Today we’re going to talk about maintaining agility in teams, and the AI maturity that leaders in the B2B enterprise space should be striving to achieve in the months ahead.
To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Tommi Marsans, Marketing Technology Strategist at Verizon Business Group.
About Tommi Marsans
Tommi has over three decades of marketing technology experience, with a focus on enabling marketing through alignment of technology and strategy.
She is highly skilled in effectively collaborating across the organization to drive transformation and innovation by leveraging marketing technology to drive marketing and sales business strategies.
She is currently the lead for Pega decisioning for Verizon Business Group and has developed a dynamic customer responsive solution called Compass for customer retention and My Solutions for customer growth across digital, sales, and retail channels. She has won several awards for innovative uses of technology including Best in Class and B2B Customer Loyalty awards from The Loyalty 360 group, a SAMMY for User Experience Optimization in 2022 and 2023, and finally the PegaWorld iNspire Impact award. In addition, she has been asked to speak several times to the marketing industry on subjects as diverse as leveraging Big Data to ethical use of AI &ML.
Previously Tommi has held executive roles as a VP of Marketing at a regional marketing company and Executive Director of Marketing Operations at Sallie Mae.
She is also founder of the Force Multiplier Foundation, a charity dedicated to bringing help to those in need. Recently Tommi was selected to be a Crew Captain for the Pre-Leader Academy at Verizon to develop emerging leaders across the organization.
She is also an avid fan of Sci-Fi (Marvel and Star Wars primarily) and has a vast collection of movie memorabilia.
Resources
- Verizon Business Group: https://www.verizon.com/business/
- The B2B Agility podcast website: https://agilebrandguide.com/latest-podcasts/b2bagility/
- Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/b2b-agility/
- Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com
- The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Synopsis
According to the episode, active listening and authentic support for team members are crucial for successful teams. The speaker emphasizes that active listening has long been recognized as an emotional quotient. By actively listening, leaders can demonstrate respect for their team members’ perspectives and opinions, fostering trust and creating a supportive environment.
Furthermore, the episode highlights the significance of authenticity in leadership. The speaker asserts that leaders must be true to themselves to gain the trust of team members and align everyone towards a common goal. It is important for leaders to bring their authentic selves, even if it may not conform to traditional corporate expectations. Authenticity is easily perceived and helps establish genuine connections on a human level.
Overall, the episode suggests that active listening and authenticity are key factors in fostering successful teams. These qualities contribute to building trust, promoting open communication, and creating a supportive environment where team members can thrive.
In addition, the episode emphasizes the importance of trust and a shared goal in fostering effective team collaboration and achieving remarkable results. The speaker asserts that these two factors are crucial in any relationship, including teamwork.
To begin with, the speaker explains that a shared goal is essential for teams to work together effectively. They emphasize the need for team members to agree on the direction and objectives. By over-communicating and discussing the final goal, team members can ensure alignment and work collectively towards a common objective. This shared goal provides a sense of direction and purpose, enabling team members to align their efforts and collaborate effectively.
Additionally, the speaker highlights the importance of trust in team collaboration. They compare trust within a team to trust in any other relationship, stating that once trust is established, team members can rely on each other. Trusting colleagues means having confidence in their support and knowing they have each other’s backs. This level of trust fosters camaraderie and leads to superior results. When team members trust each other, they can work more effectively, leveraging each other’s expertise and support.
Overall, the episode emphasizes that building trust and having a shared goal are crucial elements for successful team collaboration and achieving remarkable results. By establishing a common objective and fostering trust among team members, teams can work together more effectively, leading to superior outcomes.
Furthermore, the episode emphasizes the importance of authenticity and vulnerability in leadership to create a human connection with team members. The speaker explains that leaders must be authentic and true to themselves to gain trust and alignment. Leaders should bring their whole selves to the table, without conforming to a certain image.
The speaker emphasizes that authenticity is easily perceived, and people can discern whether a leader is speaking from the heart or merely giving a scripted response. Being authentic requires vulnerability, such as sharing personal stories and allowing team members to see leaders as human. This vulnerability helps build trust and connection within the team.
Additionally, the speaker highlights the importance of active listening and support for team members. They emphasize the significance of respecting their perspectives and valuing their contributions. By actively listening and creating an environment where team members feel heard and supported, leaders can further foster a human connection within the team.
Overall, the episode emphasizes that authenticity and vulnerability are key qualities for leaders to cultivate in order to establish a genuine connection with their team members.
Tommi Marsans, Marketing Technology Strategist, Verizon Business Group
