Significant Career Lesson from a Director Strategic Partnerships at United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Oxana's significant career lesson centers on employing "systems thinking," understanding that effectiveness requires considering the broader ecosystem impacting individuals and organizations, from "business objectives" to personal circumstances. This approach, showing "grace" and acknowledging the human element within larger structural contexts, guides their strategic partnerships work.
Systems Thinking, Strategic Partnerships, Ecosystem Analysis, Interpersonal Skills, Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Oxana Ermolova
Director, Strategic Partnerships
United Way of Greater Los Angeles
UC Santa Barbara
UCLA School of Management, Full-time MBA
Entertainment, Music & Arts, International Relations & Affairs
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Sales and Client Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Grounding your approach in systems thinking is crucial for effectiveness. Consider the broader ecosystem, including business objectives, key decision-makers, and other influencing factors, when interacting with partners.
2. Analyzing a partner's interests requires understanding their broader ecosystem and the various factors influencing their decisions and behaviors.
3. Show grace and acknowledge the human element in interactions, recognizing that individual circumstances and larger structural constraints impact behavior.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
One lesson I constantly try to come back to is grounding my approach in systems thinking. This means remembering it's not just about my role, my team, or my organization, but also the broader ecosystem. To be effective, I need to keep those variables in mind.
Analyzing a partner's interests helps me understand the broader ecosystem within which they are functioning. I consider their business objectives, key decision-makers, and anything else that may affect them. As humans, we respond to incentives and are impacted by larger trends.
It’s important to zoom out and keep that larger picture in mind. This applies on an individual level too. I may be having a 15-minute interaction with someone, and whatever is going on with them is affected by their home life, their family, and their coworkers.
Therefore, it's important to have grace and acknowledge that we are human. There are larger structural constraints, and we try to address the ones we can. It’s about honoring individuality while being cognizant of the various systems that may impact behavior.