Navigating the Remote Workforce: Amanda Fajak of Walking the Talk Division of ZRG On Strategies for Growing a Geographically Dispersed Organization
An Interview With Rachel Kline
Be aligned on your purpose and culture. Why we exist — helping organizations and people thrive is core to why we do our work at ZRG’s Walking the Talk and this combined with very strong behavioral characteristics of customer centricity, and teamwork means that people who join us feel connected, and that no matter where they are in the world, they are part of the Walking the Talk team.
An increasing number of organizations are tapping into the global talent market and building semi, or fully remote workforces distributed far and wide. While harnessing diverse talent can be a boon for innovation, this operational model is not without its challenges. In this series we ask seasoned HR and operations professionals and leaders about what it takes to run a geographically dispersed organization. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Fajak, CEO of the Walking the Talk Division of ZRG.
Amanda Fajak is CEO for Walking The Talk, a ZRG company. An expert in culture transformation with over 25 years’ experience in culture management and creating the workplaces of the future, Amanda consults on how to build corporate culture as a strategic asset to clients ranging from start-up organizations to some of the largest multinational companies in the world. She continually challenges the status quo through applied research into the future of work and innovative product design and shares her expertise with clients on these topics.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Before we drive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
My background is in psychology, and then I started working in marketing and branding back in the late 1990s, at the time when organizations were taking their external brand internal by creating internal values. I became incredibly passionate about creating alignment between purpose, strategy, the external customer experience and how people behave internally within an organization. I subsequently spent many years working with companies during the privatization period in the UK when railways, airports, post offices, etc. had to shift from being traditional government-based organizations to commercial enterprises. This time of significant strategic change required people to think and behave in fundamentally different ways to drive business success. Creating that shift is how I started my work on culture and catalyzed a realization that culture is a superpower to unleash performance.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I’m not sure it’s funny but certainly my biggest mistake was believing that shortcuts can fully deliver results. I learned very quickly that there are no shortcuts in life! Trying to please those who value speed over impact means you compromise. For me, I compromised on the time executive teams were investing to lead and personally transform culture. I am now crystal clear with executives that they are not ready to transform their culture until they are ready to invest the time and effort to transform themselves, as the culture is merely a shadow of them.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
I reflect a lot on this. Early in my career I worked in a highly male-dominated organization, and during that time had a senior executive who believed in me, what I did and my potential. He then actively credentialized me. In doing so he gave me license and confidence to act. I am incredibly lucky for having that sponsor and it set such a strong foundation of confidence that it has meant that I have never felt held back or inhibited by the fact that I am a woman.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how it was relevant in your life?
“Luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation” (attributed to Roman philosopher Seneca)
So much of culture transformation (and life for that matter) is about grasping opportunities. When I think back on my career, the places I’ve had the biggest impact is where I’ve done the hard work, laid the foundations and then seized the day when opportunity struck — whether that be a change of leadership, a reputational issue or a macro market event. That balance of hard work and grasping opportunity has led to transformation and I think, personally, has been the secret of my success in life.
Thinking back on your own career, what would you tell your younger self?
I would tell myself nobody has all the answers. I remember spending so much time early in my career, staying quiet, stepping back, thinking “I don’t know, I don’t have all the answers,” and then I suddenly realized that nobody has all the answers. The best we can do is to put forward our perspective with good logic, thought and insight. Actually, I would say to myself: “Your opinion is just as important as anybody else’s.” I wish I’d learned that a little earlier in life!
Let’s now move to the central part of our interview. What are your “Top Five Strategies for Growing a Geographically Dispersed Organization”?
1 . Be aligned on your purpose and culture. Why we exist — helping organizations and people thrive is core to why we do our work at ZRG’s Walking the Talk and this combined with very strong behavioral characteristics of customer centricity, and teamwork means that people who join us feel connected, and that no matter where they are in the world, they are part of the Walking the Talk team.
2 . Find common ways of working. At ZRG’s Walking the Talk, we have a clear core methodology; everybody who comes into our organization gets inducted and trained on that. This methodology has operated as the backbone that drives our work and keeps everybody connected. It creates a language, it creates an experience, and allows us to feel like one organization irrespective of where we are in the world. We really don’t just walk the walk, we’re proud that everyone in our organization is walking the talk.
3 . Have an international mindset. The skill of building a geographically dispersed organization is being deeply respectful of each geography. You need to become highly skilled at thinking about time zones, languages, national cultures, holidays, etc. and ensuring that the way you interact, run meetings and connect is reflective of all geographies.
4 . Think about the message your systems send. For example at ZRG’s Walking the Talk, we’ve deliberately kept a global P&L because we didn’t want to create division based on regional lines. It’s very easy for companies to splinter geographically because people relate most closely to those physically around them. Thinking about your big systems and how they drive geographical silos or create connections is key.
5 . Create community. We have over 100 people spread worldwide and very few of those people are in the same location, so creating community and connection becomes important as well as being thoughtful around how you keep everyone, not just those in hubs, feeling equally a part of your organization.
Tell us a bit about your workforce, where are your people based?
We have people all over the world. Our 100+ associates stretch from Sydney to London to Sao Paolo and New York. We are on every continent apart from Antarctica!
Why did you decide on a remote model, how has it benefited your organization?
Walking the Talk has been operating as a business for nearly 15 years and we have always had a remote model, using Skype and Teleconference before the days of MS Teams and Zoom. What this allowed us to do is work with large global organizations from day one. It also meant that we were able to pivot incredibly quicky during COVID and helped us build the remote working muscle in many of our clients.
What are the main challenges of operating a remote workforce and what strategies do you use to overcome them?
I believe almost anything can be done remotely and that by building a muscle of creating a connection across people across the world there are few barriers. Having said that, there are moments in relationships and the organizational lifecycle when coming together deepens understanding, catalyzes innovation and builds goodwill — taking relationships and organization achievement to another level.
Which tools do you utilize to help run a remote company?
We have used a plethora of tools over the years but we find that WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams and Zoom are definitely cornerstones of communication — particularly as 99% of our clients are using the same.
What strategies do you use to find, attract, and hire remote talent?
We use our ZRG network — we are part of a search firm after all! We also use referrals extensively and LinkedIn as a main avenue to connect into the marketplace. Also, due to our reputation within the industry we are fortunate to have a lot of highly skilled and passionate people contacting us because they’d love to join our journey. I am pleased to say that many have become part of our team and our story.
What are your 3 main tips for leaders who want to build a geographically dispersed workforce?
- Remain conscious and thoughtful about how people connect.
- Be conscious about how you treat and interact with the people who are face-to-face and the people you aren’t — be careful not to create a 2-class system.
- Don’t underestimate the power of purpose and culture as a unifying force.
We are very blessed to have some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have a private lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this.
Without a doubt Jacinda Arden. I find her ability to balance purpose, strength and empathy extraordinary. She took a tiny country and propelled it onto the world stage, she set the benchmark around how a leader could respond to tragic and unfathomable challenges with strength and compassion, and she did that whilst becoming a mom!
How can our readers further follow your work?
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/walking-the-talk
- Walking the Talk Website: https://www.walkingthetalk.com/en-us/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/walkingthetalktaylor
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
