Evolve and adapt … or get left behind

?The pace of change is relentless - today more than ever. In the technology space specifically, the intensity ramps up another level. Just look at the many globally-successful brands - Blockbuster Video, Kodak and Blackberry among them – that once enjoyed their heyday as the place to shop or the product to buy. By failing to adapt at the required pace, they either went out of business or lost a significant portion of their market share, humbling examples that offer a great learning opportunity for all of us—businesses and individuals alike. 

Although I have always worked for General Electric (GE) in one business or another, adapting to change has been a defining characteristic of my career, with more than 10 different roles in the last two decades alone. I started out as a mechanical engineering student at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’d already completed three co-ops (combining a classroom education with practical work experience), when GE contacted me in 1997, accepting my application to join its Operations Management Leadership Program (OMLP) with GE Aviation. I was in my parents’ kitchen when I found out and – I remember the moment so clearly – we all looked at each other and said: “GE makes aircraft engines…?” Like so many others, we only knew of GE as a consumer brand … they made lightbulbs and refrigerators, not major components for airplanes!

That was 20 years ago. Now, GE Aviation is among the top aircraft engine suppliers in the world and I’m General Manager for the Oilfield Equipment sourcing team at Baker Hughes, a GE Company (BHGE), in charge of a team of 300 people around the globe. 

What I’m trying to explain here is that it’s not just businesses that have to adapt and evolve. When we contemplate our first step on the career ladder, we’re probably mostly thinking about the salary, benefits and opportunities for advancement. But the most important thing I’ve learned is that your career trajectory – the arc of your life – will happen in ways you do not expect and cannot foresee. As individuals, we need to be brave, adaptable and open to opportunities that come our way. I consider myself a ‘case study in action’ of this! Despite being very good at math and science, I could never have predicted I’d end up working as a business leader at the world’s first fullstream oil and gas company. I’ve picked-up some great lessons along the way:

• Never stop learning: My career didn’t start in the oil and gas industry, but I watched as GE built its business in this arena. I knew the supply chain had an important role to play, regardless of market dynamics, in bringing a competitive edge to the organization. The market does what it does but, as I always tell my team, our job is to make our space better today than it was yesterday. Not every day will be perfect, but it’s about learning, changing and working towards an overall goal. Staying curious is one thing that, regardless of job title, I continue to focus on. It’s important to understand the people you work with, the technology and the business itself, so you are better able to understand how you can help make it better.
• Stay positive in the face of change: As a company, we are in the midst of a massively exciting digital transformation. It is a real game-changer for BHGE and our customers. The productivity it will bring –to us internally and to our external stakeholders– will be huge. It’s easy for those of us who’ve been with the company for 20+ years to still want to have review meetings with PowerPoint presentations and to hold on to the old. But to be successful, we all need to evolve, or get left behind. We won’t get it right 100 per cent of the time or straight out of the gate, but we can always test, learn, refine and get better. 

• The right mentor is key: I’m a huge fan of seeking out mentors and, very early on in my career, I took some advice from a colleague who told me: “Instead of laying it all on one person, think of it as your personal board of directors – the multiple people, given your experience and needs at a given time, who can help you develop within a specific area.” I’m a big fan of that approach. I also love to mentor people myself because you can see how the conversations change over time, and experience the successes people have. It’s a great and very rewarding opportunity.
• Barriers? What barriers?!: Maybe it’s because I went to an all-female high school, but the concept of being faced with barriers that couldn’t be overcome is a little foreign to me. I’ve also been very lucky to have had really great role models, many of whom just happened to be women. I’m very grateful to work at a company like BHGE because I believe that an inclusive workforce – ethnically, socially, culturally – is the key to success in any organization. Whenever you have a diverse group of people at the table, you ultimately get to a better solution, because different people tend to come at problems in a different way, with different lenses and vantage points. The important thing is to stay focused on the customer and what they need. That’s what matters.   

From my own personal experience and the ongoing transformation of the company I have chosen to call my professional home, I’m telling you - you should always try to expand your horizons because the further you look down the road, the more opportunities you’ll encounter. You just need to invest in yourself, be brave and find a company that will invest in you.