She's a perfectionist. She wants to know how all the pieces fit together before she gets started on the puzzle. She is also a little introverted, not wanting to cause issues and definitely not interested in presenting in front of groups -- clients or peers. For some, she can be a little frustrating -- the person who asks the detailed questions before the process has been fully hashed out. For some, she seems like an anchor, not interested in changing her well-defined method. But as it turns out, she just needs a little time and a better understanding of the reason why.
I first recognized there was more to Deb when she asked me to show her around LinkedIn and help her get a profile started. She had several clients reach out to connect with her on the networking platform, so she saw the benefit. She just needed a little help understanding how it all worked. I explained the overall platform, showed her a few profiles I thought were well done and went through the privacy settings with her. After that, she felt comfortable setting up a profile and connecting with clients.
When we launched an internal professional development program, one of the badges the team could earn was Never Stop Learning. With the help of our management team, I curated a list of MOOCs and free courses from around the web. Account managers could learn more about and hone business-related skills such as time management, negotiation and working with teams. Deb jumped on this badge earning full points every year and asking for more recommended courses. She wanted to continue learning, she just needed someone to point her in the right direction.
Most recently, as part of the professional development level she's on, she was required to present about a business-related topic in front of other members of the client services team. Presenting to our clients happens on occasion our senior account managers and management team, but it's one of those skills that has to be done regularly in order to get better. Deb recognized the need, but she needed time and guidance. She chose her topic and date well in advance. We met prior to her presentation to make sure she understood how her computer would connect to the projector and to walk through the slides. When the time came to present in front of the dozen account managers, she was calm, clear and even told a few jokes. She did wonderfully.
For those who only knew Deb as the person who sits quietly in the back of meetings taking copious notes, they were surprised to see this side of her. But I knew it took a lot of work on her part to get there. Later that day, I got a notification that Deb signed up for another presentation.
Thank you, Deb, for always surprising me.
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