Welcome back! I am joined by author, award winning business executive (Capital CIO ORBIE Winner, National Corp. InspireCIO Finalist), and transformational CIO of Dewberry, Lisa Roger.
With over 28 years of experience in various industries, roles, and organizations, Lisa has held executive IT positions in companies servicing healthcare, retail, telecommunications, and state and local organizations.
Due to her success, she has recently wrote and published a book, “The Joy Factor: Escaping Job Disappointment and Finding Your Dream Career,” that shares her fascinating journey to finding the ‘joy factor’ in her life with the intention of coaching others to find their own joy.
Here are some of the top takeaways you’ll receive from this episode:
How to professionally brand yourself and avoid imposter syndrome
Investing in leadership within your organization
Joy is an ‘inside out’ game first and not ‘outside in’
Working with millennials: how to avoid change fatigue, quiet quitting, etc.
How to find your joy, confront your destiny, and add value
Board awareness and succession planning
The importance of networking and building relationships
5:18 Bill- “When did you discover what your real superpower is and your real strengths?”
6:00 Lisa- “What I really realized was how I could bring people together, how I could problem solve for a mission, keep people focused on it, do team building in critical moments where tensions are high and get results.”
6:21 Lisa- “Building teams and going into dysfunctional organizations and making them functional. Restoring pride is one of the things I love doing.”
7:16 Bill- “What is the genesis of your book, The Joy Factor? What actually started you thinking about writing it?”
7:44 Lisa- “It was my nieces and nephews who are millennials. They were entering the workforce and felt this deep sense of being unsatisfied and being disappointed and not being able to make that difference.”
8:08 Lisa- “I went through the same journey and if there was some way I could accelerate them to a place where their joy factor is way bigger now and they could have control. How can we systematically do that?”
9:08 Bill- “Do you find that that’s an issue with hiring millennials within your company and other companies as well?”
9:24 Lisa- “Indeed. I look at the great resignation and quiet quitting. People are trying to find their own way so they can have control back, whether that’s the hours of the day or how you work. Today’s influences transcends millennials now.”
10:09 Lisa- “How could you add value in the organization that you’re at right now that is going to bring you joy?”
10:31 Bill- “The whole message of the book is an inside out. The joy starts with the individual.”
11:06 Lisa- “Joy does come within your own happiness. It’s a mindset. You can only control you.”
11:47 Lisa- “Don’t assume what is in other people’s brains. Assume good. Apply yourself in ways that are fulfilling who you are.”
12:45 Lisa- “I found journaling to be an excellent tool. Articulate in black and white what changes and life events are happening. Let’s write everything down and start there.”
13:31 Lisa- “Let’s systematically move things over from a negative to the positive column and reframe our mind and look for opportunities that are going to be giving you more exposure to that joy.”
14:20 Lisa- “The last negative thing you’re exposed to often has the most power in your brain. But if you force yourself to write down the most wonderful things that happened to you in a day, really dissect it. What were you doing? Why did it bring you joy? Were you coaching? Problem solving? Were you just listening? Be very mindful and specific about what brought you joy.”
17:25 Bill- “In your book, what do you mean by the acceleration of joy?”
17:32 Lisa- “It’s how do you get to that place where your joy factor is overwhelming the not so good factor. How do you get there quicker?”
17:41 Lisa- “The most powerful thing you can do it let people know. If you don’t tell people what your aspirations are, how can they help you get there?”
19:21 Lisa- “Look at how you’re branding yourself, not only from a professional perspective but to your resume, your LinkedIn profile, etc. You have got to let people know what you want to do.”
23:20 Lisa- “We have a national crisis which is baby boomers retiring. The next generation is very small. Then the millennials who are much bigger but are quiet quitting, working hybrid, in the gig economy. They’re not necessarily going through the same leadership journey that previous generations went through.”
24:32 Lisa- “It is all about just defining our leadership companies within the organization, what opportunities can we bring to people, what are we doing for succession planning, etc.”
26:44 Lisa- “If we invest in everyone from a leadership perspective, then we’re all going to benefit.”
27: 43 Bill- “What percentage of your time each week is really dedicated each month to efforts around that particular leadership journey?”
