Learnsoft’s very own Chief Operating Officer, Jen Meyer, is the proud recipient of the 2023 Globee Women in Business | Woman Excellence of the Year in Operations Award.
Jen was chosen based on her ability to manage and optimize business operations, drive efficiency, and ensure smooth organizational functioning for her internal organization and customers alike.
Jen joined us for an interview about the award, here’s what she had to share:
As COO of Learnsoft, how does it feel to be the recipient of a 2023 Globee Women in Business Award?
It's exciting! This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of many people. I look forward to continuing our efforts towards delivering the best customer value through dedicated service, collaboration with customers and continued product improvements.
As a technology operations leader, what do you see for the future of Learnsoft?
Growth – not just through gaining new clients, or building our team internally, but also growth of our product.
"We are in an great place. Our team has been working diligently to garner feedback from clients about what they like, need and what they want more of – and our engineering team is actively working to meet these requirements. From a growth perspective, the next 6-12 months are going to allow us to change how we deliver our product – and our clients and our team are excited about these updates. ”
How do you measure the success of operational changes or enhancements that have been implemented?
So, I believe this requires a three-pronged approach:
1.Communication with your team.
My advice is, spend a significant amount of time with your employees. I am a genuinely curious person and love to learn about my team. What drives them, what are their strengths, how do they feel valued? Learning who they are as people allows you to learn how to best work with them. When someone comes to work, they want to know that what they do and who they are is valued. Prioritizing your team and colleagues creates open communication lines allowing the organization to move efficiently and identify areas that need support.
2.Communication with your clients.
It’s very similar with our clients. Active listening and learning to listen to understand (not just respond) to the needs of our clients because they are the reason our company exists. We have wonderful clients, and we prioritize talking to them on a weekly basis to ensure their needs are met and they feel valued. By learning from our customers, we can gain new perspectives, and this allows our team internally to make meaningful changes to our product to best serve clients.
I also am known for saying, “assume positive intent.” When a client calls with something that is challenging or urgent, I ask our team to take a minute to think through the why behind the request. Assuming that there is a good reason and driver behind the ask allows us to dig into the why and help find a solution.
3. People first, data always.
I have always centered around people first – our team, clients and partners. Then, we need to utilize solid data to drive decisions and our path forward. Comprehensive data analysis can help you tell a compelling story, find positive (and sometimes negative!) things that need to be replicated or addressed. Ultimately data is another tool in sharing information and providing recommendations which are credible and reliable both internally and externally.
How do you specifically cultivate a motivated and high performing operations team at Learnsoft?
I work hard to hire a great team. Over the years, I have built a strong process for how I hire and things I look for outside of “can someone do the job”. Ultimately, I want to work with colleagues who I trust and empower and who want a reciprocal relationship with their colleagues. I make sure our team has the tools they need to be successful, and then I get out of the way and let them own their work.
Going back to communication – this doesn’t mean absent connection with my team. It’s quite the opposite – weekly meetings, 1-1 sessions with agendas and being available to unblock anyone on the team for questions, comments, or concerns. I want our team to rely on one another and know that I am here to support them. But for me it’s really about building a culture and a team that feels empowered to move projects forward and for them to have ownership of their work.
The Learnsoft team is very proud of Jen’s accomplishments. CEO, Robbie Abt, had kind words to share,
"Her vision, dedication and commitment to operational excellence have been instrumental in driving our company's success. This award is a well-deserved recognition of her outstanding contributions."
Learn more about Learnsoft’s platform and how Jen’s team helps organizations track, manage, lead and deliver learning and development to employees throughout the U.S.
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