Dining with Della: Mike Searson at Gotham Steakhouse
October 17, 2016
Working nationally with over 300 staff means travel and plenty of meetings. But Mike has figured out at the age of 41 how to work in a fast paced, demanding business while maintaining a strong family life. He packs a lot into each day - over the course of our lunch he received 60 emails! He does not often take time to have a lunch like ours (a non client, non staff person) but gave me his undivided attention and had prepped for the blog interview. I know he gives even more attention to his wife and children when he gets home. He talks about finger painting with the girls with the same glee as he talks about preparing a strategic plan for the Board.
I met Mike around 1999 when he started dating one of my best pal's daughter. We cross paths in business and share a huge interest in media matters but can just as quickly switch off and chat about family and friends.
You can easily see why he has excelled in the workplace. He genuinely cares about people, good communication and transparency. Plus, he has a killer sense of humour and incredible timing.
What one bit of communication impacted your life?
Understanding how people want to be communicated with and how they communicate came from Mike's first merger experience some 15 years ago. Hiring a communications expert to teach everyone how to connect and which personality quadrant they filled (expressive, analytical, driver or amiable) was an essential part of the process. He found out early on when creating a new culture, it is mission critical to find out what type of communication works for what style. For example, he had a boss who was all about the facts, no fluff. He gave her the info as desired and it worked.
His strength is to know which quadrant fits. He credits his early career working at a private golf club with some of the wealthiest people as a great training ground.
(Note from Della: I gather you learn a lot from people when you play a round of golf... the nice ones and not so nice.)
(Note from Della: I gather you learn a lot from people when you play a round of golf... the nice ones and not so nice.)
Going through another merger has made him even more pragmatic. He recognizes how hard it is for people to go through change and has greater empathy for people adjusting to the new normal. He is all about transparency and being human. He knows people may not like the changes but better to tell it straight up. Being present in what you are doing and making sure people know they matter is key to communicating through change.
It also helps if you have been in their shoes. Mike knows the world of commissioned sales. He knows how it feels to knock on those doors and have people swear at you or not make the sale.
He knows the importance of face to face discussions and puts in the extra effort to hold town halls, visit directly with teams and be present. And, while it would be impossible for him to meet with everyone, he uses video conference technology to, at least, have the in-person feel.
He knows the importance of face to face discussions and puts in the extra effort to hold town halls, visit directly with teams and be present. And, while it would be impossible for him to meet with everyone, he uses video conference technology to, at least, have the in-person feel.
What did not work...
Early in Mike's career he witnessed a situation were things were going dramatically awry. He did not take the issue to management because he did not want to be seen as a "rat". It involved a peer who was behaving "below the line" as Mike puts it. It was a disaster in the workplace, people were leaving and the business suffered financially. His instinct said he should come forward but he basically just worked to distance himself from it all.
Mike shared a few of the grisly details without betraying the people and organization involved. It was one of those extremely awkward scenarios that would put even the most seasoned executive in a quandary. It got worse before it got better. Think some Trump-like behaviour and office favouritism gone bad.
Mike shared a few of the grisly details without betraying the people and organization involved. It was one of those extremely awkward scenarios that would put even the most seasoned executive in a quandary. It got worse before it got better. Think some Trump-like behaviour and office favouritism gone bad.
His aha moment was to "not betray your instinct and to speak up."
It was a costly lesson for everyone involved.
What if...
What advice would you give to your younger self to enhance your ability to communicate with others – and why?
Trust your gut, trust your instincts. Don't be reckless with acting on instincts but listen to yourself. Mike believes we all have innate talents, life knowledge and we know what constitutes good business practices. He says emphatically, "No one will ever judge you for being honest." He adds, "If they do, you are working for the wrong company."
He also admits that young Mike could be a bit flippant (some might call it a quick wit) and how he is much more methodical now about his words. He uses a lot of self talk to reel in his comments and not shoot from the hip.
(Note from Della: Having known the younger Mike, I think the version we see today is an enhanced, updated model. While he is still as lively and entertaining, he carries his responsibilities at work and at home with a new maturity. He is the prime example of a role model - personally and professionally.)
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