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Episode 6 Show Notes: Zig Zag Your Way to the Top

Marie Armenio shares her career journey to the top of HR

In this episode, Kyle O’Connor interviews Marie Armenio, a business consultant and former CHRO. As a

global business executive, change consultant and executive coach, Marie has demonstrated strengths in the

areas of organizational design and development, change management, leadership coaching, talent

management, and mergers and acquisitions in a wide variety of industries. She rose to the position of Chief

Human Resources Officer via various leadership levels in Fortune 500 and smaller organizations. Marie’s

organizational value and reputation precede her. She’s a business person who happens to practice HR very

well.

Key Learnings From This Episode

Marie’s career journey has not been a direct path, but one she describes as an interesting one

that she would not do differently. She began her career in a small unionized manufacturing

organization and subsequently took on progressively senior roles within diverse industries,

including manufacturing, publishing, pharma and real estate.

Take-away from career journey. Career journey “zig-zag” was beneficial in hindsight as it allowed

Marie to take deep dives within all segments of HR - compensation, benefits, systems and

processes, employee relations, strategic HR, talent management and succession planning.

What Marie has learned from her HR career journey?

o The art of flexibility and compromise. Because HR is tasked with administering rules and

compliance (government/external and internal), learning how to marry those demands

with what her client group was trying to accomplish without being perceived as the

“police” or an obstacle. Working in a creative and flexible manner to support client

group/business needs.

o Creativity and partnership. Understanding the business and the position of your client to

effectively partner and come up with best options to achieve their goals.

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What one word describes your passion? This is reflected in Marie’s career path from corporate HR

to her current consulting role. Her passion for mentoring and coaching: sharing experiences and

lessons learned throughout her career to help others apply without making mistakes. Navigating

today’s organization and understand nuances.

Most important trait of a successful HR leader? Relationship building and the ability to

influence your stakeholders. Understanding who your stakeholders are. Being able to state

your business case. For HR to “get to the table”, you have to understand the business

landscape, trends and goals of a particular business unit. How to influence in a win-win fashion

so that leaders develop their mentoring and coaching skills to effectively manage their people.

Engagement is essential! True leaders make it happen.

What excites you about the next generation of HR Leaders? The energy and excitement they

bring. They seek things out; out of the box thinking; strong social consciousness (lost for some time

in the function). Social media skillset and

how they engage.

Challenges faced by younger

professionals? How do you appropriately

challenge the status quo? Move forward in

a way that the existing culture is willing to

hear. Influencing skills are critical, as is how

you approach and recognize the culture

that exists. Recognizing and respecting the

current culture and the investment made

by those who got us here.

What advice for a young HR professional:

o Ask as many questions as you can

o Learn the business inside out

o What the business person needs to

achieve his/her goals

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What she wished she knew 10 years ago?

o How to insulate yourself from recession to avoid being caught flat-footed

o Drive your own development in other areas where you can learn new skills

How to be successful in the first 90 days of entering a new leadership position

1. Identify and meet with key clients and stakeholders

2. Meet and greets to assess how to partner, exchange ideas/info

3. Start with leadership team and then run focus groups

4. Build on relationships

5. Help them be successful

"You can always find a job, but if you can find a place where your heart is, that you

are willing to go through the wall for, that's engagement. That will be the greatest

business differentiator you will ever have."

– Marie Armenio

Recommended Reading and References From this Episode

Marie describes herself as a voracious reader. The following are her top picks:

Best Sellers Business Books - Scan the New York Times List where you can read available "Sunday Reviews." Amazon's Best Sellers List includes hot new releases too.

Fortune Magazine

Harvard Business Review (HBR) - leadership content in print and digital formats from Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review Press Books, Harvard Business School Cases, Brief Cases, blogs and more.

Humans Are Underrated: What High Achievers Know That Brilliant Machines Never Will by Geoff Colvin.

Geoff Colvin’s Blog

The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels by Michael Watkins.

Wall Street Journal

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To Follow Marie Armenio

Marie’s LinkedIn Profile

OrganizationalLeadershipStrategies.com

University of Scranton Alumni

Marie’s Question to HR Studio Podcast Group Members

What is the greatest challenge you and your business will be facing in the next 12 months?

How will you address it?

Aired: Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - 8:00am

Industry: Consulting

Host: Kyle O’Connor

Guest: Marie Armenio

Type: HR Studio Podcast Click the icon to listen to

Episode 6