What the Hell Did I Get Myself Into In ’09!
What the Heck Did I Do In 2009?
While many people have embarked on their 2010 New Year’s resolutions, I decided, instead, to look back at my 2009 and recap my key learnings about business and about myself.
You see, 2009 was a year of SIGNIFICANT change for me. A year in which I pushed myself WELL outside of my comfort zone for the first time in many years. It was a year about me growing as a person and a leader in my first step towards preparing for entrepreneurship.
In 2010, I left my role as Director of Media & Interactive at The Coca-Cola Company to become the Chief Media & Connections Officer at Engauge Marketing. This means I went:
| FROM | TO |
| Well known and powerful brand | Lesser known brand clients |
| Corporation | Agency |
| Large, hierarchical and process driven | Smaller, entrepreneurial, and often process averse |
| Tight boundaries | No boundaries |
| Clearly defined rules of engagement | Unclear or non-existent rules of engagement |
| Clear hierarchy | Aversion to recognizing organizational hierarchy |
| Virtually unlimited resources | Limited resources |
| Middle Manager | Senior Executive |
At first glance, one might ask…why in the HELL would you leave Coca-Cola. Well, the reality is that in my role at Coke, the heirarchy, structure and boundaries are like gutter bumbers in bowling. You have plenty of room to get the ball rolling on great ideas…but there are a ton of people acting as filters and reviewers and approvers. In essence, the structure becomes guard rails or bumpers that really prevent you from messing up too badly. Plus, unlimited resources equate to enherent power and support. It can tend to stiffle your scrappyness and your ability to “fend for yourself,” which is a REQUIREMENT of most entrepreneurial ventures.
So, that said, I had clear personal growth objectives for my new role:
1) learn how to “fend for myself” or get the job done with limited resources
2) learn how to operate in a less organized or structured environment
3) learn to operate my organization like a high performing financial business model
Well, I can say for sure that everything I wanted to achieve for myself is MUCH easier said than done. I really under-estimated how far outside of my comfort zone I really pushed myself. So, 09 was a challenging year, but also a great one for personal growth. My TOP 5 learnings included:
- ASK FOR FORGIVENESS, NOT PERMISSION: When heirarchy and rules of engagement are limited or non-existent, you don’t have to get permission every time you want to take action.
- MAKE IT HAPPEN NO MATTER WHAT: In a less organized world, there is not always the same level of structure to defining objectives and priorities…or to holding people accountable for doing their part. You have to make things happen no matter what. Don’t put yourself in a position to rely on others, if they aren’t being held accountable to the same goals.
- CREATE YOUR OWN “ORDER” IN CHAOS: When process and structure don’t exist, lead by example by introducing key, highly productive processes that drive performance.
- REMEMBER THERE IS A WORLD BEYOND YOUR COMPANY: When you become heads down in a challenging situation at work, it is easy to become insular and only focus on the resources and perspectives within your company. Don’t let it happen. Look outside and leverage your network to gain a broader perspective and ideas.
- DON’T CHANGE: OK…this should have been obvious. But, you were hired for who you are and what you bring to the table. Don’t change to fit the company. Instead, be confident and find the common ground. Lead by example to help the less mature company learn from what you know works well and drives results.
In the coming days, I’ll discuss these 5 things I learned in ’09 and how to avoid similar pitfalls. It has been a roller coaster ride in ’09. …Man!!!