We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Denise Meridith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Denise, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?
The simplest and seemingly most impactful is to send a thank you card> I use both electronic and hard copy ones. The electronic ones are usually humorous, personalized and made to fit the occasion (e.g., thank you, birthday). The hard copy ones should include a handwritten, relevant and sincere statement (e.g., note the specific thing the person did for you and wy it is important). So few people do this anymore, it makes an instant and favorable impression.
Denise, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens when its vibe was more Norman Rockwell than gangster rap, I earned a BS in wildlife biology from Cornell University and an MPA in organizational behavior from the University of Southern California. I was the first professional woman hired by the federal Bureau of Land Management and the first woman and/or person of color in every role after that. I had many jobs as a biologist, a wild horse specialist, a recreation planner, and an environmental specialist. I was a line manager at state, regional and national levels in six states, and eventually became Deputy Director (the highest-ranking career executive) in Washington, DC with 10,000 employees in 200 offices and a $1.1 billion budget. I spent the last seven years of my federal career in Arizona, enhancing recreation, environmental and economic development throughout the State. After retiring early from the government, I established Denise Meridith Consultants Inc, a public and community affairs S-Corp, that did marketing, small business recruitment, and training for numerous development projects, including Sky Harbor International Airport, Symphony Hall, and Phoenix Convention Center, and. wrote business articles for the Phoenix Business Journal, Arizona Republic, Examiner..com, Home & Lifestyle, and other newspapers and magazines.. I also taught courses for government and private executives for Cornell and University of Phoenix.
My goal has always been to nurture small, minority-, and women-owned businesses to benefit all residents of Arizona. In 2019, I created World’s Best Connectors to engage talented, experienced, like-minded C-suite executives in helping other business leaders get done what they do not have the capacity or know-how to do effectively (e.g., marketing, diversity recruitment, financial management, etc.). DMCI and WBC are both known for depth and breath of experience, honesty, efficiency, and commitment to the community.
I am most proud of my leadership in two accomplishments in Arizona: one with the government (creation of four National Monuments) and one private industry (building of State Farm Stadium) for both generating billions of tourism dollars for economic growth, while enhancing the quality of life in Arizona,
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think my objectivity and belief in inclusion have built my reputation. Politically, I have been an Independent most of my life; but people realize that my independence goes far beyond politics. I speak openly and honestly, listen to all sides, and aggressively seek to mediate disagreements. I do not believe in win/lose, because that only breeds contempt, more competition and always comes at some cost to both sides. I look for mutual wins, even though each side will not get everything he/she wanted. People also understand that for me independence means inclusion of people of all races, nationalities, religions, physical abilities, both genders and LBGQT+. This gives me a large and loyal market. I have gotten awards honoring my reputation in public relations work from all types of government, private and non-profit organizations.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Having spent 29 years in government and 20 in private industry, I have had innumerable teams, and, thus experience in managing all types of problems. The CEO or owner is always the one who is setting the tone. The first thing to acknowledge is that everyone is watching you. If you are a woman or person of color the scrutiny is even greater. So it is imperative that you always behave, speak and dress professionally. But management methodology is also critical. You must treat everyone fairly, not equally. Performance should be evaluated and judged accordingly. The “everyone gets a ribbon” method does not work that well in the field;. It inhibits creativity, innovation, and motivation and really does not work in the workplace.
Be meticulous about how you structure evaluations (e.g., quality, timelines, etc should benefit the organization, as well as the subject), and be sure to reward those that exceed expectations. But also be clear to those who are not succeeding why, and how they can do better. Provide feedback thoughout the year, not just once a year when evaluations are due.
Finally, act switfully against illegal or immoral behavior (e.g., corruption, sexual harassment or discrinimation). You will earn and maintain respwct and loyalty.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.thebcs.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/denise.meridith.7
- Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/denisemeridith