Technical Staff Representative

What a year 2015 was.  But it is in the books and we are on to 2016!  2016 will bring more events, more headlines, and more technological advances than we have ever seen before.  2016 will also be a year of new roles and new responsibilities for some of us.  I would like to tell you a little about the new role and responsibility that I will be taking on in 2016 at All4 inc.

ALL4 has shown through the years that it has great leadership.  Growing from a company of four people to a company of 50+ people in a 14 year span is no easy feat.  Growing the company into a brand that is nationally recognized is no easy feat.  Growing a company that is respected by industry and agency alike is no easy feat.  Growing a company that people enjoy coming to work for each day is no easy feat.

These accomplishments are attained, not by the decisions of one person, but of a group of people working together who are in alignment with the company’s values.  In order for this to work, there needs to be more than one person calling the shots and providing insight into how the company operates and grows in the market place.  That is why ALL4 put together a group of people that comprise the “Executive Council” (powerful, yet accurate – I like to imagine thunderous background sounds echoing as “Executive Council” is mightily exclaimed by J. Peterman John O’Hurley when I say it in my head).  Feel free to picture this group as being just as badass admirable as the Jedi Council – because it is.

The Executive Council meets once every two weeks to discuss items that are pertinent in the moment as well as items that are more future-oriented.  The Executive Council contains members with focuses that are spread out among the company, which when they come together, make one powerful force.  The Executive Council has positions that range from, but are not limited to, the owners of the company, the marketing and recruiting leads, the human resources department, and remote office managers, just to name a few.  My role in the Executive Council is to be the voice of the younger staff.  Let that sink in for a second.  …  …  …  The owners of the company value the opinions of the younger staff so much that they provide a position on the Executive Council for someone that is less than 5 years out of college to weigh in on decisions that the company is facing.  It makes sense though, right?  In order to make the best decision possible, logic would say that more background data should lead to less of the unknown risk, to a certain extent.  Then why is this so different than how the majority of other companies operate?  Because ALL4 is different than other companies; that’s why.

At ALL4, more than 1/3 of the employees are below the age of 30.  That’s a pretty large piece of the pie when you are talking about 50+ employees.  Most of this young group, including myself, is part of the “Technical Staff” at ALL4, so my position is entitled “Technical Staff Representative” on the Executive Council, naturally.  As the Technical Staff Representative, it is my responsibility to communicate with the Technical Staff and have a pulse on how things are going, what the feelings are around decisions that are being made, and have some foresight into what reactions might arise from hypothetical situations, should they happen. 

The Executive Council discusses things before they are announced to the rest of the company.  I’m not going to lie; it is pretty fascinating to be part of those conversations.  Topics of discussion are looked at through many different lenses and analyzed in detail.  This company cares about its future and the future of its employees.  Sometimes, an idea will be brought up and feedback is requested in the moment.  Other times we are asked to gather more data, or ask people that are not in the executive council for how they would perceive this or that.  So my responsibility is to recommunicate that idea to the Technical Staff, listen to the comments in response, and report back what the feelings are in the next meeting.  Will the Technical Staff ideas always be the ones that make the final say in a decision?  No, not always; but they will be heard and considered.  At the end of the day a decision has to be made.  After taking part in some of these meetings so far this year, I can assure you that the decisions are made in a manner that is best suited for the company as a whole.

Unlike the U.S. Presidential term, my position will not last multiple years.  It is a one year position, and 2016 is my year to make it the best that I can make it.  Then the cycle will continue in 2017 for someone else that wants to make a difference at ALL4.  Someone else that wants to grow leadership skills in a unique position that is uncommon in Corporate America…  Someone else that wants to see how decisions are made in the best interest of the company… But that someone else will have to wait…  Because 2016 is still young; and I’m going to make 2016 a marvelous year while enjoying the ride along the way.