Biggest Challenges Faced by a Global ISV Operations Supervisor at ServiceNow Inc
The biggest challenge in Allison's role as a Global ISV Operations Supervisor at ServiceNow is the fast-paced environment and constant prioritization of competing requests; the ability to manage stakeholder expectations and obtain clarifying questions ("why is this urgent? How urgent is it?") is a critical skill, constantly refined through experience and training, to successfully navigate this dynamic work environment.
Project Management, Prioritization, Communication, Stakeholder Management, Stress Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Allison Kulp
Global ISV Operations Supervisor
ServiceNow, Inc.
Loyola University Maryland , 2009
University of California Los Angeles -Executive MBA anticipated 2024
Business Management & Admin
Technology
Operations and Project Management
Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. The fast-paced nature of the tech industry and the constant demand for prioritization of tasks are significant challenges. Effective prioritization requires clarifying the urgency of requests and managing expectations.
2. Developing strong stakeholder management skills is crucial for success. This involves asking clarifying questions to understand the context of requests and setting realistic expectations.
3. The ability to handle stress and adapt to different teams and individuals is an ongoing skill that requires continuous development. This includes navigating conversations about priorities with people at different levels of seniority.
Transcript
What are some of the biggest challenges within your current role?
The one that's always top of mind is Tech. Tech is fast-paced. You'll hear this at any company, whether it's Google, Amazon, Salesforce, or Oracle. It's fast-paced in pretty much any department you're in, be it accounting, finance, or strategy.
The faster your career grows, the busier you'll likely be. If you're a subject matter expert or moving up the management track, people will want a lot of your time. This is especially true in sales operations, where many different teams want your time.
Knowing how to prioritize is crucial. Not just for operations or tech, but depending on the time of year or current events, everything can seem urgent. When everything is urgent, nothing truly is, because it's all the same. You have to get clarity.
This can be difficult because it varies by the team and the person you're working with, whether internal or external. You need to understand why something is urgent and how urgent it truly is. You can't just accept that something is urgent if you're already hearing about other urgent matters.
You need to ask clarifying questions to get feedback on why something is urgent. This will help you prioritize and determine if it's truly as important as other tasks. This is the first thing you really have to work on.
Also, consider how you handle these conversations. For some, it can be easy. For example, if a VP wants to address last quarter's sales performance or a sales campaign, but you're currently working on billing issues with Finance.
You can ask the VP, "When do you need this by, and who else needs to receive this?" You can then explain you're heads-down on a Finance issue and ask if it's okay to get back to them in two weeks with a proposal.
You don't want to over-promise and under-deliver, but getting clarifying questions and saying you'll follow back in two weeks if it's not super urgent is a good approach.
If you figure out how to do this, you'll always be improving. It's something you constantly work on, just like leadership or handling stress. You have to figure out how to ask those clarifying questions and understand priorities.
In one of our organizational behavior classes, we had to write a paper about something we wanted to work on. Professor Allman talked to me about stakeholder management, which is basically managing requests from others. You have to manage projects and all your day-to-day tasks.
You need to be able to figure out how to manage everything and all the requests. It's an ongoing skill, and I think I'll always be working on it, even as I advance. You constantly have to adapt to different teams, people, and new partners. It's definitely something that keeps you on your toes.