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In the second of our #FemmeForce events last week we were joined by a quartet of successful leaders. They formed an experienced panel to provide our future leaders with the advice they need to succeed. The result was a complete blueprint for successful career management.
Kristi Mansfield quit her marketing job to focus on philanthropic initiatives and driving social change. In 2005 she founded the Greenstone Group - a philanthropy and impact investment firm. She is also the managing director of customer experience research agency Fifth Quadrant.
At only 28, Zrinka Lovrencic - to paraphrase a cliche - liked her job so much, she bought the company! In 2011, she orchestrated a management buy-out of Great Place to Work and remains its MD. Last year she was a New South Wales finalist in the Telstra Business Women’s Awards.
Kristi and Zrinka were joined by two of our own high performance leaders from within the Salesforce business. Victoria McDonald has remained consistently at the top of the Salesforce sales ladder, while balancing the duties of motherhood and an ever-committed philanthropic role with Salesforce. Pete Durie is an essential member of the leadership team running the renewals business, andalso juggles the heavy responsibilities of parenthood while also founder of Sydney Homeless Connect.
The panel were posed a wide range of questions about life, work and the ideal mix of the two and their sage advice came in the following themes:
Be regimented in the way you run your day
Broadly speaking the panel agreed that to be successful at work and in your general life, you must be extremely disciplined about the way you run your day to ensure you achieve your objectives in all areas of your life. Contrary to the stereotype of the over-achiever, they all agreed that putting a hard ceiling on your day - for instance at 5pm - was the key to retaining your sanity as well as finishing your to-do list. But, as Victoria stressed, flexibility and accommodation of extra-curricular activities is only afforded to those that consistently perform in their role.
You’ve got to have a list. If it isn’t on the list, it doesn’t get done.
I have a story...a vision for what I want to achieve...a strong view of purpose. I don’t pick up things I don’t believe in
The panel may have differed on whether or not a career plan was necessary for success, but all were agreed that maintaining a sense of purpose and a vision of your role in life was essential. Staying true to your values was also important in retaining a sense of “you” amid the melee of the day-to-day mayhem.
My values are non-negotiable
A great network is a great platform to achieve...collaboration is the key to success
Your team and wider network are crucial to a fulfilling career the panel agreed. Discussing your failures as well as your successes with your team is the key to learning from your mistakes said Victoria; while Zrinka spoke about how much inspiration she derived from seeing her team achieve. But your wider network is also a fundamental part of what makes you successful - and can also be an avenue for giving others a leg up, said Kristi. All agreed diversity among those you interacted with was so important.
Surround yourself with people who see the world differently from you
The empowering effect of volunteering will help you succeed
If you are not meeting your targets, use this as an opportunity to get out in the field and help a cause close to your heart. You will be surprised how volunteering can change you and help you reach your goals.
The problem is not setting high goals and failing, it is setting low goals and achieving them
The panel talked more about balance and how to get it all done. All agreed that by involving those close to you in your work, the conflicts between work and the other areas of your life can be easier to manage. Zrinka employed her sister, while Pete keeps his family fully up to date on what happens at work.
However, at the same time as blurring the lines between work and play, the panel agreed that some hard boundaries had to exist. Zrinka never works on a Saturday, while Victoria is religious about ensuring she cuts her day off at 5pm to make sure she can spend quality time with her daughter. For all four on the panel, philanthropy and giving back played a huge role in underpinning their success, not least because of the pay-off they have found it brings to their role. Indeed Pete made the point that sometimes when you are not hitting your targets or objectives in your role, philanthropy work can be refreshing, inspirational and stimulating in a way that will return success to your day-job.
We are so grateful to Victoria and Pete, Kristi and Zrinka. What pieces of advice have served you well in your career?
Vanessa joined Pardot while it was still an ExactTarget Company as the first hire on the services team in Australia. She is now the Client Services Manager - CFL - APAC for Pardot.
