Leadership Reflections

On my work in the CEO Office of a leading process mining company as M&A Integration Special Projects Senior Leader

1. Introduction

The concept ‘Striking a balance’ of the course ‘Management Praxis I’ of the University of Cambridge offers four elements to define my work experience with one of the worldwide leading process mining companies (see Fig. 1): Task, Environment, People, and Me. (Goodall, 2020, Unit 6) The concept comprises the M&A Integration project, the process mining company client, and project delivery in the element ‘Task’. The element ‘Environment and Context’ is described as the company, professors, and the university. The element ‘People’ consists of the company’s Integration team. The fourth element is the individuum, ‘Me’.

In the following reflection, I will apply the concept ‘Striking a balance’ to present a chronological account to my work experience with the leading process mining company. I will analyse the most important factors to highlight the experiences and challenges, learning outcomes, and considerations from my work for the future. I will analyse major experiences at an individual level and discuss key challenges at the group level.

Firstly, I will describe each major experiences and challenges in detail (see Fig. 2). Secondly, I will define the research concept, explain its relevance to the experiences and challenges, and describe how applying the concept helps me to understand the experiences and challenges. Thirdly, I provide a critical reflection and discuss the key learning outcomes.

2. Work brief of the process mining company

2.1. Aim of work

The aim of my project was to develop a Post-Merger Integration Blueprint (PMI) and train the Integration team for the company’s increasing M&A activities (see Fig. 3).

2.2. Role in my work

My role was the role of a Special Projects Senior Leader in the CEO office of the company, working closely with the CEO, his office team, and the newly created PMI team. My responsibilities span the development of a PMI Playbook and the training of the PMI team on M&A Integration to create Integration capabilities. My project consisted of a three-step workstream plan, comprising state-of-the-art research and insights generation through stakeholder interviews, blueprint development, and validation with stakeholders (see Fig. 4). I ensured the quality of the final deliverable, the case studies for external PMI sales pitches and internal PMI Playbook, through internal stakeholder interviews and reviews.

3. The process mining company’s work context

3.1. Understanding of process mining sector

3.1.1. Overview

The sector in which the process mining company operates is the process mining industry. Process mining aims to help companies to gain visibility of processes; whereby, it provides an understanding of work of an organization from an end-to-end perspective based on business outcomes. Process mining was first defined as visualization and analysis of event logs, using algorithms and mathematical procedures. Today, it consists of capabilities for process modelling, process improvement, process monitoring, and corrective action enablement.

3.1.2. Market size and growth

The global process mining market has a size of approx. $566.5m and is forecasted to grow to about $5.4bn by 2024, growing by 57% CAAGR. (NelsonHall. 2020, p. 9) Since the COVID-19 crisis reduced spending in certain segments, the market experienced a slower than initially projected growth in revenues in 2020. In the next years, the market is expected to return to higher levels of investment in improving processes.

Europe is the largest process mining market with 56%, followed by the U.S. at 33% and APAC at 21%. The U.S. is expected to be the fastest-growing region despite the pandemic. Financial services is the largest sector, accounting for 34% of the market. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare sector was expected to be fast-growing; that growth will probably be increased to become one of the fastest-growing sectors. Opportunities will lie in identifying processes to improve patient outcomes and reduce treatment waste.

3.2. The process mining company’s positioning within process mining sector

The process mining company is one of the leaders in the process discovery and mining market (see Fig. 5). The positioning reflects the process mining company’ ability to meet both future client requirements and delivering immediate benefits to its process mining clients.

The process mining company offers Intelligent Business Cloud, an all-in-one platform that delivers process analysis, process monitoring, process collaboration, corrective action enablement, and Machine Learning Engine.

3.3. Fit of my work into context

To analyse how my role fitted into the sector and the process mining company’s positioning in the sector, I applied the ‘Guiding Framework’ of the lecture ‘Organisational Behaviour’ from the University of Cambridge. (Stiles, 2020, Unit 1) The ‘Guiding Framework’ provides a model and framework to analyse the question across four elements (see Fig. 6): direction (Direction and strategy), leadership and people development (Human capital), structure and culture (Organisational capital), and relationships (Social capital).

