AdVAncing: A Growth Mindset

Show Notes

On this episode of Are You Future Ready? AdVAncing Your Professional Development Amy Parker, VA’s Chief Learning Officer, is joined by Mr. Jeffrey Smith, who at the time of recording was the Executive Director of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Office of Talent Management, to talk about AdVAncing: A Growth Mindset.

 

During this episode, Amy and Jeff talk about how a growth mindset is essential for building a successful future as an individual and as an organization. This episode will also highlight how you can build key skills for success in any role including continual learning, strategic thinking, and problem solving through developmental opportunities like mentoring and coaching.

 

If you would like to learn more about the Office of Talent Management’s services, you can visit their website.

 

Mr. Jeffrey Smith is now the Executive Director of VBA's Office of Mission Support. We wish him success in his new role and look forward to working with Dr. Aaron Lee, who has filled the role of Executive Director of the Office of Talent Management. 

What is Are You Future Ready? AdVAncing Your Professional Development?

The Department of Veterans Affairs Human Capital Services Center proudly presents Are You Future Ready: AdVAncing Your Professional Development, a podcast about the skills you need to thrive at work and in life.

In each episode Amy Parker, VA’s Chief Learning Officer, and learning leaders from across VA will share strategies you can use to develop essential skills like emotional intelligence, problem solving, and critical thinking. Listen in as podcast guests share insights gained from leading their organizations through one of the most challenging eras in modern memory. While we cannot predict what the future holds, we can all become more future-ready by developing durable skills that empower us to confront complex problems with confidence.

Amy Parker
This is our you future ready advancing your professional development, a podcast series for anyone who wants to grow and excel in their career or in life. I'm your host, Amy Parker, the Department of Veterans Affairs chief learning officer.

Amy Parker
At the time of this recording our guest, Mr. Jeffrey Smith, was the executive director of the veterans benefits administration's Office of talent management. He is now the executive director of the VA Office of mission support. We wish him success in his new role. And look forward to working with Dr. Aaron Lee, who has recently filled the role of executive director of the Office of talent management.

Amy Parker
All right. This week, we are joined by the Executive Director for the Office of talent management, Mr. Jeffrey Smith. Welcome. Well, thank you, Amy. It's great to be here. Jeff is a newer addition to the department, but is very familiar with VA, because he served for over 23 years in the United States Coast Guard, thank you for your service.

Geoffrey Smith
Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Very proud of the service and the Coast Guard, it was a great time,

Amy Parker
dedicating 23 years of your life, to serving our nation, and continuing your career now as a public servant. First, you were at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, as we all know it, and began your career here at the VA and 2018, as the executive director of administration in facilities. Just a little more background for you, during 2020, you were called to expand on the skill set related to administration and facilities and became the executive director of something maybe a little bit different in talent management. And we're really fortunate to have you at the VA,

Unknown Speaker
a life dedicated to humanitarian service as I look at it, coming from the Coast Guard and you know, my career there, and then stepping into disaster response work in doing that for about nine years. And then coming over to the VA, again, with a very noble mission of serving our veterans. So it is great to be here

Amy Parker
are all of our listeners, the Office of talent management supports the Veterans Benefits Administration, or VBA, for short. And VBA is tasked with providing a variety of services and benefits to veterans and their families, everything from a disability compensation to education, benefits, loan services. So these are the sorts of things that when I talk about it, I get a little choked up, because these are the things that really change people's lives daily, you're working on the oversight of 26,000, va civilian staff, as well as strategic planning processes, procedures and programs. So just a couple of things, again, for VBA that are really so make it possible for those employees to serve our veterans. And I wanted to ask you, you know, maybe would you tell us a little bit more about Veterans Benefits Administration or VBA? And what kind of skills do those public servants at VBA have,

Unknown Speaker
we've got a wide variety of employees that are performing some very complex work, providing benefits on a number of levels, you know, from a disability claim, where we have staff that are reviewing medical information and making medical determinations. You know, again, very, very important and very complex type work. But then we also have the the, the benefits to your point about education. So we have educational claims, making sure that veterans that are exiting the service have the ability to go to college or get some other skill set in a trade craft. So we have claims in that regard. And then also loan guarantee, you know, folks are wanting to purchase homes use that that service as well. So lots and lots of opportunities for us to to reach out and touch the veterans. But, you know, very, very complex work, detailed work that takes time and, and a certain skill set that we need to continue to nurture.

