As promised in the previous note on the customer, omnichannel, and business in the e-commerce context, below we share 10 career and leadership lessons from Mary Lou Kelley, an executive with experience in various international companies and former President of e-commerce at Best Buy, the e-commerce giant.
In the talk organized by Girls in Tech Chile and Startup Chile, Mary Lou spoke from the perspective of her 25-year career in e-commerce, and while she focused her speech on the challenges and achievements at Best Buy, she did not hesitate to offer career and leadership advice, which we have grouped into the following list. The quotes in English belong to Mary Lou; the analysis and writing are ours.
A question someone at the beginning of their career might ask is, "How do I know if it's okay to work for this company?" Or "Should I continue working for this organization?" Over time, and even more so when moving towards an executive position, variables such as learning, stability, relationship with management, remuneration, career progression, benefits, etc., may remain, but the questioning tends to be deeper.
Ultimately, an executive in a sub-manager or manager position seeks more than just remuneration and benefits; they seek to feel that they contribute to the organization and, in turn, that the organization contributes to their career development. In this sense, Mary Lou speaks of "adding value and learning" as essential conditions for being in an organization.
What should you do to build a team?
“Hire good people. You don’t have to reinvent that” (MLK).
One doesn't have to know everything, and part of a leader's talent is to build a team by seeking excellent professionals with complementary experience and profiles.
How important is attitude? Fundamental. However, when launching or growing an e-commerce business, you can't improvise or expect the entire team to learn by doing. Hiring experienced people will make a difference and, in the long run, save time and money.
A detail Mary Lou mentioned several times is where to find talent given the need for a strong and experienced team. Referring to the local reality of Chile and the difficulty in finding collaborators, she recommended being open to seeking talent abroad: one clue is to look for people who studied in Chile or have some connection to the country and are willing to come and work here.
In recent years, we have seen a significant diversification of web teams, either through Chilean executives returning after studying and working abroad, or through the hiring of foreigners who decided to come and live in Chile. Beyond the multicultural component and diversity that these professionals can bring to the team, there is no doubt that an experienced person from a country where e-commerce is more advanced can contribute a lot of know-how and help design better services at a local level, adapting strategies and techniques, but also creating experiences with a local flavor.
Even if you have experience and an excellent team, things are never set in stone, so you must have "a plan A, a plan B, a plan C, and the plan 'That could never happen but it will happen'" (MLK).
Ideas can come from anyone, from the cashier to the sales executive or a manager. What is valuable is not the origin of the idea but the initiative and, on the part of the leader, the ability to listen and pay attention to the people around them.
It's always worth remembering that at the end of the day, having a high-responsibility position is useless if it's not accompanied by a positive attitude, an open mind, and exceptional human quality:
“Be optimistic, be positive. Optimistic and positivism are contagious. ABK (always be kind). Treat every single person with respect” (MLK).
While at first glance this may seem contradictory to the idea of building a team and relying on your collaborators to carry out an action plan, independence here has to do with the ability to trust in oneself, in your capabilities, and to know how to make decisions autonomously.
A leader who knows their team and its challenges well knows when to say no, either because they are being asked to do more than they can handle, because the team is not in a position to take on new commitments, or because what is being proposed is not best for the business. Knowing when to say no is part of any professional's responsibility.
Another characteristic of a leader is the credibility they inspire and the trust, both within their team and among their peers and company management.
While technological, logistical, and sales challenges can take up a lot of time in an e-commerce business, organizational changes are often the most difficult to implement, yet frequently the most relevant for impacting an organization.
“Change as hard. Mindful. How are you going to lead your team to a change” (MLK).
Some career tips from Mary Lou Kelley for young people entering the workforce:
- Understand why you want that job.
- Be open to a role that might not be your dream job but is an opportunity to get into the company.
- Choose a job if you are going to learn something and grow.
- Never accept a job you think you are going to hate.
- Never accept a job just for the money.
“Understanding why you want to do it. Be open to a role that might not be what you are looking for – get experience in the company. Choose it if you are going to learn and grow. Never take a job that you think you are going to hate. Never take a job for the money neither” (MLK).
Finally, we once again express our gratitude for the opportunity to have had a leader in Chile who, in addition to being an example for any professional whose passion is e-commerce and who aims for a career in this field, is a tech woman who inspires and motivates us.
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