Jay-Ann Gilfoy is president and chief executive officer of Meridian Credit Union
As an HR intern in the 1980s, the mouse was revolutionary for newbie computer users like me. Combined with desktop publishing software, I cobbled together the company newsletter. Colleagues were wowed, I was chuffed.
Soon afterward while at Rogers, cellphones made their debut, and we each got one. The model of the era was hefty and heavy, nicknamed “the brick.” The battery lasted an hour. But abracadabra, telephony didn’t require a cord anymore. When BlackBerry launched, I got one. I’d seized the new world.
From a career on the vanguard, here is how I believe leaders can best optimize technology:
Embracing digital: I’m hardly a tech nerd, but as a leader these positive experiences informed my philosophy toward technology. Heading an organization of 2,000 people and more than 360,000 members, I’m comfortable with the new. I’m still content to “figure it out later” as digital capabilities continue to blossom, requiring lifelong learning.
Think about the pandemic. With back-to-back virtual calls, for the first six months we felt like caged tigers. But three years on, we’ve adapted, despite the wonky camera angles and children interrupting. Tech saved us and changed us.
While digital town halls are now standard leadership fare, less obvious were virtual coffee chats with employees, engaging less formally. Fun events, too, like virtual escape rooms or Friday cocktail hours, created bonds when we were coming unglued.
Leading with social media: As a leader, I receive meaningful feedback on LinkedIn, which I answer. It’s rare access to a CEO and vice-versa. I also enjoy Yammer, a social platform for internal use. Our employees, including me, post personal stories, enhancing transparency and creating less-rigid communication. We get to know each other, building community virtually.
When we share stories, they spawn others. For example, I posted on Truth and Reconciliation Day about what the commemoration meant to me. An Indigenous employee, with family who survived residential schools, wrote about how much my post meant to her.
Virtual works, hybrid works: On Microsoft Teams, I can set up near-instant focus groups, polling employees pronto. You simply connect faster, as I did with “listening tours” when I arrived as CEO. In short order, I spent time with 2,000 employees, which would have taken months of exhausting travel. What I don’t want are staff online at 11 p.m. It burns people out, so leaders should set “no fly zones” for technology.
Meantime, many bosses want employees in the office to restore what they view as lost culture because of the absence of water cooler conversations. I don’t entirely agree.
Getting people together physically is important, but maintaining culture and relationships isn’t contingent on it. At the core, culture isn’t place-based. It’s values, not place. I’m an East-West CEO, working out of Toronto and Vancouver, so where should I be? Virtual works particularly for parents who are juggling hyper-busy family and work lives. Flexibility rules because it gives people more control over their day-to-day lives.
Technology also reduces travelling – less flying, less driving, fewer carbon emissions. I envision less office space in Meridian’s future. Offices can be smaller, campus-like and studio-like, repurposed for technology.
Certainly, spontaneity is sacrificed. Virtual calls require structure and scheduling. People rush to get off one call and onto another. You can’t read body language the same way. You can’t riff off someone else as easily and dead air is uncomfortable. We’ve had to get sharper, while maintaining a feeling.
However, leaders who weren’t previously connected because of distance, can interact, face to face. For business development, going to events every night isn’t necessary for networking. Executives who would say no to an in-person panel say yes to a virtual one.
So, what’s next? Is the metaverse lurking? While I hope branches aren’t replaced by virtual reality, it’s possible (although wearing goggles is unappealing). But imagine you’re speaking French and I’m speaking English, with tech translating in real time. Or using personalized technology for people with differing abilities – hearing or sight issues – or to enhance security and privacy. They’re opportunities.
Tech for good: I do think we need more technology in the pursuit of public good. Thanks to a tip from an employee, I’m now using a search engine called Ecosia instead of Google. The not-for-profit platform says it doesn’t sell your data to advertisers and has no third-party trackers. Ecosia has 20 million users and what it generates from ad revenue, it uses a large portion of that to plant trees.
Tech isn’t perfect. But it’s progress, and I lead by evolving, experimenting and embracing it.
This column is part of Globe Careers’ Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about the world of work. Find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab and guidelines for how to contribute to the column here.