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Goals
Personality Traits
Team Player
Leadership
Planning
Skills
Education
Closing
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Goals
Tell me about yourself, Mary-Margaret
I am an award winning creative consultant who happens to have a business, marketing and communications background.
This combination allows me to wear many hats including producer, information designer and knowledge manager.
I have worked as a consultant for over fifteen years doing graphic design, illustration, web development, creative
and technical writing, multimedia, marketing and project management.
My strongest assets are creative collaboration, leadership, organization and analysis.
How did you start in this line of work?
I have a Bachelors Degree in Design and also an Associates Degree in Marketing.
Together they started me out on a career that was oriented to visual and written problem solving.
I see you've had long term success as a consultant. Are you looking for a job or...?
I am open for all kinds of long-term relationships, be they as consultant or in a permanent positon.
I do like the idea of eventually 'settling down' with a company and being a part of a long term success.
Hmmm, that leads me to ask, what are you looking for in a position?
I'm looking for an opportunity to synthesize my skills and contribute to the growth of an organization
while creating advancement opportunities for myself.
What are your personal short-term goals?
To find a position that is a good fit and where I can contribute to a company's bottom line.
And longer term - say 5 years?
I hope to continue to build my career and stimulate others to accomplish great things.
Is the prospect for advancement is important to you?
A good friend of mine classifies people in carrot-driven and process-drive. Although I truly enjoy the process, I like carrots! (with spicy hummus!)
I like having objectives and seeing results.
How have your career goals changed over the years?
Not really. I have always been flexible and even abstract in my perfect job description: to be creative,
to aid communication, to be in a productive and learning environment. That has led me down avenues of professional
experiences I would never have dreamed of. For me personally, it is too limiting to say I am going to be "this" or "that."
We all have many gifts to contribute to this world and it's good to be open to allowing all sides to be put to good use.
Case in point - I have even asked my plumber for decorating advice!
Your Plumber? Hahaha... What do you want to do with your life?
Make the world a little more pleasant to look at and a little more organized. This ties back into my career goals and
ultimate dream job: supporting organized communications and adding aesthetic value to things.
In terms of your goals, put these in order of importance: money, recognition, challenge, responsibility:
Challenge, money, responsibility and recognition
Before we go any further, what kind of money do you need to make?
My salary requirements are quite negotiable. I am primarily interested in finding the right challenges and opportunity
and will be open to any fair offer when I do so.
Personality Traits (back to top)
Ok then, what challenges are you looking for?
Ones that would take advantage of my strengths: my creative analytical abilities and my determination and ability to
implement the solutions.
What then are your weakness?
My drive to accomplish! So my strength is also my weakness. (I'm feeling a little bit like Michael from "the Office" right now...)
I tend to take on responsibility rather easily.
So I have to consciously work on tempering enthusiasm with moderation and time for real life.
By doing this I can better address and prioritize commitments and accomplish much more.
How do you deal with rejection or failure to accomplish?
I place it either in a valid and needs further examination 'box' or in a "fate" box. If it falls into the first box,
then I know I have revaluation and possibly changing to do. If it's the second - there is nothing you can do about
things that are out of your hands - you have to let them be. At that point, fresh air does wonders for resetting the spirit.
I also like the quote, "failure is when someone blunders and does not profit from the experience."
Mmmm... fresh air... What would you do if money was not a concern?
I'm already doing it! Well, okay there are some things I would like to have more time for...
Write my life story. Write a Broadway musical. Do more architectural landscaping, restoration and interior decorating.
Open a late night non-alcoholic vegetarian nightclub. Compose, produce, record and distribute more music,
(not just my own stuff - but mainly the work of my many talented friends).
Travel to Europe, Japan, Hawaii, Orlando, Canada. Sculpt. That's something I wish I had more time for...
Oh... Hire a secretary just to help me send birthday cards on time. Spend more time in New York and San Francisco
(on the top of Nob Hill) and at the Upham Hotel in Santa Barbara.
Help enable other's dreams to come true. Be a wealthy patroness of the arts.
So with all of these lofty ambitions how do you feel about your career progress?
Actually, I have been thinking about this question since I put this website together.
The experience of taking all of my work and experience and rounding it up in one place has been enlightening.
