CAREER INSIGHTS FROM A RISK-TAKER

Source:  Straight Talk Online

You are the one who must guide and drive your career. But professional success comes from understanding it’s not all about you.

When I entered the IT workforce in the 1980s, it was a man’s world, with very few women IT executives, managers, or even technicians. I was outnumbered exponentially when I attended IT conferences and when engaging with third-party vendors and partners.

Times have changed, but companies are still challenged when it comes to the number of women in IT roles. Still, that hasn’t kept me from having a tremendously satisfying IT career.  I’ve had the opportunity to work in varying industry segments, including commercial and consumer manufacturing, software products/services, financial services, and food distribution. And I’ve been extremely fortunate to work in many regions of the world, including North America, Asia, Europe, and South America.

I truly believe that’s due to something I learned early on: If I wanted to get ahead, I was going to have to take charge of my career. And that’s the approach I’ve been following since my first job.

Steer Your Career

Interestingly enough, I was introduced to IT by luck. After graduating from college, I took a job with a small company as a network analyst. Frankly, I had no idea what a network analyst was, but it sounded intriguing.  I would be learning something new and the salary was attractive. So I gave it a shot.

Very quickly, I became proficient at optimizing corporate voice and data networks by   analyzing traffic and trends, and then presenting cost-saving recommendations to client executives. I enjoyed the dynamics of the job—dealing with technology, with vendors, with clients.  So my first job became my entry into the world of IT.

After a year, my career got a big boost when I began working in managerial positions at larger global companies. My start in management was at a consumer goods manufacturing company, where I quickly moved up the management ladder.  I did this by assuming more responsibility, going out of my way to tackle new challenges, and taking risks by speaking up when I had solutions to problems. Within ten years, I had worked my way to a director’s position.

From this experience, I learned I could have a seat at the CIO table by earning my way there. One of the biggest messages I have for women in IT is to take charge of your career and don’t wait for someone else to do it for you. In fact, regardless of gender, the key to a satisfying career is to identify what your aspirations are and what you need to do to reach your goal. When I came up against a glass ceiling or felt I could not advance the way I wanted to, I took action. That might mean learning something new, assuming stretch responsibilities in the organization, or even moving to a different company altogether.

I strongly encourage women in IT to own their careers. Look out three to five years, set targets for yourself each year, and go get the experience you need to reach your next objective. Once you do that, you have a career road map, and that becomes your guide. Maybe you want to manage a team of 50 associates by the time you’re 35. Perhaps you want to be a director in five years. Or you might be interested in becoming proficient at a particular technology. Figure out where your passion lies and determine a way to get there.

But at the same time, don’t close the door on unexpected opportunities that present themselves. I vividly recall the CIO at a global financial company I worked for encouraging me to go to China for a 15-month consulting engagement. The request came out of nowhere and was certainly not on my career roadmap!  At the time, I was managing a global IT team of 350 people and we were making tremendous progress as an organization. Then here came this request to move to China, leave my team – and become an individual contributor, no less!  I took what may have seemed like a risky career detour and was exposed to an entirely new culture, learning and experiencing things I never would have otherwise. It opened my eyes to a whole different market, helped me build relationships with individuals on the other side of the world, and made me a stronger leader. It was one of the best moves I ever made.

Realize the Source of Your Success

I’ve learned some of my biggest leadership lessons from the mistakes I’ve made. At first, they are heart wrenching. Nobody likes to fail. But if you can get through the emotional turmoil, it can be an informative developmental experience.

Once, at a multibillion-dollar company, I was put in charge of a data network that had performance issues in Europe. My marching orders were to make it work. So that’s what I set about doing. I did my homework by getting to understand the current topologies and operations.  I researched vendors. I met with consulting firms.  But when I delivered my recommendations to the Paris office, my European colleagues looked at me, wondering what on earth I was doing there. I had charged in to save the day, but neglected to first establish relationships with my European counterparts.