32:12 Bill- “What differentiates the new people coming into the organizations versus the ones that don’t make it through?”
32:54 Lisa- “The ability to have dialogue around change management and communication culture. Are they going to add value in a way that makes them happy?”
35:06 Lisa- “I think the biggest opportunity lost is creating healthy relationships where they’re at and creating powerful networks.”
35:41 Lisa- “Being the CIO is one of the most unique positions where you get to touch every piece of the organization.”
40:15 Lisa- “There is some fear when it comes to the change that’s happening in the world. Be grounded in your own self-worth. Be purposeful, have the right mindset, and you’ll feel a sense of control that will give you the leverage to do the right things.”
Resources
Women in Business Initiative- George Mason University
From IT Manager to the CIO of a Gigafactory, Listening, Earning and Keeping a Seat at the Table
On this episode, I am joined by Justin Herman, VP and CIO of Panasonic Energy of North America. Starting out as an IT Manager for Coca-Cola Bottling Co., he worked his through the ranks in manufacturing and eventually moved from South Africa to the United States.
Presently, Justin leads the technology division for Panasonic Energy at their Gigafactory out of Sparks, Nevada.
Key Wins and Takeaways for You:
As a CIO and Business IT Leader here are more wins you will get by listening:
(3:00) Bill: “What’s the change that’s happening in manufacturing?”
(3:57) Justin: “Our business leaders have really brought the IT leaders into their decision-making because they understand the role we play and how we can create those efficiencies within multiple facets.”
(4:18) Justin: “As we innovate, and as new technologies come on board, we’re able to sit down with our business partners and show true value.”
(6:13) Bill: “What is a Gigafactory?”
(8:19) Justin: “Failure to innovate will put you at a competitive disadvantage.”
(8:22) Bill: How do you do that with a legacy business?”
(8:42) Justin: “We believe the future is in energy and it is our mission to go and change the world through cleaner energy.”
(13:27) Bill: “What does the ontological layer mean regarding ML and AI and Gigafactories?”
(15:52) Bill: “How you went about the journey of finding the right partner?”
(16:55) Justin: “Take a step back, understand your business, the data, and most likely what you’re going to end up with is a hybrid model.”
(18:20) Bill: “How do you focus on the 80-20 principle?”
(18:45) Justin: “Having a seat at the table is extremely important.”
(21:08) Bill: “What skills did you come to need to have set in-house?”
(21:42) Justin: “There’s always a balance between your FTEs in-house and your managed services that you use externally.”
(24:20) Justin: “Being able to sit and communicate to your business leaders and talk to them in a manner they understand while taking a step back to actively listen.”
(26:48) Bill: “What books have been the biggest impact for you?”
(29:45) Justin: “Never pass up an opportunity to keep quiet.”
(32:18) Justin: “How people are looking at security nowadays…invest in people as a number one firewall.”
(35:39) Justin: “Take it in, learn, listen, because everything you’re doing today is going to provide the opportunities that you’re going to get tomorrow.”
(36:17) Justin: “We all as leaders have a responsibility to give back. Let’s train the leaders of the future and let’s help them as well.”
(36:46) Bill: “All leaders need to be looking and surround themselves with the five people that are not necessarily their peers but are in front of them a little bit.”
(37:20) Justin: “As technologists, it is our responsibility to push the envelope, to get a seat at the table with our business partners to help innovation. Let’s try to create a cleaner energy environment through technology.”
Resources
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
“CIO Paradox” by Martha Heller
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World: Surviving and Thriving in a World of Digital Giants” by Ray Wang
Welcome back to my podcast. On today’s episode, I am joined by “Pro Troublemaker,” professional business coach, and president of Stefanie Krievins & Co., Stefanie Krievins. Since earning her trained coaching certification through Erickson’s International in 2014, Stefanie has built a company and team of “troublemakers” that provide tools for others to help them define their organization’s vision, work with trust and accountability, and communicate clearly to advocate for their own ideas.
Here are some of the top transformational wins you will receive as an IT leader:
Tune in and hear how you can transform your skills as a leader and create actions that leave an impact.
As a CIO and Business IT Leader here are some wins you will get by listening:
Resources:
Stefanie’s Podcast: Hot Mess Hotline