Amy Parker
You mentioned your time, of course, serving in the Coast Guard, and how did what you learned there shape how you approach problem solving in your current role for anybody

Unknown Speaker
serving in the military. You know, it's something that helps you mature very quickly, specifically with the Coast Guard, that I think is somewhat different than some of the other branches, is there's a tremendous amount of responsibility that's placed on individuals at a very junior level in the organization. You know, that we've got Junior members of the organization that are taking small boats, you know, offshore and executing search and rescue missions, or performing law enforcement activities, that sense of responsibility that you know, gets placed on And having that really team focus in having to rely on your team members, not only to do their part, but to also provide feedback into the mission. You know, really just kind of sets the sets the tone for how you handle things going through life. Some of you may know the motto of the Coast Guard is semper paratus, always ready. So it's, it's a mindset to be in that you're, you're always making sure that you're prepared for things.

Amy Parker
Yeah, in the love what you just shared there to the the unseen initiative that the that the Coast Guard members take, also, I think about how often we've seen, you know, the Coast Guard is coming to the rescue. And similarly, maybe, you know, the benefits that VBA is providing, it really does mean the difference, quite profoundly for some of our veterans in, you know, the difference in their life that that, again, is made. So, so being always ready, do you bring that? Are you able to bring that to to VBA? Now, is that part of what you're doing, let's say with talent management?

Unknown Speaker
Well, I think, you know, the concept of always ready, could could fit just about any job that you were approached with, but specifically with Office talent management, and as most people know, you know, HR is complicated, what I've tried to bring to the organization, you know, to your point about always being ready, is, is expressing to the staff that they always have to be ready for opportunity, they have to be ready for change, they have to be ready for growth, you know, those type of things, we have got to be very flexible in our ability to adjust to our customer when they need us to.

Amy Parker
And so you're always ready with my always learning Semper disco, I think we can highlight some of the ways that you know, by being like, just like you said, being ready, and being open to learning and development can be can be so important.

Unknown Speaker
I do think it's situational, you I think in certain circumstances, people put themselves in, they go to their, their comfort zone. And that comfort zone may tend to take them into a fixed mindset type of situation. So just wanted to make make that clarity, I didn't want to make sure that anybody didn't think that you were one or the other. So

Amy Parker
yeah, so glad you said that. And talking about comfort zones. We've all been kind of naturally out of them since the pandemic started. Any tips, perhaps for our listeners? related to that, and you know, maybe maybe even your own experience through the last year, which has been so, so strange and different for us all?

Unknown Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. I agree. You know, the pandemic has been challenging on a number of levels, I've caught myself to where, you know, I get into this heads down mode, you know, and I, you know, I call it plugging and chugging, and I'm just pushing through work and pushing out emails. And I recognize that you know, what, I really need to pick my head up here, and look around and start to collaborate more, because it's very easy to do when you're sitting at home, you know, with nobody around you and, you know, nobody knocking on your door, that you just are very, very focused, and you're in the zone, and you forget that you need outside influences to help you do your job. So I would ask, I would say, you know, ask people to make sure that you're doing that self reflection and make sure that you're hopefully able to identify when you're kind of in that bunker mentality in hiding behind the computer and not collaborating. So stay focused, continue that continuous improvement, the collaboration, you know, even though, you know, we're stuck at home, to continue to move that needle.

Amy Parker
Wow, really powerful. Thank you. Yeah, we need to remember to pick up our heads and get out and collaborate with people. How do you think that relates to, to how we need to plan maybe it's not a strategic plan, like everybody thinks it's the big thing that sits on the, the shelf, but it's even, you know, just like, coming up with an approach or, or design around, moving forward?