I know I have helped a lot of people and companies further their growth and achieve their goals.
As I said, I am also in process on many of the aforementioned ambitions.
Do you like working?
Yes. As you saw from what I would do if money was no object,
although I would certainly take more extended vacations,
I'd go right back to working on projects. Being productive keeps me alive.
How would you characterize your work style?
Methodical: I make a lot of lists and then tackle the items until I've completed the job.
What personal attributes do you have for success in your field?
A keen eye for good solutions and a small enough ego to let others shine.
I tend to be a natural leader when one is needed, but also really, really appreciate being coached. I worked my way through college so I got an early start in my career and have an extraordinary amount of qualified and valuable experience. I also have flexibility and the ability to learn quickly which is essential in today's job marketplace. The technology is just so revolutionary. You have to be like a cat and always land on your feet. I also have the ability to see the unseen.
The unseen? Explain?
I try to start every project out with "Blue Sky Thinking." This is the space where anything and everything is possible. You dream up all of the possibilities and loftiest goals without shooting any of them down. My philosophy is if you don't reach high, you'll never get there. Mind Mapping also helps. This is a process where you brainstorm a 'tree' of ideas as they connect out into space. Then I go about laying out a rough plan of how to reach these goals. The ones that are not feasible usually make themselves known fairly quickly.
Do you see yourself then as more technically, creatively or management oriented?
It depends on the day... I like to think this is another of my best qualities, the ability to think from both the left brain and right brain perspectives. So the answer is all three. This makes me a more marketable commodity in this new technology and innovation driven economy.
Team Player (back to top)
Do you like to work alone or with others?
I think you need both to be well balanced.
What kinds of people do you like working with?
Both self starters and followers. Visionaries and detail oriented folks. It takes all types. Ok this just popped in my head...
A beautiful landscape may be made up of many things: trees, grass, flowers, the ground in which it all develops, the oxygen which circulates between them, the water which nourishes everything. A team is like this. The soil is as essential as the tallest noble tree. Oh, and then there are the little bugs that keep the soil vibrant and alive. Please stop me before I analogize out of control.
Ha ha... how would one of your friends describe you?
Very serious girl, and yet very corny and silly at the same time. Oh, I just realized I called myself a "girl."
Part of me will never grow up!
How would co-workers describe you?
I think my former employers would highlight my desire to build loyalty and deliver results.
My co-workers know I have high expectations and get satisfaction from helping others do their best.
I think they also perceive me as someone who cares on a personal level.
How do you show interest in your co-workers?
Nothing works better then simply talking. While I was at DreamWorks, I interfaced regularly with many many people.
I would often make the effort to say hello on a regular basis when I was by their office. Not long enough to be disruptive,
but long enough to make lasting acquaintances. A positive work environment is built on good relationships.
Today I would be happy to run into these people in a non-professional situation and we would have something to say to one another.
When you see a person as a whole and not just as their job description,
especially in a demanding profession like technology, it puts work in perspective and everyone feels better about it.
Studies have shown that employees who have creative or athletic outlets are often healthier, happier and more productive.
I say, "encourage well rounded interesting people."
Have you ever lost your temper?
Never, ever, ever in a professional situation. I have seen that happen with other individuals and nothing is worse for a team dynamic than someone losing their temper. It destroys trust - which is everything.
Are you in general a trusting person, or do you reserve judgment?
I think you should trust everyone until given a reason not to.
That is what prejudice is about... "PRE-judging." I'm not about that.
Perhaps sometimes I am too trusting, but I'd rather be that than jaded.
In what ways do you deal with criticism?
I appreciate criticism. Sometimes it's really hard to swallow, but criticism is often what brings the best out of a potential design or project.
Which person has had the most influence on your life? Who has been an inspiration to you?
Many people along the way: co-workers, friends, teachers. To single one out wouldn't be fair.
But if I had to pick a few, they would be a couple of teachers I had in school.
Jeanne Farrens, my high school drama, English and metaphysical studies instructor who opened my eyes to all sorts
of new ways of thinking. I saw her again when she just did a one woman show at a little theater in
North Hollywood,CA to celebrate her 50th birthday. She was just as inspirational as ever.