Firstly, the direction and strategy are defined by the organisation’s strategy and its divisional business strategies and their alignment with each other and the group. It corresponds to the process mining company’s business model as a hypergrowth company with +120% revenue increase each year: ambition, market and competitor, customer segment and channel, and value proposition and brand. First, the ‘Ambition’ of the company with approx. 1,000 employees is to develop its leadership position in the process mining market. Second, the company’s ‘Markets’ are defined as process discovery and mining as well as execution management system market. The market and competitor analysis evaluates the process mining market as a fast-growing, highly attractive market and the process mining company with the leader positioning in that market. Third, in the ‘Clients and channels’ sub-element the process mining company’ target customer segment is the Fortune 500 companies, and the company has approx. 700 clients. Its ‘Channels’ are 75% direct sales and the remaining 25% are indirect sales with partners; with ca. 170 partners in its ecosystem. The customer segment and channel analysis reviews the existing 700 clients and potential new customer segments. Fourth, the ‘Proposition and brands’ sub-factor’s objective is to pioneer the executive management system market. The value proposition and brand analysis assesses the company’s business strength.

Using the ‘Guiding Framework’, the ‘Leadership and people development’ element helps to explain the question how my role fitted into the context. The element contains how much, how good, and how engaged has talent to be to execute the direction. In my role as a Special Projects Senior Leader in the CEO Office, I was hired as talent to execute the direction. To expand its market leader position, the CEO developed an inorganic growth strategy. His M&A strategy contained the acquisition of start-ups to complement the process mining company’ core product and build a comprehensive process mining product suite. I was responsible to help him expand the process mining company’s leadership position by advising him how best to integrate the acquired start-ups into the organisation.

4. Goals and objectives for personal and professional development

4.1. Goals for development of technology and leadership skills

I expected the work to accelerate my goals for my personal and professional development. I thought that the work would give me the opportunity to sharpen my technology and leadership skills due to the start-up’s pure tech environment and learn to fail forward fast because of its hypergrowth setting.

First, I expected the project to bring me closer to my goal to become a world-class, influential technology expert and leverage technology to influence the world. My goal was to have true influence to further the interests of Women in Technology in the company and the tech industry and to impact the thoughts of those outside of tech in the regional hub. I wanted to influence, educate, and empower the stakeholder’s — users, start-ups, the industry, universities, research institutions, the local governments — thoughts on Cloud, AI, cybersecurity, and social issues.

Second, I wanted to hone my tacit and tangible leadership skills that are harder to learn for me because there are fewer senior female role models in my previous industry through the work. I planned to learn these less tangible leadership skills, like how I persuade, how I influence, how I command a room during the work. My goal was to beef up the hard and soft skills thoughtful leaders in the tech industry need.

Long-term, I want to found my own predictive analytics start-up to change the world one technological achievement after another. I aim to be a successful entrepreneur and will build my business in predictive analytics and big data to fulfil my personal goals and seek investors with similar goals. My goal is to make the transition from a tactical to a strategic orientation so that I can begin to build crucial capabilities and resources. I plan to examine three areas — resources, organisational capabilities, and my personal role — to evaluate my ability to carry out my strategies.

Therefore, I expected the work to offer me learning in a real-world business situation and to turn my idea into a successful business as well as teach me valuable entrepreneurial skills by working closely with the inspirational Founders and CEO who founded the process mining company ten years earlier.

5. Work experience

5.1. Experience and challenges and key learning outcomes

To describe the experience and challenges I faced and reflect on the key learning outcomes from my work experience, I applied different frameworks from the ‘Management Praxis I’ course of the University of Cambridge. (Goodall, 2020)

5.2. Experience and challenges 1: Grain credibility and build good relationships first

The first experience I faced was to gain credibility as a trusted advisor whom my CEO and his leadership team calls for opinions and solutions to be able to execute on the Integration task when work gets dense towards the deadline. With that in mind, I resolved to building solid relationships through my strategic communication at the beginning of the Integration project.

5.2.1. Description of concept

To analyse my experience to build good relationships first and then to execute on the project, I applied the ‘The Project Funnel’ from the course ‘Management Praxis I’. (Goodall, 2020, Unit 1) The concept divides project work into two phases (see Fig. 7). Successful project work is based on a first ‘Build to learn’ phase in which the foundations of good teamwork are built to execute on the task in a second ‘Build to deliver’ phase.

5.2.2. Application of concept

In the first phase of the project, I applied the facilitative leadership concept to build the foundations of the teamwork. This meant for me that I resisted the time pressure, generated ideas with the CEO Office team, ‘framed’ the task jointly, supported, involved, ‘shut up’ and listened when needed, and checked the assumptions on the ‘black box’ target with the other team members. My goal in the first phase was to fail fast during information uncertainty, test in sub-groups for speed, and test options with the team. Several pit stops offered the possibility for the team and me to check the assumptions of our testable hypotheses on the unknown unknowns in the Integration.

