As many of you know, I have the privilege of meeting very unique IT leaders, each of who have something useful to share. A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to meet Greg and other members of the PB leadership team.
Pitney Bowes is in the midst of a dramatic shift in business strategy and direction. And, as CIO, Greg is squarely in the center of much of the action.
I thought he had a great story to tell about leading in challenging times. I asked him if he wouldn't mind sharing it. Graciously, he agreed.
A Bit About Pitney Bowes
Simply put, Pitney Bowes is in the midst of a rather substantial business transition. Their core business (postage for businesses) is, not surprisingly, in somewhat of a decline. In its place is emerging a dizzying array of new communication management services to address many of the same needs, but in a more modern context.
Indeed, some of these newer services were the subject of a previous post. Or, as Greg puts it, "we're moving from the physical world to a digital one". Dramatic change is in the air, and not everyone is entirely comfortable, especially given the longevity (90+ years!) of Pitney Bowes’ traditional business model
From Greg’s perspective, it’s clear that Pitney Bowes can't succeed by doing what it did last year, only better. The same goes for the IT function. He sees his core challenge as repositioning IT as a key enabler of PB's success in this new world.
An Interesting Perspective?
Greg is very clear -- he's not a technology person, he's a business person. He came to PB as their very first CIO over 11 years ago, after successful stints at a pharma company and ABB.
He freely admits that he's instinctively drawn to complex situations: organizational transformation, mergers and acquisitions, turnarounds and the like. He sees the world as "constant change" -- he's there to make the situation better, day by day. If things get too predictable, he gets restless.
Part of his perspective is a direct result of his education and passion: he was history major in college, educated in the Jesuit tradition. We both agreed that -- yes -- a traditional liberal arts background coupled with a bias towards critical thinking was still very useful, even in our technology-laden world.
Early Career Lessons
I asked Greg if there were any insightful anecdotes from early in his career. I found he had some real gems worth sharing.
When he was just getting started, a crusty VP pulled him into his office, and told him "take any crummy assignment that comes your way. You can't make it any worse than it already is. And, besides, there's only upside". By volunteering for less-than-desirable roles, he was able to garner considerable practical experience rather quickly.
I think that’s still a good suggestion these days.
Later on, when he was moving up into management, a second piece of advice came his way. "There are only two things you need to be really good at: knowing how to hire, and knowing how to fire. Everything else is just conversations." The point is simple: it's all about having the right people. Get good at that, and the rest follows naturally.
His final story comes from a time when he took over a group that was clearly failing very badly. When he first got there, he checked everyone's performance evaluations, and found that (shockingly) everyone was very highly rated – not on the basis of results, but solely on the effort made. Needless to say, that didn't last long ...
That story brought him to his working definition of leadership -- it's what you do when the boss isn't there. It's taking personal ownership for the outcome -- plain and simple.
Managing In Times Of Change
During business transitions, things can get a bit bumpy for everyone, or "whitewater" as Greg puts it. When I asked him his agenda for working with senior business leadership, it boiled down to a rather simple formula.
First, no one listens to anyone unless you've established confidence that you can execute. You can say the most intelligent and insightful things in the world, but -- unless you've got a demonstrable and proven track record -- no one will be listening much. Greg believes his historical results gives him the credibility to have his perspectives and insights broadly shared across the executive team.
Second, over-communicate in times of change. Monthly status reports and staff meetings don't cut it -- you need frequent and consistent communications with key stakeholders on a one-by-one basis. Don't get lazy here.
Finally, try to be a bit patient. Getting people to come around to your point of view can be a lengthy process.
And, when they get there, resist the burning temptation to say “See? I told you so”.
How To Communicate Effectively
That got us into the topic of communication -- something we both spend a lot of time doing. I asked him how he approached the topic, and heard a familiar refrain: he spends most of his time creating context for others. Change someone's world view, and you can change their behavior.
For him, that translates directly into sharing "what is necessary, and what is possible".
The first thought speaks to the rationale for change -- the world is changing, the business is changing, our roles are changing, and so on. Unless people fully accept and internalize that things have changed, progress will be slow and incremental at best.
The second thought speaks to sparking the initiative that lies in many of us -- we can do this, we can figure this out, we can make this work. He tries to inspire people's natural curiosity -- and, frequently, their competitiveness.
Greg tries to use this communication style uniformly -- whether he's talking to a line employee in IT, or the CEO of the company.
Do People Make History, Or Does History Make People?
Given Greg's passion for history, I knew we'd eventually get to an insightful example. He shared with me the contrast between three key figures in the American Civil War -- Grant, Sherman and Lee.
To be blunt, neither Generals Grant or Sherman were very successful at much, except for their specific roles in the Civil War. Certainly, there’s not much to talk about before the war, and certainly not much to talk about afterwards.
By comparison, Lee was born and bred for his role as a military leader. He was perhaps our finest general at the time. And he lost.
The point is simple: being in the right place -- at the right time -- counts for a lot. Be prepared when that opportunity to demonstrate leadership comes your way. Seize the moment. If not you, then who?
What Does He Look For?
When I asked Greg what he looked for in his team, the answers came quickly. Courage. Curiosity. Adaptability. Intellectual rigor. And the same burning passion for Pitney Bowes’ success as he shares.
He's looking for people who understand the power of relationships -- not who you know, but how you know them. He wants people who intuitively understand the perspectives of others -- not how they view a particular issue, but why they see the world the way they do.
The converse is also true -- life is short, he says. If you're not happy working where you're working, do something about it. Either change your mindset, or move on. A word of caution, though: every time he's changed jobs, he sees familiar behaviors, just in a different context.
Even though the actors might change, the roles usually don't.
On The Changing Role Of The CIO
Ask him about the CIO agenda, and the he's very direct. Growth. Customer experience. Differentiation. Agility. Time to market.
Yes, all the traditional stuff -- efficiency, availability, security, etc. -- all that still matters. But in today's world, he sees that as just table stakes. Like any business leader, valuable CIOs will ultimately be judged by their ability to move the business forward, and by not just doing incrementally better than they did last year.
Advice For EMC?
I always like ending these interviews with an open question: what should EMC be doing better?
Maybe he was just being overly polite, but Greg had nothing but positive things to share: he liked our products, our go-to-market, our business model, the level of R+D and M&A we were making, and more. But, above all, he felt we had some very exceptional leaders here at EMC. He believes that -- above all else -- a company is only as good as its leaders.
I couldn't agree more.
Greg says our opportunity is to "grow together". As EMC and Pitney Bowes start to collaborate together on more services, EMC has the opportunity to move from being a competent supplier of technology to an integral part of Pitney Bowes' business strategy.
And that, in itself, is a wonderful opportunity.
Excellent piece Chuck - I enjoyed reading the insightful comments. I particular liked the "we can do this, we can figure this out, we can make this work." comment. The cheerleader aspect of the CIO role seems to seldom be recognized.
Greg Buoncontri seem like a thoroughly enjoyable person to have a conversation with.
Cheers
Mike
Posted by: Mike Campbell | June 20, 2011 at 09:03 PM