The other is my college design professor, Jim Marrin, who was so hypercritical - most of his students hated him.
I just thought - this is a man with strong opinions, and good ones at that. I went out of my way to take extra classes from him and my friends though I was crazy.
I learned how to speak up for my work through him.
What is funny is that many years later I ran into him and his daughter through volunteer work
at the Los Angeles Conservancy and now see him on a fairly regular basis
and I consider him to be a friend.
Leadership (back to top)
So you've had good relationships with people in authority. How would you describe your relationship with your last few supervisors?
I have had wonderful supervisors and have stayed in touch with most of them on more than a professional basis.
Again, being a successful consultant is about building lasting relationships.
What leadership positions have you yourself held?
I have always been a leader of some kind. Back in elementary school I would go to the library and copy scripts,
cast my friends, rehearse them and then present plays to my class!
These natural producing inclinations eventually led me to work as the art director of a multimedia firm in Newport Beach
for several years early on in my career.
And then I have acted as a creative director and producer on numerous projects since then.
Explain how you motivate others to work more efficiently.
Remind them that what they do does provide value. I love the book The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.
He speaks of doing mundane tasks as if you are preparing them for the most important person in the world.
I will paraphrase, "if you make bread - bake it for your love." The idea is simple, do the best job you can and
with that spirit it becomes a great thing. Providing recognition for even a small job done well is paramount.
And always say "thank you."
Have you successfully dealt with difficult people?
Yes, the secret is to listen to them. During the production of the Valley Tour for the L.A. conservancy and National Trust
I had one volunteer that kept showing up to meetings and being very disruptive. This person had a negative attitude and interrupted meetings with inappropriate
suggestions. This project relied solely on volunteers, I could not afford to alienate anyone especially in front of
other volunteers. I would address the comments directly and say something like, "That's a good idea, but I'm not sure
how we can incorporate it. Let's talk after the meeting." I sensed this person just wanted to contribute something,
but didn't know how. So I assigned them to a specific task - which they did. They became less disruptive and actually
did a great job volunteering on the day of the event. The key was to pay attention and give them the dignity of being
considered.
How about helping a co-worker with a personal problem?
Personal problems are best handled off company time and property, so going out for a cup of coffee on break or after
hours and talking friend to friend is the best way.
How do you delegate responsibility?
Look over the job criteria and match skills and attitudes to goals.
And if you have the opportunity to ask for volunteers,
you'll get someone more enthusiastic about the work at hand.
What would you do if some team members weren't doing their share of the work?
Tough question. This is another issue I had to deal with on the Valley Tour.
The first point was finding out why it was happening and
then come up with either an alternate plan of action or way of motivation.
In this particular case, I had to re-delegate some of the tasks and we simply had to amend our expectations about what
was feasible and what was not.
How would you get subordinates who didn't like each other to work together?
Hopefully I would have a good relationship with at least one of them and confide in them my concerns
and my faith in their ability to put principles before personalities.
And be there as a vent and sounding board as needed.
Off site team building activities help to mend office relationships, too.
How do you deal with people at different levels?
I think you should deal with people at all levels the same - with honesty and integrity.
How many people are you comfortable supervising?
I have managed a team of myself and a programmer, and up to a team of eighty.
I don't think that the size of team is as important as the quality of people you are managing.
Also having a supportive supervisor also helps make management more 'comfortable.'
In summary, what qualities make the best manager?
I have had some of the best managers. You asked me before about my relationships with recent supervisors.
Well, I had the opportunity to work with one of the best. Kevin Anderson of WorkGroup Productivity (later Xpedior)
had an open door policy and was rarely too busy to talk. If he was busy, he would not forget to check back in to see
how things were.
He was an impeccable listener and his attitude was always realistically positive. If there was an issue at hand,
he would always
have an insightful and pragmatic approach - you know - when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
If he did not have a solution,
he would honestly admit to not having an answer but would commit to working on it, which he did.
Although he was open to suggestions, he would not necessarily follow them, using instead his own best advice maintaining
his position in charge. Kevin also knew when it was time to blow off some steam and take the crew out after work.
His attitude and demeanor gained him loyalty and productivity from his team and in my eyes those are the qualities
that make the best manager.
