Talk Tech

This month’s blog post is a recap of our recent WIT.Connect from June 18th on resiliency and bouncing back from adversities. Our guest writer is an eleventh grader and future Girls in Technology (GIT) member from Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, VA.

WIT.Connect: Resiliency & Bouncing Back!

Deb Alderson, President & CEO of Herndon-based Sotera Defense Solutions, Inc. shared her very personal story of what happened when her high potential career door at SAIC suddenly slammed shut amidst a major corporate contract scandal...and how she found the confidence to open another window to create a career she’d always dreamed of at Sotera Defense.

Jean Stafford, The Executive Coach for Women, an experienced coach and internationally recognized expert on women’s professional leadership potential, drew out of Deb’s impactful story the whys, whats, and hows of responding to crisis and opportunities.

This month’s WIT.Connect was a panel where Deb Alderson spoke with Jean Stafford about resiliency and leadership. Ms. Alderson had many words of wisdom centering on a few key themes:

• Focus on the road ahead
• Demonstrate value
• Take care of people  

Ms. Alderson shared her story of her professional ups and downs and what that taught her about herself. One take-away from the conversation was success in business comes from focusing on the road ahead. If you dwell on your past you are less likely to get anywhere in the future. Ms. Alderson said "you should not forget the experiences you had and always give back to the community.” While not all your experiences are good, they make you who you are and you should not forget them. Instead you should use your experiences, both good and bad, to help the people around you.

For Ms. Alderson, taking care of people is a core value. She considers this, along with serving the business mission, the most critical component to her success. Ms. Alderson reminded us that when you first start out at a business, you do not know your coworkers and they do not know you. You need to take the time to get to know them. It is not enough to say you want something or can do something, you need to demonstrate your value to others.

Ms. Alderson also stressed building the team dynamic and “taking care of people” in the workplace. Your co-workers need to know that you “have their back” and vice versa. This relationship is not a given, it has to be earned and kept. When hiring staff you should look for people with positive attitudes and enthusiastic personalities. When Ms. Alderson faced tough times, she had built up a large support network that helped her in her time of need.

An audience member raised the question of mentoring versus sponsorship and how these play into Ms. Alderson’s management style. For her, both mentoring and sponsorship are very different. Mentors listen to what you have to say, while sponsors push your limitations. Almost anyone can fill the mentor role but sponsors are those people who have seen you demonstrate your value and want to be an active part of your future success.

The audience left this event feeling inspired and encouraged. The group was reminded to never give up on your dreams, even if they seem impossible. A key life lesson Ms. Alderson’s mom conveyed to her early in life was “there is no such thing as a glass ceiling, just break through, and push yourself to keep going." Use challenges as a means to propel forward your career while never forgetting lessons learned from mistakes made along the way.