Once I stepped back and took the time to solidify a bond and build trust with my European team mates, the project fell into place. All the plans I initially tried to move forward were implemented—and not by me, but by my colleagues. That’s when I realized that it wasn’t about my success but the success of the team as a whole.  It was essential to have others participate in decisions, buy into the plan, and then make it happen.

Building relationships is a cornerstone to successful leadership. I’ve been part of organizations with very different structures–more bureaucracy and less, highly matrixed and very hierarchical, geographically dispersed. But everywhere I’ve been, I found I needed to build relationships with my peers and executives and vendors. You need to make sure everyone knows who you are and what you’re about before you tackle the hard stuff.  In the end, it’s these people who are going to make or break the initiatives you pursue.

Experience has helped me retool my leadership style over time. As you might imagine,

I’m very passionate about what I do. But it’s important that while I bring that passion into what I’m doing, I’m also responsible for inspiring others to be as ardent about achieving success as I am.

Make Bold Moves

I have found that when you’re in the minority, as women in IT are, a good formula for success includes doing your homework, not being afraid to express your ideas and opinions (while listening to the ideas of others), and offering solutions. And yet, I still see women struggle with self-confidence. And while that is natural, it is also something we need to move beyond.

When I started out, I had to reach out of my comfort zone so that I could take a chance doing some unconventional things. I recall inviting a vice president at the manufacturing company where I worked to give a speech on the roof of our office in Philadelphia. We were launching a new microwave link between headquarters and one of our plants—a new technology at the time that would significantly reduce our costs.  Launching this new service on the roof was a great way to gain visibility for IT.  When I look back now, I wonder, “What was I thinking inviting the company’s VP on the roof to christen a new microwave network?”  But when I asked, he said yes, and it became a great marketing event to promote what we were doing.

That was important, because marketing IT accomplishments or significant events is something in which we tend to underinvest. But you’ll get appreciation and support when you take the time to creatively tell your story in a way that allows business and IT partners to understand the value of what you’re doing.

To this day, when I coach IT professionals, I strongly encourage them to think big and think holistically.  This approach can create new opportunities for yourself, your IT organization, and your business.  Be bold with pursuing your dreams; the worst that can happen is finding out that the timing isn’t right.  If you don’t try, you’ll never know.

I once invited the CEO of a large company where I worked to the fourth floor, where the IT organization was located, to give him a demonstration of our new business-intelligence services. When he came down from the executive floor to our humble conference room, you would have thought a famous celebrity had entered the room. This was the first time he had ever visited the IT department. But all that was needed was the courage to ask.

If you don’t take risks, it’s hard to move the dial—whether you’re talking about your career or anything else you’re trying to achieve. Have the courage to try something different, and it may change your life!

The Takeaways 

– If you want to get ahead, you have to take charge of your career. Identify what your aspirations are and what you need to do to reach your goals. Sometimes that means learning something new, assuming stretch responsibilities in the organization, or even moving to a different company altogether.

– Look out three to five years, and set targets for yourself each year. Then get the experience you need to reach your next objective. You will then have a career road map that becomes your guide. At the same time, don’t close the door on unexpected opportunities that present themselves.

– Building relationships is a cornerstone to successful leadership, regardless of the organization’s structure. Build relationships with your peers and higher ups and vendors. Make sure everyone knows who you are and what you’re about before you tackle the hard stuff. These are the people who are going to make or break the initiatives you pursue.

Jane Kopper-Woodward, Vice President, Performance Food Group

Professional Background: Jane Kopper-Woodward has extensive experience in the design and delivery of technology solutions and processes for both infrastructure and application services within large global organizations. Before joining Performance Food Group in 2012, she was a Senior Vice President at Bank of America. Jane is Six Sigma Green Belt certified. She is the Senior Executive Chair for the organization Charlotte Women in Technology.

Education: BS, Communications, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA; Chemistry for Executives Program, Duke University, Durham, NC

Personal Passions: Travel, hiking, and reading a terrific mystery novel; working with the National Center for Women in Technology.