In the second phase, I used the concept of directive leadership to execute on the Integration task. This meant that I set clear roles, used systems, established rules, defined targets, controlled their delivery, and applied efficiency to efficiently work towards the tight project deadline.

5.2.3. Personal reflection

I thought that there would be a danger if I skipped the relationship building for good teamwork at the start of the project funnel. This would have let to the point that we did not share the same goal before my team split workstreams and worked towards the deadline.

5.2.4. Learning outcomes

My key learning outcomes were where to put in or hold back my energy when I was the driver, analytical, or the expressive person in the cross-functional stakeholder groups across the different phases of the project.

5.3. Experience and challenges 2: Stakeholders had their own agenda

The second challenge I faced was that all stakeholders had their own agenda. The Integration Senior Leader tried to distinguish himself in his new role. He was accustomed to running his own show which made the team stuck, so I figured I would fail if I could not get him on my side. I resolved to make helping him a priority. In my first weeks, I focused on achieving small wins on issues that had long been thorns his sides.

5.3.1. Description of concept

To analyse the challenge that all stakeholders had their own agenda, I used the ‘Task-Group-Individual Needs Model’ from the course ‘Management Praxis I’. (Goodall, 2020, Unit 2) The model illustrates the challenge of the interdependence between being an individual and a team member (see Fig. 8). The model states three types of needs in a team: individual needs, group needs, and task needs. In dysfunctional teams, instead, one or more of three different needs dominate and make the team stuck.

5.3.2. Application of concept

Individual Needs

When we got stuck in the ‘Individual needs’ I realised that the team was full of competing, unresolved individual interests and needs. The Integration Senior Leader had his own agenda and executed on it. I asked myself what my identity and role as well as power and influence is. I had to figure out if I would be accepted, they would be friendly, and I would be good enough. My ‘Individual needs’ were reassurance, respect, a full-time job in the industry, fun, and a successful project delivery, but also to satisfy the CEO and to learn.

When my ‘Individual needs’ clashed with the others’ ‘Individual needs’, I wanted to achieve to strengthen my position as a technology expert in the tech industry through this work. For me it was interesting to support the CEO executing his growth strategy. The close collaboration with the top management, the execution of important top-level decisions, and to work with the leader in its industry motivated me. I liked to learn from the CEOs how they founded and hyper-scaled their start-up and their general management approach.

At the beginning, I did not understand what my team members wanted out of this project. The Integration Senior Leader was running his own show to distinguish himself in his new role. He blocked information and tried to pull my work on. In addition, I did not know what roles I could have played and I would have liked to play. But I had a clear vision what I wanted from this project: a successful project delivery and a satisfied CEO, to strengthen my leadership experience, get a job in the tech industry, and strengthen my network.

Group needs

We did not get stuck in the ‘Group needs’ because the team was not too extremely comfortable and harmonious instead tough conversations about the task were possible. Since ‘Group needs’ were balanced, no major process losses occurred on the project. The communication was clear and positive. The CEO and his team offered a safe space, the team was supportive, and I felt protected and it was fun to work with them.

Task needs

We did not get stuck in ‘Task needs’ because the team did not focus too much on processes, procedures, and systems. Otherwise, the team members could have felt that they were not getting much attention and the group would have felt ‘cold’ and uninviting, and this in turn would have had a negative impact on performance. To sum up, task needs — around processes, procedures, and systems — were in balance. The team worked efficient, calculated, and used frameworks to structure the work, systems, and procedures.

5.3.3. Personal reflection

I thought that there would be a danger if I skipped the relationship building for good teamwork at the start of the project funnel. This would have let to the point that we did not share the same goal before my team split workstreams and worked towards the deadline.

5.3.4. Learning outcomes

My key learning outcomes were to recognize the different stakeholders’ individual needs in a dysfunctional team and their interdependence. In future projects, I will make helping my senior stakeholders a priority and focus on achieving small wins on issues that had long been thorns their sides to get them on my side.

5.4. Experience and challenges 3: Build an effective team to produce high-quality deliverables

The third experience and challenge I faced was to build an effective M&A Integration team to deliver a predictable, reliable high-quality Integration project as result. With that in mind, I focused on managing the project processes, specifically at the beginning on the organisational context of the company, during the team work on the emerging team conflicts, and as an outcome on the team member satisfaction.

