Rachel Gigli Carrieri | SVP, Global Client Experience: Bye, thank you so much!
- 29:28Melinda Lee: Thank you!