So to loosely sum up his qualities: candor, attentiveness, positivity, flexibility, focus, approachable, loyalty, caring.
Did Kevin effect your own management philosophy?
He re-enforced it. Hire competent happy people and let them do their job well with a little coaching.
I love this analogy: you hire your dentist to clean your teeth and don't tell him or her how to perform.
Likewise, when you put a team together, get the best and let them do the rest.
Ever had a supervisor you didn't like?
That's a tricky question to answer in an interview. Well, I had a supervisor that was difficult to communicate with.
This person was not approachable to suggestions for improvement. In the moment I just felt frustrated and honestly a little upset.
But later I realized they just didn't understand the technology and didn't want to admit that to a subordinate.
I had a paradigm shift and realized there was an opportunity to share knowledge and educate this person and make an alliance. Having this paradigm shift helped tremendously.
Any other thoughts on leadership?
One of the most important parts of leadership these days is knowing when to stop growing! There are so many new technologies and tools continually appearing in the corporate landscape it is easy to overwhelmed and bogged down in details. You have to be aware of the latest trends and tools, but you also have to know when to let other people be the experts.
Planning (back to top)
As a leader, do you classify yourself as a risk-taker?
I classify myself as a calculated risk taker. I will play hunches when there is substantial evidence they will play out.
So in terms of initiative you take it?
Yes, I do. I think this is where I shine the best. I like to get in the ground floor of an idea and develop just how far it can go and how to get there.
How would you handle a decision for which no procedure existed?
Invent one.
Do you think of yourself as an innovator?
In a way. The creative nature is about problem solving. I tend to think things through tactically and strategically which usually brings about fresh and innovative ways to consider doing things.
Most creative people seem are usually not strategically focussed. I think of creatives as disorganized and messy. How can you be creative and organized?
There all sorts of ways of being creative. Not everyone throws paint at a canvas like Jasper Johns.
Some are very neat and meticulous, like Mondrian and Roy Liechtenstein I tend to be rather clean and systematic as can be seen
in my visual portfolio of work. This of course does not mean I don't appreciate a layered design approach or know how to work in complicated situations or
under tight deadlines.
So you are comfortable getting things done quickly?
Most of the projects I have worked on have been under deadlines. That is the nature of being a consultant.
You jump in an gave to become an psuedo-expert in a field in a matter of days.
Therefore I think I do very well working in this manner.
How do you deal with pressure situations?
Once again, as a consultant, you must be highly responsive to pressures and anticipate problems.
By the time a company has gone outside of their own workforce to provide a solution, their needs are eminent and immediate. I listen to instructions implicitly and pay attention to details. Expectations are high, so there is no choice but to deal with pressure effectively or you won't be rehired.
Skills (back to top)
Ok, here are a couple of hypothetical situations: Your supervisor tells you to do something in a way you know is
ineffective. What would you do?
I am assuming you mean that I would already have alternative method in mind, otherwise how could I assume it was ineffective?
First, I would ask if he or she was open to alternative solutions.
Then I would put my ideas in writing or flow charts or some appropriate concrete form.
It is much more effective to produce a tangible workflow drawing on a white board than to just say,
"I have a better idea."
How do you go about influencing someone to agree with your ideas?
First, I would want to know why we didn't agree in the first place and examine their side of the story.
After considering this, I would cite specific examples to support my own point of view.
That college design teacher I told you about earlier taught that when you design, you don't just throw color and
images at a page, you have a reason to support what you do. There is nothing like enthusiastic reason to help persuade.
Even if a client doesn't agree with an approach, they can see why it was taken and that's a starting point for
collaboration.
Another hypothetical situation: Your supervisor left an assignment in your "in" box, then left town for a week.
Now, you can't reach him and don't understand the assignment. What would you do?
After leaving communications on all available mediums: email, voicemail, etc., I would interview those whom
I thought might provide insight. Then I would rely on my own judgement to produce what was needed leaving adequate room
for adjustments when my supervisor returned.
How do you deal with surprises? How do you fix unexpected problems?
When I worked on the Southern California Edison Train the Trainer project, I taught about this very subject.
I created a learning game called the "Wheel of Misfortune." Here managers literally spun a 'Wheel of Fortune'
like display to select an unexpected project management situation, i.e. "someone forgot to backup the hard drive, the computer crashed and the project documents are toast."
