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Mary had been planning to attend her 17-year-old daughter’s national volleyball tournament when a meeting of 600 HR associates was rescheduled for that day. Not wanting to have to choose between two top priorities, she quickly arranged the next best thing. “I videotaped an introduction to the meeting telling my employees I was sorry I couldn’t be there. I explained that one of my most difficult jobs is not only being a vice-president of Human Resources, but also being a mom – and that it was really important for me to be there with Megan.”
Mary’s honesty generated positive feedback from the associates, many of whom grapple with similar conflicts. “They told me they were so glad I did that because we often don’t see women standing up for themselves and actually taking the extra steps to make the work life balance happen.”
Her ability to be straight with people and make tough decisions can be attributed to growing up with three brothers who made sure she developed a thick skin. “I have always been able to hold my own with the men that I reported to and worked with,” she says. “Being direct about my needs has been helpful for me – I get good results that way.”
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Tips from Mary on Establishing Credibility at Work:
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Be proactive when you make a mistake.
“I have a background in finance and when you’re working with numbers, there are bound to be mistakes. What I have tried to do is rectify the error as quickly as possible, be honest when communicating it, and put processes in place to make sure that we don’t have errors again. Don’t let the error interfere with the work you’re currently doing.”
Be direct with others about their mistakes.
“I don’t play games. I give direct feedback both to people that report to me and to people I work for. I say, ‘Going forward, this is what we need to do and why.’ There’s always going to be some politics involved in managing wrong steps, but if your communication style is honest and direct, you can diminish some of that.”
Set boundaries and stick to them.
“On a general rule I don’t come into the office early in the morning because I have three kids to send off to school. I’ve been very open about it. My colleagues also know, though, that I will work a12-hour day in order to get the job done if I have to—just don’t expect me here at 7:00 in the morning.”
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Don't delegate work you wouldn't do yourself.
“I am true to the people I work with, and I treat my team how I want to be treated. I would never ask them to give more of their effort or time than I would be able to do myself. If they have to come in on a weekend then I’m working in there with them. It helps to develop close relationships.”
Surround yourself with knowledgeable people.
“I was once put in charge of a very important project in an area I knew nothing about. I thought, ‘Can I really do this?’ Luckily, I was surrounded by people who knew what they were doing. They helped me learn a lot in a short period of time and as I grew more knowledgeable, my confidence increased. The project was executed successfully, and the credit goes to my team.”
If you'd like to ask Mary a question, send it to Stephanie@womenworking.com, and we'll see if we can get you an answer.
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SPOTLIGHT
ON MARY | |
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FAVORITE FOOD:
"I’m a salad person, but I love salty junk food, too."
FAVORITE BOOK:
"Gifts From the Sea."
FAVORITE HOBBIES:
"Going to my kids’ sporting events, working out and shopping."
DEFINITION OF SUCCESS:
"It’s a package of working hard, being conscientious, leading by example, getting a good team in place, and networking."
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May 13, 2008
