Joyce Kim of Genesys: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a C-Suite Executive

It’s ok to be a strong and assertive woman. As a woman, we are typically told we are being too aggressive or abrasive and need to smile more. People will always be judging your style as a female leader, but it’s perfectly okay to be an assertive and collaborative leader at the same time.

As part of our series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Began Leading My Company” I had the pleasure of interviewing Joyce Kim.

Joyce is the chief marketing officer for Genesys. She is responsible for the company’s overall marketing and communications strategy including strengthening its brand, fueling growth as well as go-to-market and demand generation strategies for new products around the world. Joyce has more than two decades of experience in scaling growth in the technology sector. Her expertise spans all facets of marketing including digital, brand, communications and product marketing for software solutions leveraging cloud, real time communications, AI, IoT and more. Most recently, she was Chief Marketing and Digital Officer for Arm, where she spearheaded the design and implementation of the marketing tech stack to jumpstart data-driven lead generation and optimize conversion rates. Joyce also successfully launched multiple products in new markets alongside one of the largest partner ecosystems in the world. Prior to Arm, Joyce led marketing for global brands such as Skype and Skype for Business at Microsoft as well as product communications and partnerships for Chromebooks and Google Hangouts at Google. She has also held multiple marketing and product management leadership positions for several startup and mid-sized companies including Wrike, Symmetricom, and Internap. Joyce has two Bachelor of Science degrees in Finance and Architecture from the California Polytechnic State University.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

I began my career in software development then quickly moved into product management, so my marketing capability is based on a strong fundamental grasp on technology. I’ve led various marketing functions for the full stack of tech companies from microprocessors, hardware to OS and SaaS in both the consumer and B2B space, for companies including Arm, Microsoft and Google. Most recently, I was Chief Marketing and Digital Officer for Arm, where I spearheaded the design and implementation of the marketing tech stack to jumpstart data-driven lead generation and optimize conversion rates. This has given me a greater depth of technical knowledge, which has been incredibly helpful to more effectively market complex products and technologies. Serving as both Chief Digital Officer and Chief Marketing Officer in previous roles really ignited my passion for ensuring that we deliver on the brand promise.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

During my time at Arm, a world-wide computer chip security issue was uncovered that the press called “Spectre and Meltdown.” The issue impacted the entire industry — from cloud servers to mobile phones — across major companies including Microsoft, Apple and Google. It was the first — and probably the only time — that Arm, Intel and AMD had to come together to battle this major security issue and manage downstream impact throughout the industry. The security issue got so big that we were summoned by the US Senate to testify and had to have multiple briefings with Congress and government officials in DC and the UK. I had the privilege of representing the entire computer chip industry during these public hearings. It was a surreal experience that I will never forget.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

Very early in my career I read a quote by Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal — it is the courage to continue that counts.” Failure is a universal feeling that everyone has felt at some level, and it can often lead to feeling like making a mistake can end your career. One example is when an executive I was working with was giving a keynote and cited the wrong stats during an event. They were quoted by media and in social postings. The team was in full panic mode. I started to see people try to shift the blame and figure out who made the mistake, how it happened and why nobody reviewed or double checked the stats. I made everyone pause and reminded them that the only thing that mattered was how we were going to fix it, not who made the mistake. During this current climate, it’s even more important to look forward than dwell on the past.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on your leadership style? Can you share a story or an example of that?

About 10 years ago, I read the book “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” and it really changed the way I thought about team dynamics and leadership. Prior to the book, I was focused on hiring the best people for the role instead of focusing on how they would mesh with the rest of the team. When I was building my team at Microsoft, I remember really wanting to have three particular individuals join in various roles, but I only extended an offer to two of them, because I knew that adding the third personality into the mix would create a hyper competitive and potentially dysfunctional dynamic on the team. This wasn’t an easy decision, but it was important to me to build a team that can trust each other.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

I’m really attracted to the ethos and long-term vision of Genesys, because they align directly with my personal values. Empathy is at the center of everything the company and its employees do, which is crucial during times like these. This is something that Genesys CEO, Tony Bates has worked hard to infuse into the culture since he joined the company. Although we didn’t work on the same teams, Tony and I both worked at Skype and Microsoft during the same time. Years later when he called me to come work at Genesys, it was clear that he saw an opportunity to strengthen the vision across digital marketing, sales and customer support in order to make the company a leader in the space. When we are in meetings, he is extremely committed to creating a strong culture and takes a lot of time to communicate things in order to make sure it lands well with employees. He is a big thinker and has intentions to make sure that Genesys employees and customers feel seen and heard, which is what I believe makes the company stand out.

The road to success is hard and requires tremendous dedication. This question is obviously a big one, but what advice would you give to a young person who aspires to follow in your footsteps and emulate your success?

As I was starting to progress in my career, a female CEO of the company that I worked for advised me to think about what sacrifices I could live with and what I may regret. It immediately made me think about my career and family. I asked myself if it would be okay if I didn’t have children or if I did have a family, what would I feel if my progression were stalled either due to the perception of motherhood or the demands of it? I recommend that everyone revisit their values and priorities every few years in order to weigh the sacrifices appropriately.

Often leaders are asked to share the best advice they received. But let’s reverse the question. Can you share a story about advice you’ve received that you now wish you never followed?

