What Working Together Could Look Like

Below are a few idea based on meeting with Pia Communications and the Pia team. It bears pointing out that you’ve built a great team that already seems to enjoy working for you and with one another. I wouldn’t be interested in swooping in to correct a broken situation. Instead, I see this as an opportunity to help a healthy and fun company grow.

For the Executive Team…

First and foremost, I’m another smart creative in the room when we’re exploring new directions for the business. I’m able to listen to the opportunity, and can begin contributing to moving the notion forward almost immediately. This energy comes from a distinct place: the ability to act as if the business were my own. That level of mental commitment means that there’s always someone thinking about the business, even when you’re not.

Day to day, my focus would be on nurturing the operations of the business. This would free Cliff up to focus on creative commitments and fostering relationships. Cheryl would be freed up to focus on business growth and trajectory.

As you explore new directions and business ideas, you’ll need someone to help you figure out all of the moving pieces in that initiative. This type of participation is a big part of what I’ve been doing for the past 7 years.

In regards to creative work, I’ll bring fresh energy and thoughtful insight. This was my initial attraction to Pia and still what I expect to be one of my biggest contributions to the organization.

For the Rest of Team…

This is who I’d really be serving with the bulk of my time. As Pia grows, I can help that growth be as painless as possible for your team. I’ve done this before and I know how to do it for your team as well.

A number of your team members are currently buried in “process initiatives.” This may not be the best scenario. For the most part, they’re doing this alone or nearly alone. I would be an experienced partner/collaborator for anyone with a big initiative on their plate. This means that process changes will actually get done. When someone on the team has the ball on changing the company, they tend to burrow into the process. The result is overly-complex processes that don’t stick. My experience will help prevent this and in turn help the company from solving the same problem over and over again. A side benefit is that your team members won’t have to endure the stress of enacting change alone whilst keeping up with their daily responsibilities.

I would help each team figure out what improvements they need to make in order to scale with the business. On a more granular note, I would be able to help your team members identify where it is that they personally would like to grow and then help them get there.

Worth Noting…

Below are a few more strengths that I feel would be beneficial to Pia Communications:

I know the digital space. This will be pretty handy as you expand that direction.
I know video and sharing similar roots in short form audio/visual storytelling makes for a nice match.
My experience as a leader in multiple startup cultures is good fit for the age/experience of your team.
If you’re pursing tech startups as a future clientele, I bring good insider perspective.
I play nice with others. I can lead firmly and with direction without ruffling too many feathers (mostly by valuing other people’s insight).

Thank you for all the thought, openness, and time you’ve put into picturing me as a member of the Pia team. Regardless of the outcome, that consideration alone is a win for me.