Choosing to Unmute and Speak Up | Defining My Voice As CEO for One Month

Nothing would ever quite prepare me for the moment of being asked to express my ideas in front of a group of General Staffing Senior Leaders, each with over a decade of industry experience and expertise. Each faced a complex algorithm of obstacles and opportunities that I could only begin to comprehend from my 5 days as CEO for One Month.

I would be remiss if I was not completely honest about the level of self-doubt I had as I reached for the Team's Meeting unmute button.

Did I truly have a right to speak up? What experience or credibility could I back my opinions with? How could I, having barely dipped my toe into the real working world, offer something of substantial value?

But as the words slowly rolled out of my mouth, a snowball phenomena occurred.

The ideas flooded in, my speech pace quickened with my excitement and curiosity, my back straightened with a renewed sense of confidence, and my voice dropped from being squeaky and hesitant, to assured and articulate.

I realized in that moment that, I was not just an intern who was lucky enough to tag along...nor was I simply the United States CEO for One Month representative who struck gold in having a seat at the Senior Leadership Table. My week with General Staffing and Adecco SLT, reinforced the fact that I was first and foremost an individual with a voice and opinions that were carefully considered and valued.

The culture of The Adecco Group is one that is conducive to curious young learners like myself. I've seen an incredible transformation in my increasing confidence to voice my ideas and ask for critical feedback. Learning and development cannot occur without dismantling and rebuilding my thought-processes, technical knowledge, and aptitude to leverage conversations into solutions.

This past week was incredibly revealing in regards to the radical transformation that Human Resources and Staffing is undergoing in order to build an effective people-centric model of talent development. From an insight into TalentSource with the leaders of General Assembly, and a strategic SBR meeting with Pontoon Solutions, all the way to an HR Transformations & Talent Strategy Q&A where I had the opportunity to pose any and all questions, it is so exciting to see Adecco taking a preemptive approach to effective Cultural Governance; Talent Development; and Accountable Management.

On a more personal level, I am eternally grateful to the leaders whom I've had the honor of speaking with and shaking their hand. This week has showed me just how impactful direct eye-contact and a warm face-to-face greeting is. I'm a firm believer that even in a 15-minute meal, you can learn a great deal about another person, their passions, and what drives them to lead each and every day.

Thank you to Lane Greever from Modis for taking the time to extend our conversation from my final screening at the US bootcamp and offer me advice for my month long experience in addition to my future career pathway.

To the Executive Leadership Team at Hired, I am grateful for your time and consideration in listening to my pitch for the Future Opportunities of the Hired Assessments Platform and continually helping me to push the bounds of my understanding of how to create a truly effective hiring and talent evaluation platform for candidates to clients. A special thanks to Josh Brenner for meeting me in New York for a wonderful lunch and continuing my learning journey with Hired across the country!

My sincerest admiration for John Morgan at LHH for his leadership style. With such significant responsibilities, I'm in awe of his unwavering commitment to transforming talent placement into talent development across all levels and regions.

To Lisa Crane, thank you for taking the time to quite literally 'walk me in your shoes'. Your kindness and energy is something I am inspired by. I have loved hearing about your client stories and the amalgamation of the fashion world with the staffing world! Through needle and thread, we are sewing the very fabric of the Future of Work!

To Lisa Lewin, thank you for engaging me in a truly meaningful conversation surrounding what effective and accessible education truly looks like today. I love how excited and passionate you are about providing meaningful opportunities for General Assembly bootcampers to develop their skillsets and seek a future that encompasses their very best self!

My Great Takeaway: Speak with Your Voice...Listen With Your Heart

• Be bold and transform from a passive participant to a curiosity-driven inquisitor. "Newness," need not be a detractor but rather a positively disrupting enhancer.
• Do your research and don't be afraid to ask questions, after all, the solution may be held 3 follow-up questions later that you would only have thought of in the context of the conversation
• Innovation to workforce problems are not found out of thin air but through building a continual dialogue between every person you meet and amalgamating those ideas into a solution. Each person holds a unique perspective, it is my job as a learner to identify patterns in order to discover solutions
• The Future of Work is truly a place for everyone. Especially in the context of The Adecco Group, this week has provided me a platform to not only grow as an individual just beginning her career but as an active builder of workplace infrastructure.