When I got to be a part of senior management, I asked one of the C-Suite executives to be my mentor, but she advised me to ask someone I didn’t know well to be my mentor. I was totally taken back by this and thought it sounded strange. She explained that when someone gets a mentor, you want it to be someone that can give you very objective perspectives and more importantly, you want someone to become a supporter of you. If you ask the people that already support you, you are not making progress to further your career which I thought was such a brilliant point. I realized that I had spent many years being mentored by those that already supported me and my career, and I was not taking the opportunity to expand that circle. I really wish I had known that much earlier in my professional journey.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

1. Creativity. I’m an advocate of thinking outside the box and finding unique solutions. When I was leading a digital transformation project at a company, everyone was trying to decide on one particular tool for our sales quoting. Everyone was so focused on finding one solution to pick that they missed the better question: Why not use both?
2. Risk taking. I fundamentally believe you cannot achieve greatness without being willing to take some risks. When the pandemic started, my company decided to do an event in VR to stand out among traditional virtual events. We gave VR goggles to VIP attendees and allowed all other attendees to use their smartphones with a headset adaptor. We were nervous about the attendees’ experience, but it was a home run and even allowed a lot of people to use VR for the first time!
3. Integrity. As a leader, the most important asset to success to earn the trust of your team. It’s just as important to build strong relationships as it is to lead across the business. Practicing what you preach, providing transparency and doing the right thing, even when it is hard, are keys to a successful leader.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a C-Suite executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what a C-Level executive does that is different from the responsibilities of other leaders?

C-Suite executives have a broad set of responsibilities outside of their job title. As a CMO, it’s rare that I get to work on marketing related items every day. A large portion of my day is spent doing tasks and attending meetings outside of marketing, which is crucial in order to expand how you understand the business. In a typical day, I could be helping a customer with a problem and then meet with auditors about my operating expense and how it can impact our EBIT.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive? Can you explain what you mean?

You wear many hats as a C-Suite executive. On any given day, you can be the caretaker, counselor or the cheerleader. I’m lucky to have team members and support staff so I can play these roles while also tackling my executive responsibilities that are focused on serving the needs of my team so they are successful. I also think there’s a lot of assumptions about the ways that C-Suite executives interact with people around them. An important lesson I’ve learned as a C-Suite leader is to be intentional and careful with how you communicate to make sure it doesn’t get interpreted in the wrong way. While I am trying to solicit input, I try to ask questions instead of making statements, so people feel comfortable having a voice in the final decision.

What are the most common leadership mistakes you have seen C-Suite leaders make when they start leading a new team? What can be done to avoid those errors?

One of the biggest mistakes I see is when C-Suite executives seek out a large sense of control when they come into that role. I try to only influence small changes for the first few months in order to avoid making drastic ramifications that could affect the team and other parts of the organization. It’s important to listen and learn carefully in order to understand when bigger pivots should be made quickly versus in the long term. I also think that C-Suite leaders should make it a priority to build relationships with other employees at the organization, despite title. During the pandemic, I’ve made it a point to set up 15 minute 1:1 meetings with people that may not proactively reach out to speak with me.

In your experience, which aspect of running a company tends to be most underestimated? Can you explain or give an example?

I would say the importance of IT is the most underestimated aspect of running a company. We never praise IT when everything is working, but you really hurt when things are not working — Wi-Fi, video calls, laptops, etc. It is such an important part of work but one that never gets the deserved spotlight or investment.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Began Leading From the C-Suite”? Please share a story or an example for each.

1. You don’t know everything and that is okay. I think C-Suite executives assume they need to have all the answers, but that’s not true. It’s ok to ask for help when you don’t have the answers. If I have an opinion, I always want people to challenge me, so I can consider other ideas or solutions
2. It’s not about you. There’s a lot of pressure as a C-Suite executive to stand out and constantly prove yourself as a capable and competent leader. However, it’s equally as important to remember that your role as a C-Suite executive is to give others the chance to shine and be rewarded for their hard work.
3. It’s ok to be a strong and assertive woman. As a woman, we are typically told we are being too aggressive or abrasive and need to smile more. People will always be judging your style as a female leader, but it’s perfectly okay to be an assertive and collaborative leader at the same time.
4. Pick your battles. At the C-Suite level, there are always things coming your way at once. You have to learn how to lead your team to understand what to prioritize and compromise.
5. You can have it all, just not at the same time. I try to give this advice to young people who want a career and a family. You can have both, but it’s important to be deliberate to have boundaries. Most people I know start a family right about the mid-management level, and it’s tough to meet the demands of family and work. I have missed countless moments in my children’s lives, but I am comfortable with the choices I have made in order to move my career ahead because I set boundaries at the onset for what wouldn’t work for me.

In your opinion, what are a few ways that executives can help to create a fantastic work culture? Can you share a story or an example?

Going back to my point about empathy, I think it’s important that executives create a culture where employees feel heard and respected. COVID-19 has put an immense strain on everyone across the board, and it’s really important that we take the time to make sure that employees have the support they need in order to do their best work. With the switch to a remote workforce, it hasn’t been as easy to connect with people organically around the office, so I — and other leaders — have made an intentional effort to set up quick check-ins with people to ask about their work and see if I can offer them any personal or professional support.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

One movement I’m passionate about is feeding families in need. While the pandemic supercharged the foodbanks and hunger issue, the persistent hunger of kids and families is still a problem that should be solved. I would love to find a way to leverage technology in order to make it easier to give people money to buy food for those in need.

How can our readers further follow you online?

The Genesys blog, Genesys Twitter and LinkedIn.

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!