Springfield Business Journal_2020-12-25

10 · SBJ.NET DEC. 28, 2020-JAN. 3, 2021 | Matt Gifford 1 It’s who knows you. “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is an incomplete statement. It is only two-thirds of the truth. You need to add, “it’s who knows you.” If you do not make connections with people and stay connected, the relationships do not help. I meet people all the time, but if I do not make sure a person remembers me, we cannot help each other going forward. Organizational charts are fluid. Organizational charts shouldn’t be pyramids, they should be like bicycle tires. If teamwork is truly your company’s goal, you must understand that everyone at a given moment is on top of the tire. Thus, the organization chart is fluid depending on the situation. For example, the receptionist is the most important person when someone walks in your lobby. If they blow that interaction, there goes the sale. The CEO cannot do everything, but they can empower co-workers to act like the CEO and have the best interests of the company in mind. The revolution of the tire metaphor shows that at different parts of the sales process, someone different is the most important person. If someone does not do their best, the tire goes flat and the company stops being successful. 2 The job’s never too big. No job is too big or too small for you as the leader. When you do the little things and are not above a task, no one else will be either. Do what it takes to get the job done. I have ranged from negotiating big deals to cleaning up urine atop the dugout during a game; there is not a job I would not do. And that means there isn’t a job that I would ask my co-workers to do that I’ve not done myself or wouldn’t do if it needed to be done. Creating a culture of “all hands on deck” is one of team success, perpetual support and unity. 3 4 Be the helper. People ask me for my title and most of the time I tell them that I am the helper. My job is really to assist people and make their jobs easier for the organization and guests. This mindset changes perceptions of guests and colleagues alike. You would be surprised at the information you can gather from a guest when they think you are not “the boss.” The honesty is eye opening. provided by MATT GIFFORD American National is proud to support "No Ceiling," the stories of women and their journey to the C-suite. American National is dedicated to providing paths for leadership advancement through the Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF), a group of female leaders who provide encouragement, mentorship and advocacy for American National female employees. With four corporate locations in Galveston and League City, Texas, Albany, New York, and Springfield, Missouri, the opportunities for leadership advancement are vast. American National believes taking care of business starts with taking care of its employees. Proudly Supporting Women’s Leadership The Women’s Leadership Forum gives me the opportunity to connect with and learn from other female leaders and it allows me to contribute to that same environment, which is the best reward. To be able to grow and flourish in an environment that values women leaders as much as I do means everything to me. When I began my career at American National, I was fortunate to work for strong, intelligent, confident leaders that just so happened to be female. Not everyone gets that exposure during their career. This program gives my colleagues and me the opportunity to grow from and be supported by other women leaders in a corporate setting – often with people we would not have had the chance to ever work with or meet. While the benefits are plentiful, the most enlightening thing I have experienced is the sense of identity and the shared understanding of each other. Whether the topics were serious or light, I was surprised to feel that from a work group. I never expected it to get so personal for me at times, and I mean that in the best way. Lisa Kemp HR Manager Paid Advertising Listen to the No Ceiling podcast series at sbj.net/NoCeiling