They had to think on their feet and provide solutions to these problems. My best student answered quickly, "I have hard copy backup printouts in my desk!"
The point to this game was there was no hard and fast solution.
The primary lesson taught was: if you do your homework and are prepared for the job at hand,
you should have all of the resources you need to face unexpected problems.
Also, a "can do" attitude is the biggest asset. And I am the first one to get in and get my hands dirty if something needs fixin'.
But what do you do you do when you have difficulty solving a problem?
I ask for advice from those I respect and rely on my own experience to handle it to the best of my abilities.
Have you handled fiscal duties?
Yes, I have put together budgets, approved expenses, and monitored progress against financial goals.
Have you ever been in the position to hire anyone?
Yes, I was responsible for making hiring recommendations at both Jetu, Inc. and Xpedior in addition to regularly subcontracting freelancers for projects.
What experience do you have in making oral presentations?
I have been involved in public speaking since my days in elementary school dramatics!
Since then I have made sales presentations, taught classrooms of adults and high school students,
spoken in front of city councils, produced and hosted a live interview talk radio show on a local NPR station,
and even been on Jay Leno!
Education (back to top)
That radio show must have been quite an experience. Which of your jobs presented the best learning experience?
Working in Omaha, Nebraska, for First Data, one of the largest credit card processing companies in the world.
A team member made a major mistake in a course. I informed him of it, yet he would not make a change until it was tested.
I even told our supervisor of the snafu, but she said let it go through testing.
Well, the course was tested in front of the client, they came to the mistake and got completely confused.
My teammate became visibly flustered and I stepped in and explained how the problem could be corrected.
The other team member ended up looking bad in front of the client. I have often reflected back on that experience
and pondered how I could have helped my peer better understand the importance of making changes before the client
sees the product. Whatever happens, when you are a team, a successful project results from combined performance and
appearance of everyone involved.
So you learned a lot from that experience. If you were to start college over tomorrow, what courses should you take?
Honestly, I would take more art classes. Business and management can be learned from reading, on the job and in good post
college courses, but having the time to be purely creative for the sake of art and nothing else, well that is something there is not always
time for once you enter the working world!
Do you have any plans to continue your education?
I attend seminars and conferences. And my continuing education often happens serendipitously while surfing the net for project research.
Closing Remarks (back to top)
Are you willing to relocate or travel?
I have a Southern California phone number and a Las Vegas home base, and love Manhattan.
I am willing to travel frequently and have a second home base of operations if needed.
You seem like a creative and free spirit. Do you have a problem with routine tasks and regular hours?
Actually, although there is a lot of inspiration that happens in my line of work, the bread and butter of my business is routine tasks
and regular deadlines. These are actually quite comforting and gives me a sense of accomplishment.
How many hours do you usually work each week?
Right now I am on a flex schedule working four days of ten to twelve hours each day.
What would you define as a conducive work atmosphere?
Two key factors are involved. I like the idea of a flexible schedule like a 4-10 work week and telecommuting -
that is working part time at home because it is a very productive environment.
The other key factor is a creatively oriented environment in terms of the people I work with. In other words, the people are friendly and fun and happy to be there. Happy people are creative people.
Are you a happy person?
For the most part, yes.
What have I forgotten to ask?
Well, I would like to tell you about the accomplishment that I am most proud of. A couple of years back
I met a film editor, Doug Haines, who almost single-handedly saved the Cinerama Dome -
a giant geodesic dome in Hollywood and one of the last surviving Cinerama screens - from demolition. Early on in
his fight I suggested I make up some flyers and help him distribute them at the
Director's Guild on Sunset Blvd.
I actually haven't spoken to him since, but well over a year
later I was reading an article in Southwest Airlines Magazine in which he was quoted.
He specifically named me and how my
enthusiasm and willingness to help him (and risk being harassed by the security guards at the Guild)
spurred him to continue his pursuit to save this important landmark. I have never been so deeply
touched to know that I not only made a difference in the physical landscape of Los Angeles, but that I
inspired a good man to do a great thing. And in the end, the Dome was saved.
When can you start?
Next week!
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