5.4.1. Description of concept

To analyse the challenges of building an effective team and to produce a high-quality project deliverable, I applied the ‘IPO Team Model’ from the course ‘Management Praxis I’ of Cambridge University. (Goodall, 2020, Unit 2) The ‘Input-process-output model of team effectiveness’ illustrates the effectiveness of a team (see Fig. 9). The model states three stages of team processes: inputs, team process, and outputs.

5.4.2. Application of concept

Inputs

First, to build an effective team, I determined in the first input stage the diversity and the difference in the team through the team set-up and the design of the project task according to the CEO’s needs. In addition, I was aware that the senior stakeholders’ generous client behaviours and the Integration team members’ diverse knowledge, skills, attitudes, and cultures defined the inputs to the project processes. I realized that the effectiveness of my team was also influenced by the potency of the team itself. Specifically, I had to manage the organisational context of the three stakeholders — company, the professors, and the university — to deliver high-quality results.

Team processes

To produce high-quality results, I laid the foundation for the process effectiveness in the second stage, the team processes. In this stage I defined ‘how’ to deliver the Integration process. I managed the process losses and led the project process. Specifically, we agreed upon team objectives, established a high reflexivity within our team, agreed on how decisions were made, who were in charge of the team leadership, and how team conflicts were overcome.

Outputs

In the third phase, the outputs phase, my team delivered a predictable reliable high-quality result which achieved high client satisfaction of the CEO. As further outputs I can say that the team performed good, the team members were satisfied, the team members have grown throughout the project, and that it was a viable and innovative team.

5.4.3. Personal reflection

I thought that there would be a danger to produce a high-quality Integration final deliverable if I would not have focused on managing the project processes. Therefore, I tried to get a good understanding of the organisational context at the beginning of the project, mitigated the emerging team conflicts early during the project, and was focused on achieving a high team member satisfaction as an outcome.

5.4.4. Learning outcomes

My key learning outcomes were that a team can only be effective and produce high-quality results if all three steps from inputs through team processes to outputs are properly managed.

5.5. Experience and challenges 4: Use power efficiently to lead and not manage the project

The fourth experience I faced was to lead versus to simply manage the Integration project. While working with the Integration team, I realized that the team did not want to be managed through directives. Therefore, I used my power efficiently by aligning the team on common Integration goals to successfully lead the project.

5.5.1. Description of concept

To analyse the experience that my team refused to be managed, I applied the concept of ‘Power and Leadership’ from the ‘Management Praxis I’ course of the University of Cambridge. (Goodall, 2020, Unit 5) The concept defined how to lead and use power effectively (see Fig. 10). The key to success is that there must be clear, shared objectives and strategy.

5.5.2. Application of concept

According to the model, power follows the information relevance along the GRIP model: goals, roles, internal and external interfaces, and process. This means that on the Integration project, I first aligned the goals so that all senior stakeholders shared the same objectives. I also established clear roles for my team members to assign ownership who does what to achieve these objectives. I defined the interfaces of the team; that means I clearly stated how to join up team activities and who works closely. I discussed both internal interfaces between team members and external such as between the Chief of Staff and the university. I led the project process to connect these objectives, roles, and interfaces. I aligned my team on how we monitor progress for example in an Excel and a Gantt chart, communicate progress for instance through flash meetings, minutes, and Google Docs, and run meetings e.g., how many and how long.

5.5.3. Personal reflection

I thought that there would be a danger that my team would lose ownership if I would have managed the project through directive. Therefore, I hold them accountable by aligning them on the common goal to deliver the Integration.

5.5.4. Learning outcomes

My key learning outcomes were that the success of the project depends on leading the teamwork at the start of the project funnel and using power efficiently to align on shared goals before the team split into workstreams and worked towards the deadline.

6. Considerations for the future

6.1. Reflection on points which I could have done differently

What I would have done differently is to set and manage expectations, build solid relationships, step outside my competence, and define and measure.

6.1.1. Managing expectations

First, I should have done better in setting and managing expectations. It is widely known that 80% of problems at work come from a lack of clear expectations. During the first week, I got an invitation to a first meeting with the CEO. I did not do a great job of getting and setting clear expectations with the Chief of Staff during the first week because I did not know that this was expected from me at this meeting with the CEO. This resulted in some unnecessary dissonance with the Chief of Staff. The day before that meeting I got behind the goals of this meeting and managed to do a better job in defining expectations, leading to a much smooth collaboration with the CEO.

The key learning outcome is to have early conversations with the CEO and Chief of Staff I work closely with, trying to understand what is important to them, at which time, and what their mental models are.

