Finding True Love
I used to be torn between two lovers: marketing and management. I loved marketing because I could be creative and I loved management because it gave me the opportunity to engage and develop people. While I loved my college marketing courses and excelled in them, I performed equally as well in my management classes. Upon graduating with a double major in marketing and management, I landed one management role after another and enjoyed them all. Still, that little voice inside my head kept reminding me how much I loved marketing and why.
Playing the Field
I finally listened to my inner voice and knew that marketing was my true love. After 13 years in management, I took a break and enrolled in a one-year accelerated MBA program at Emory University. Marketing with a focus on Brand Management was the original plan and as expected, I loved all my classes. Once again though, I excelled in my management courses. In fact, I ended up graduating with…you guessed it…two concentrations: Brand Management and Organization Development. Hmmm….I think I see some consistency here….
My “A-Ha! /OMG!” Moment
In a one-year MBA program, the job search starts about the same day as your first class. I made the conscious decision to fully enjoy my MBA experience and then begin my search after graduation. Shortly after the commencement ceremony, I had a major realization… I was doing laundry and reached for the Clorox when it hit me. What if I worked for Clorox? How could I market a product that was toxic, and that might not be recycled, and just how many versions of Clorox does the world really need? (Apologies to Clorox; I’m still a loyal customer!) So now the little voice inside my head is saying, “OMG, what have I done?!” That was the moment I wondered if I had wasted a year and a lot of money for no reason.
I Found the One
I came to the realization that I needed to shift my focus to services-related organizations to leverage my previous experience in highly competitive, service-sensitive, client-facing environments. I did some research and reading and then, there they were…the two words that would change my life – internal branding. It’s the heart of employee engagement and the soul of every organization.
As it turns out, that’s exactly what I had been doing in my previous roles and I didn’t even realize it. Instead of product marketing, I would market a company to its employees so that both would benefit from the relationship. I would ensure employees understood the company as a brand as well as how each employee’s contributions directly benefit the company as a whole and them as an individual.
Happy Together
No longer torn between two lovers (or feeling like a fool), I now embrace both. And that’s exactly what I do; I’m an Agent in Engagement. I help companies succeed by focusing on how they engage, manage, and develop employees at all levels. As a result, I have created programs with award-winning outcomes in both corporate and consulting environments as well as focused onboarding and integration of entry-level and experienced hires.
Let’s Get Engaged!
I’m Greg and that’s my story. This blog was created so that I can share my thoughts on employee engagement and I’d like for you to share your thoughts with me. Let me know what employee engagement topics interest you. I am currently working on posts related to Employees, Managers, Recruiting, Onboarding, Book Reviews, Programs, Sr. Leadership, and Social Media. I’m excited about this opportunity to connect with fellow “Agents.” Let’s get engaged!
Follow me on Twitter: @agtinengagement or email me at g…@a…t.com.
