Inside The Edge
About
The Executive Chair
The one question you always want to ask a successful person in a senior leadership role is “How did you get there?” In developing your own career, you learn more from hearing what worked – and didn’t work – from senior leaders and hearing their wisdom than from any other source.
We are embarking on a series of interviews with leaders who exemplify success for us. In their words are insights that can give you direction for moving your own career forward.
To read a summary, written by Michael DeVenney, of the past 12 interviews this year - click here.
| Kathy Murphy - Commit to Lifelong Learning |
Bluteau DeVenney and Company (BDCO): What did you do to move to a leadership role?Kathy Murphy (KM) The number one thing I did was invest in my education. Also, I looked to try to specialize in human resource management as much as possible. When I worked with the city of Halifax I got very engaged in their employee development plan and I was chosen to be on a committee that focused on maximizing client services through a quality initiative movement. This gave me a great opportunity to understand what motivated employees to produce a quality service and experience for the customer, even in a unionized environment. We knew that to be competitive, even in government, we had to increase the level of effectiveness of how we delivered the programs and services. We did a lot of research in this area and I really got intrigued by what it is that people look for in a work environment. I was interested to learn how to create a quality environment for an employee so that when they spend most of their time at work it is something that they look forward to and get excited about, and that it is something that they are committed to doing in the interest of the client. This interest really pushed me to continue my studies to obtain my Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) designation, as well as my MBA in Human Resource Management and Organizational Behaviour. So I really looked to that as a means to be a better leader, through education and a focus on the people side. (BDCO): What is one thing that developing professionals need to do more of?(KM): They need to be committed to lifelong learning. You can be excellent at what you do at a certain period of time, but things change so quickly and dramatically today that you have to be open to learning from everyone, not just a mentor or a senior leader. There is something to be learned from all people at all levels. I learn things from our junior staff on a regular basis. I have learned a lot about technology and social media from some of the youngest people in our organization. (BDCO): What about doing less of?(KM): They need to try to do less of the tactical things as much as possible. They need to let people do their jobs. You can give people the direction and leadership that they need, but you can't get mired in the details because a lot of times those details are not as important as staying focused on the strategy and the vision to move the organization forward. In the past I have been guilty of getting into the details and micromanaging, and I have learned from it. I know now that I have to keep my eye on the quality of work and the standards of performance, but from I higher level. (BDCO): What experience helped you the most in your career and why?(KM): Trying to work in areas that I am not naturally strong in is always a great experience. I know what I can do well and what I am really comfortable with, but I have learned that in order to be a more effective leader it is important to delve into those areas with which I am least comfortable. In my case, I used to find that I needed to work harder at the financial analysis and accounting, because it was not an area I that I had much interest in at one time. Now that I have embraced it, I really enjoy the numbers. I can now look analytically at financial statements, whereas before I was a little intimated by them. So as I go into areas throughout my careers that I know I am not as strong in, I now realize that I just have to be patient and work through those tough situations. You are not always going to have all the answers and you are not always going to shine, but it is what you need to do keep growing. (BDCO): What was the greatest challenge moving your career forward?(KM): The greatest challenge for me was finding out what was the right fit for me. There are a lot of different executive positions, but at the same time, it is very competitive out there. Halifax is a small community with a lot of qualified, talented people, and networking and connections play a big role in a city of this size. I am not from Halifax, so I was challenged early on by not having as large of a network as those who have lived here their entire lives. As a result, I quickly learned the importance of building strategic relationships. Having said that, it was definitely rewarding to know that when I did advance my career, I did so on my own merit. It was not about who I knew. It was about representing myself, selling myself, and understanding the value that I can bring to an organization. (BDCO): What is the greatest strength of your approach to leadership?(KM): I really am committed to a continuous learning model. I am quick to admit when I don't know the answer, and in those cases, I don't hesitate to ask for help. I am not afraid to acknowledge when someone else has a better idea. I really consciously try to be a very open and consultative leader. (BDCO): What has been the biggest surprise you have had since attaining a senior leadership role?(KM): Sometimes I am surprised at myself and my team. I am surprised that I can function under such a high degree of pressure. Prior to this role, I had not had much exposure to organizations that had continuing growth demands with dwindling resources, which is unfortunately what happens in the non-profit sector. Throughout the years it has been amazing how creative our team has been at leveraging resources. People come up with some really amazing ideas when they are in an environment where they have to be entrepreneurial, yet are involved in a lot of community development at the same time. They get very attached to clients, very committed to what they do, and they can really make things happen. It is surprising that by pushing boundaries and continuing to be creative we always seem to come up with a solution. The solution doesn't just come from one person though, it takes us all working together. (BDCO): What is the greatest benefit to you in attaining a senior leadership role?(KM): It continues to increase my confidence and self awareness. I grow and I learn a lot every day about what I can and can't do. Every day I get to stretch a bit when I have to solve a new problem. It is exciting to be in a constant learning environment. I don't think there are many leadership roles where you are not continually learning. (BDCO): What is the next achievement you want in your leadership career?(KM): Right now in our organization we are setting up a charity to ensure that we don't have to be strictly dependent on government funding in the future. We are in the processes of forming a society with the hope of supporting a lot of the clients we work with, especially youth, who need a lot of help in the way of development programs and educational resources. We feel that we could grow the organization substantially over the next five to seven years through national support once we have the charity in place to receive donations. This is something I would really like to see up and running while I am still in this role, so that when I move on to my next challenge I know that I have left some sort of legacy, and that I have made a difference. (BDCO): What is the biggest challenge you face in achieving results in your work?(KM): Being one of many non-profit organizations in Nova Scotia, not to mention across Canada, there is always that worry that your funding and resources will be cut. The biggest challenge for us is to continue to produce the work that we set out to produce, while we manage a very heavy administrative burden that involves constant reporting to government. Approximately one third of our time is spent producing reports because in non-profit you have to continually justify how your funding is being spent. This is time that we would much rather spend working with our clients, but unfortunately we don't have that option. (BDCO): What is your greatest opportunity/goal for providing value for your organization?(KM): I am working in an entrepreneurial organization and I have actually been an entrepreneur, and I come from an entrepreneurial family. Technical skills and academic qualifications aside, there is no better way to understand and support entrepreneurship than having practiced it. I bring a lot of value in that I know what it is like to be behind the scenes running your own company. (BDCO): What added support or capability would help you most in delivering on your goals?(KM): Reaching out more to both our Board of Directors and the community would help me tremendously. I can be guilty of putting my head down and trying to get the work done, but you can't get things done alone. What I need to do instead is get out in the community more to work with, and get support from, other leaders and people in the community who can help bring our vision to fruition. I have only been in a senior leadership role for the past five years, so I want to do all that I can to continue to grow and learn as a leader. Think about where you are now in your career and what you can take from Kathy's observations. We would love to hear your comments about what are your key takeaways from our conversation with Kathy. Tell us your progress – we want you to succeed. ______________________________________________________________
The Centre for Entrepreneurship Education & Development (CEED) is a non-profit organization devoted to helping people discover and use entrepreneurship as a vehicle to become self-reliant. CEED has programs for everyone, from at-risk youth to newly landed immigrants to retiring professionals. They work with communities both rural and urban, and with pre-aspiring, aspiring, and existing entrepreneurs of all ages. You can find out more about CEED at www.ceed.ca.
Comments (8)
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Very well said Kathy.
Lifelong learning is something I can't agree with more. I operate my own business and I have learned and continue to learn everyday. I think we all have to be open to change, change is what makes us grow as individuals. Working with your co-workers and/or employees is very rewarding and makes people more moviated and also helps to accomplish so much more.
Great article Kathy.