Significant Career Lesson From a Director of Marketing at Hedley and Bennett
Alice, a Director of Marketing, learned a significant career lesson in navigating interpersonal challenges, especially when working with "tough clients," emphasizing that conflict often stems from missing information. The solution, Alice advises, is to "over communicate," ask clarifying questions, and build trust to become more "solution oriented" and "answer forward," a skill honed during their time in client services.
Communication, Problem-Solving, Teamwork, Overcoming Challenges, Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alice Khabituyeva
Director of Marketing
Hedley & Bennett
Trinity College (Hartford, CT) and 2017
UCLA Anderson
Economics
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Communication and Marketing
Took Out Loans, Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Alice's significant career lesson: When facing interpersonal challenges (with coworkers, bosses, or clients), assume missing information is the root cause. Actively seek to over-communicate, ask clarifying questions, and offer information to build trust and find solutions. This approach is more effective than dwelling on negative perceptions.
2. Recommendation to start in Client Services: Alice suggests that those unsure about their career path or seeking to develop strong soft skills should consider starting in client services. This role provides valuable experience in navigating interpersonal dynamics and building essential professional skills.
3. Solution-oriented approach: Alice highlights the importance of a solution-oriented mindset, especially in consulting, where focusing on problem-solving rather than dwelling on the source of conflict is crucial. This enables more proactive and efficient conflict resolution and facilitates progress.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you've learned that has proven to be really significant throughout your career?
One lesson I've learned is in navigating challenges, especially interpersonal ones. If there's tension, particularly with a coworker, boss, or client, it's likely because information is missing on one side or the other. This is something I learned from working on tough projects with clients who could be considered challenging.
From Client Services, I actually recommend that many people start there if they don't know what they want to do. It's a good place to gain soft skills that can last a lifetime. When dealing with interpersonal conflict or tension at work, default to thinking that information is missing.
Find a way to overcommunicate if the situation calls for it. Ask the right questions, offer information, and build trust. More often than not, it's not a personal issue. The sooner you learn this lesson, the more forward-looking you can be.
In consulting, you learn to be solution-oriented and answer-forward. Instead of dwelling on why someone is acting a certain way, focus on finding the information that helps you navigate the situation. This is a huge lesson that I try to remind my team about, especially when things inevitably get stressful.