Best of...



Two weeks before I came back to work from my maternity leave, I received a text from my boss, Shannon, to check my email -- only to receive an email from Ginni, our CEO, congratulating me for being recognized as part of the 2018 class of Best of IBM. For those not familiar with this distinction, it is an award given annually to the top 1,000 IBMers that culminates in a trip for you and your spouse to a lovely tropical location with lots of cool perks (new sunglasses, Nick Jonas, getting to see Q - the Quantum computer, Nick Jonas, amazing dinners, Nick Jonas, etc.).

I wanted to do a post on the weekend -- and my takeaways from it -- I also wanted to take a moment to reflect on this pinnacle achievement in my career.
In front of the IBM Quantum Computer - "Q"
Since learning that there was something called "Best of IBM" - it is a recognition to which I have aspired. While I believe some of our other business units have more distinct guidelines for how to achieve this recognition, in GBS, the partners are more than "just" sellers -- we have sales targets, sure, but also are expected to drive client relationships, manage projects, manage teams, etc. Every year when the nominees would come out, I would think about what I needed to do to be recognized as "the Best of."

For me, the Best of is highlighted by three things things that were said in the "Best of" weekend: a career is made by the moments in which you step outside of your comfort zone (career advice a la Nick Jonas) and you are the best, but you can still be better (via Mandy Harvey, the deaf singer who was the runner up on America's Got Talent - worth a watch), and transform while staying true to your core values (a la Ginni and our transformation story).
My name on the "Wall of Fame"


A career is made by the moments in which you step outside of your comfort zone: I am often asked why I have chosen to stay at IBM for the past 8 years (I'm practically an old-timer in GBS these days) and my answer is always that there is not a day that I have been at IBM that I have not been challenged -- and not had the opportunity to be challenged. I relish in jumping into the deep end and being out of my element. My favorite thing about IBM has been the ability to learn and grow on new projects, with new clients, tackling new challenges. Learning is never comfortable - but I think we progress the most and learn the most - personally and professionally when we are hungry for that discomfort. Nick Jonas shared that for him, that has meant going from the Jonas Brothers to broadway to writing songs for movies, back to his own solo career, and that each of those opportunities has helped shape him and prepare him for the next opportunity.
     
Nick Jonas... and notice the blonde in the front row...
You are the best, but you can still be better. Mandy greeted us with these words - and really challenged us with how we could continue to learn, grow, and develop. Some of the most exciting people who I have had the opportunity to know and work with have been the most curious and the most well read. I've always been in awe of the people who seem to have read everything and juggle all the work-related (and personal!) balls. So - I think one of the good challenges coming out of this meeting was how to continue to grow and transform and continue to be one of the "Best of." And that leads me to...

Transform while staying true to your core values. Ginni's walked us through a history of the transformation of IBM and one of the things that really struck me was her comment of that we have totally transformed as a company but we have remained focused on the core values of our company of investment in innovation and investment in people. Likewise, it was a good reminder that as we all transform our careers, learn new skills, and learn and grow professionally to stay grounded to your core values. One of mentors once pointed me to the song "Humble and Kind" by Tim McGraw and the words have always resonated with me as sort of a mantra -- and it seemed to me that my favorite line from it kind of paralleled what Ginni (and Mandy) were saying:

 When the dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind

Ginni in her keynote speach
One final word about the weekend - is that one of the highlights for me was the focus put on the guests that we got to bring with us -- husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters, friends. Consulting is a "team sport" so to speak and it often feels like the ones who get left holding the bag sometimes are our support system. I was grateful to have Johnny by my side for such a special weekend.

My biggest supporter!

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