The past five months have been a whirlwind of rapid pivots and change. And more than ever, we, every day, appreciate the strength and courage of our people. We are so excited to take a second to recognize and celebrate the tremendous growth of one particular amazing leader, Devin Baldridge, as he is promoted from Director to Senior Director, Lean Growth.
“Devin is a highly valued member of the TGG team. His fluency in helping client teams achieve their innovation or strategy goals brings a high degree of credibility, and he does everything with the utmost integrity. Devin is a tremendous partner to clients, and an excellent coach, all while maintaining a hunger to learn and grow himself.” – Ann Thompson, Co-Founder & Chief Engagement Officer
We asked Devin to take a moment and reflect on what has given him courage during the past five months of rapid change and how he’s adapted. Learn more about this tremendous leader through his experiences and celebrate him with us.
Tell us about a time you’ve been courageous or learned from courage that you’ve witnessed in the past few months of this pandemic.
“I’m reminded of the power of orientation in times like these. These have been challenging and potentially very disorienting times as we look for new ways of working and being. It is helpful to recognize that people/businesses respond to the feeling of disorientation differently. Some respond by hitting the brakes, others by hitting the accelerator. It takes an extremely attuned leader or business to be aware of these feelings, create conditions that reorient, and enable you to courageously advance despite uncertainty. My natural tendency is to hit the brakes. It has been helpful for me to reorient to what I know to be true, and regain momentum from those truths. I’m inspired by companies, TGG included, that have found courage in reorienting to their WHY, purpose and mission, thereby enabling them to adapt to new WHATS and HOWS as they lean into uncertainty.”
How have you adapted from working at our office, delivering in person, to innovating virtually? What has your journey been like?
“I by no means have this figured out yet! What I have rediscovered is the value of ritual and routine, and the importance of establishing some new ones. I also believe in the power of creativity and genius when you can bring people together in the right conditions. The virtual format has challenged me to change some of the tools and techniques I would have typically used to lead teams and develop new approaches. One of the benefits I am finding is the opportunity that can be leveraged between virtual connects. The space between can be equally as powerful as the connects, creating times for individuals to more fully metabolize all the inputs, and bring fresh and actionable insights to the work.”
What should our BigCo clients be paying attention to right now?
“I believe new Jobs, such as the following, are emerging or at least being valued differently that represent new opportunities for innovation:
These innovations will include new products, services, and the formation of new industrial ecosystems. My encouragement is to pay attention to these emergent Jobs and consider “what needs to be true” for them to develop compelling solutions, even if that means looking outside their core competencies.”
Congrats, Devin! You’re an invaluable part of our team, and we look forward to cheering you on as you continue to grow & lead courageously.
