In their recent article for Fast Company, Chief CEO Alison Moore and Nada Usina reinforced the value multihyphenate leaders with a nonlinear careers path bring to the modern workplace. As a multihyphenate and Chief Founding Member in Boston, I cannot agree more.
What if, instead of identifying ourselves by our titles at corporations, we lead with the value that we can provide to others? As a multihyphenate, this often means contributing value to multiple audiences or organizations.
I joined Chief when I was a senior leader at a global biopharmaceutical company. It wasn’t until I left and became a multihyphenate that I appreciated just how valuable being one truly was.
My Path to Multihyphenate Leadership
Before I left the corporation, I served as an adjunct lecturer at Boston University’s College of Communication, my alma mater. I held this position for two years before I was invited to interview for a full-time associate professor position. Up until this point, I did not consider full-time teaching. In fact, I didn’t know it was something that I could explore without an advanced degree.
When I joined a preliminary meeting with the search committee for that position, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I already knew four of the five decision-makers — one was my former professor, one referred me for the full-time position, and the other two I had guest-lectured for. The next round included a one-on-one interview with the department chair who had already hired me as an adjunct. It was one of those moments where I felt I was interviewing with friends. To be“known,” leveraging the relationships you have with people who can refer you, is the ultimate position to be in.
At first, I was hesitant to accept the teaching position, because I didn’t want to leave the communications industry. The Dean of COM was a former Editor-in-Chief of Scientific American and encouraged me to continue my communications leadership through consulting. Chief was instrumental in helping me launch my fractional consulting business, helping me with everything from understanding the business ownership process and LLCs to thought-partnering on pricing models for prospective clients.
By the time I left my corporate role, I had already leveraged my network to secure the full-time professor appointment, open my LLC, and prepare for my new world as a fractional communications head. This was around the time when a colleague from the industry requested that I read and endorse his book on marketing communications. While doing so, I asked if he could introduce me to the editor for his publisher, Routledge, to discuss a loose book concept that I had about the power of networking. The editor not only liked the concept, but she stayed in touch with me for about a year and a half, encouraging me to submit a formal proposal that she could take to Routledge’s editorial board for approval. Two weeks after I submitted it, I was awarded a publishing contract and kicked off my unforeseen but appreciated journey of becoming a published author.
While becoming a full-time professor, fractional communications head/business owner, and a published author were not intentional, they are the result of investing time and value in my professional network. In fact, my clients for my consultancy continue to be former clients and coworkers of mine from my NYC agency days.
This experience inspired me to write, “Redefining Networking: How to Lead with Your Unique Value.” The book is providing me with opportunities to support others on their multihyphenate career journeys.
Redefining Networking as a Multihyphenate
Like many other investments — health, financial, learning and development for one’s career — effective networking is strategic. In the book, I introduce a three-step process for leading with the value you can contribute to others, not necessarily your title.
- Identify your value. Consider what makes you unique and the value you can provide. As you gain more experience and widen your network, this value may evolve over time.
For me, while I’m not a traditional academic, I contributed value as a guest lecturer and adjunct with real-world experiences and a network, which the students appreciated. That is what ultimately landed me the full-time role; it wasn’t overnight. - Find an audience. Not every service or company is for everyone, and neither is your value. Who can benefit from the value that you provide.
Most of my work background is with larger biopharma corporations. It’s not to say that I can’t support smaller organizations and non-healthcare companies with comms, but my sweet spot is really where my experience lies. - Communicate your value. Identify ways to communicate your value, including through the art of storytelling. LinkedIn has about one billion users, yet only 1% posts content regularly. It’s never been easier to stay connected to your network and provide stories of the work that you do and your unique value so that people keep you in mind for opportunities. When you are clear on the value that you can bring, you can then determine the audiences or organizations that can benefit from it and the communications channels that reach them.
Organic storytelling on LinkedIn has been my main approach for generating Fortune 50 and global biopharmaceutical clients for my consulting business. Working at capacity for nearly three and a half years now, I have simultaneously referred many companies to my trusted, former coworkers who also consult under a referral agreement, a win-win-win for all.
Relationship-Based Networking Process
As Alison and Nada note in their Fast Company article, “Women have been beta-testing this blueprint for decades. It works. And it’s time for companies to embrace it.”
Monique is hosting a Redefining Networking workshop for Chief Members in Boston on Wednesday, February 25. MEMBER RSVP