A HEROIC ADVENTURE
An unlikely hero is called to fulfill the prophecy.
Until the spring of 2013, only a group of interns had reported directly to me. The daily responsibilities and project assignments of seasoned designers were already within my purview, but the role of true management did not come until NBC Sports decided to relocate from Philadelphia to Connecticut. Along with this transition came an incredible opportunity for me to both build and lead a team that would be capable of supporting the promotional design needs of a 24/7 national sports network.
Searching far and wide he assembled the greatest champions in the land.
Only one of our eight designers was transitioning to the new facility, but our transfer needed to be seamless. This meant getting the right people on the first pass, rather than simply filling seats with temp talent. The first interviews were for staffing the new headquarters while I was still in Philadelphia handling daily operations. They included an experienced project manager and three strong designers with diversity in their talents. I then assessed the gaps in our capabilities and sought talent that would account for those missing skillsets.
Under the tutelage of the wise elders, he trained relentlessly.
Over the course of the next 5 years, I was chosen for incredible management training courses through NBC’s talent lab. Lessons from NBC leadership including Mark Lazarus gave insight to a management perspective I likely would not have acquired until much later in my career. The greatest revalations came from the daily management of my team. I made some now obvious mistakes along the way, but I learned from each one and adjusted my decision making accordingly.
In time, the student became the master and his knowledge unleashed the team’s true potential.
Through my experiences, I’ve discovered the best methods for confidently hiring the right candidate for a variety of roles. I can identify untapped potential within team members and provide the resources to grow their dormant power into a new weapon in the department’s creative arsenal. This includes the growth of careers, knowledge, opportunities, and appropriate salary compensation. I’ve also found, while difficult, a decisive end to the path of some individuals may prove what is best for the team and often for themselves. I am thankful for the select mentors that showed me how to lead and I've sought to pay that wisdom forward in mentoring others as well.
Only when he showed them how to unite their powers were they able to become a force unstoppable.
My insight into the organizational structure of our department by was then called upon by the department’s executive management group. This lead to the most complex problem-solving challenges I had yet experienced. The deep collaboration and lengthy exchanges with leading peers lead to thoughtful actions that have proven the most rewarding administrative decisions in my career. It also paved the way for more structured creativity uninhibited by the gauntlet of hierarchy.