6.1.2. Build solid relationships with my team

Second, what I could have done better is to build solid relationships with the CEO’s Office team. I was so heads-down interviewing the business and functional stakeholders in the first project phase that I forgot to look around me in the Office team. By learning how my close colleagues view the world and educating them on how M&A Integration works, I would have built healthy relationships and trust. Instead, the risk was high that separation quickly emerged as everyone of us just focuses on their own thing.

The takeaway is that leveraging rituals, such as 1:1s and intra-Office meetings, to foster my understanding of my colleagues’ priorities and help them understand the respective Integration trade-offs.

6.1.3. Step outside my competence zone

Third, I should have done better is stepping out of my competence because the high-calibre cross-functional M&A Integration project required it. What is hitting the Engineering team and is that trickling down to the Product Integration? How do we know we are moving in the right direction with the Integration? I learned the hard way on the M&A Integration project that when I was part of the CEO Office team, being at least literate in all these is non-negotiable.

The key learning outcome for me is to use self-awareness to gauge which adjacent topics I need to improve on. I identified the colleagues like the Chief of Staff and the Integration Senior Leaders that can help fill in those gaps and made a conscious decision to spend time around them.

6.1.4. Define and measure project delivery better

Fourth, what I could have done better is to define and measure the project delivery better. While I was aware that every Integration team inevitably goes through different stages of development, it took me time in the first weeks to realize the importance of monitoring high-level team metrics for speed and quality of delivery of the Integration project. With them, I would have been proactive in addressing problems and consistently communicating progress both to the cross-functional team and the CEO. The key learning outcome is to objectively show someone outside of the Integration how well my Integration team is doing and trending over time.

The project reminded me that growth mindset is crucial in a hypergrowth company. This means I am conscious that I was not able to set expectations, build relationships with all, step outside my competence, and measure at the beginning of the project yet. Now that I am aware and can give it another, better try next time.

6.2. Reflections on how experience moved me closer to long term goals

The work brought me closer to my short-term goals for my personal and professional development. It sharpened my technology and leadership skills because I had the opportunity to work in a pure tech start-up and its hypergrowth accelerated my learning curve.

The my work brought me closer to my goal to become a technology expert and leverage technology to influence the world. I also achieved my goal to have influence to further the interests of Women in Technology in the company and the tech industry in the regional hub. I acted as a public speaker at one of the leading women careers conferences in the regional hub. In addition, I achieved my goal to beef up the hard and soft skills thoughtful female leaders in the tech industry need. I learned these less tangible leadership skills through the project work like how I persuade high level stakeholder, how I influence cross-functional team members, and how I command a room when the Integration discussions escalated.

6.3. Reflection how experience affect my professional life in the future

The my work will affect my life in the future because it brought be closer to my goal to be a successful entrepreneur in predictive analytics. The my work offered me the opportunity to learn in a real-world business situation and to turn my idea into a successful business. I was taught valuable entrepreneurial skills because I worked closely with the Founders and CEOs.

By collaborating with the CEO, I was taught how to fulfil my personal goals and seek investors with similar goals such as they did to gain a Decacorn valuation. They taught my how to make the transition from a tactical to a strategic orientation so that I can begin to build crucial capabilities and resources like they did by hyper-growing their start-up by 120% each year. I discussed with the CEOs how to evaluate my ability to carry out my strategies by examining three areas — resources, organisational capabilities, and my personal role.

6.4. Conclusion on how I will build on experience in the future

In conclusion, I will build on this experience by continuing to strengthen my technology and leadership skills and working towards my goal to be a successful entrepreneur in the future.

7. References

Goodall, K. (2020) ‘Key Themes’, Management Praxis Lecture slides Unit 1.

Goodall, K. (2020) ‘IPO Team Model’, Management Praxis Lecture slides Unit 2.

Goodall, K. (2020) ‘Power and Leadership, Leaders versus Senior Leaders’, Management Praxis Lecture slides Unit 5.

Goodall, K. (2020) ‘Striking a balance’, Management Praxis Lecture slides Unit 6.

Goodall, K. (2020) ‘Task, environment, people, me’, Management Praxis Lecture slides Unit 6.

Goodall, K. (2020) ‘Task-Group-Individual Needs Model’, Management Praxis Lecture slides Unit 2.

Goodall, K. (2020) ‘The Project Funnel, Management Praxis Lecture slides Unit 1.

NelsonHall (2020) NEAT Evaluation for the process mining company: Process Discovery & Mining, June 2020.

Stiles, P. (2020) ‘Organisational Behaviour: A Guiding Framework’, ‘Organisational Behaviour’ Lecture Unit 1.

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