Unknown Speaker
Well, we can't really do anything. And we can just drop off the word strategic because I think that has a negative connotation to some people. Let's just stick with the plan. You know, I do this towards the end of each fiscal year with my staff, you know, I say, okay, it's, we now need to start thinking about what we're going to do in the next fiscal year, and nobody knows better, what needs to be fixed within your organization's or within your functional areas than you. So you need to come to me and share with me what you want to fix the projects that you want. To complete, and I focus more on the goals per se, than I do, say priorities within a strategic plan. You know, we certainly need to have those, those high level priorities, but I spend most of my time, you know, at that tactical level, if you will, building the goals, because that's really what people are driving towards. That's what we're holding folks accountable for, you know, I tell him that's in your performance plan, and it's in my performance plan. So those are the things that we spend most of the time working on.

Amy Parker
Oh, you know, you're speaking my language, you know, how much I love coaching. We've talked about that before. And I worked one time, coaching an individual around, getting started on their strategic plan. And I said, Well, what if you thought about it, like, you were going on a vacation, and you have to start with where you want to end up? And so then, you know, you think about where you want to go, what you want to do when you get there? And? And how, how are you going to, you know, get in the cab, go to the airport, get on the plane, etc?

Unknown Speaker
No, absolutely. That's a very fun way to look at it. And you know, and that's kind of the other aspect. You know, we talked about the organization, but then there are, you know, self plans, you know, we talk about mapping ourselves out, you know, because a lot of people, you know, they that's the question that they ask is, you know, how do I plan out my career? How do I know you don't know what the next job I'm going to get? And, and there's really no good answer to that. You know, it's, do we really know what's going to make us happy a year from now or five years from now? Yeah, I would argue that you don't. So how do you plan for that? Well, it's it's situational, you have to continually go through this process, and reassess where your life is at at that point in time. And what your next maybe one or two moves within your career look like? And then start working towards that. But, but that's an ever changing thing for people.

Amy Parker
But setting some initial goals will help you get started on the journey. How do you know when you have the right strategy? Or the right plan for yourself? Maybe? Or even for your organization?

Unknown Speaker
Well, that's interesting. You know, I think, you know, how do you stand up on the desk and scream success? is, you know, I think it's, you really kind of measure it by agility? How agile? Are you at that point? How agile is the organization to be able to adapt? You know, we recognize that things change all the time, priorities change, customers change, you know, your personal needs change. And I think if you have gotten yourself to a point where you are agile and can spin on a dime, is kind of when you know, you know that your plan is working,

Amy Parker
staying agile, so important. And so I mentioned coaching, and I think it is it is a big part of what VBA does to what do you think about coaching and mentoring,

Unknown Speaker
until I entered the senior executive Career Development Program, I'd never had any exposure to coaching. And I can tell you, that was in 2016. And I can tell you ever since then, I have never been without a coach. And it's just been really a tremendous resource to be able to lean on and share, you know, my frustrations and challenges that I have, you know, and they just have a remarkable ability to refocus me and you know, and kind of talk about, okay, you know, what is it that's in your control? What is it that you can do, so that's my perspective on coaching love, it, will never go without it. But from a mentoring you I look at mentoring a little differently. You know, for me, mentoring, you have a formal and you have an informal, in my mind. And you know, the formal mentoring is usually you're within a leadership program, and you have a regimented agenda, and you have to read this book, and we'll discuss this chapter, that type of thing, I can tell you not a big fan of that too, personally. But then the other part which I do enjoy is that informal mentorship is being able to just sit down with somebody and and shoot the breeze with them and talk about what's bothering them talk about, you know, what their aspirations are, tell stories, in those type of things. So, again, I think mentoring is a wonderful tool for for employees. But that's kind of my perspective, from a formal and informal.

Amy Parker
I was wondering, too, in the last year and maybe giving and receiving feedback, you know, in this, you know, we're we're in a much more remote work time period right now. Yes. You know, what have you seen really work Maybe he needs a little more work?

Unknown Speaker
Well, I think it's, you're seeing mixed success across the organization, you know, just based on, you know, the supervisor and or the employee, and the type of work that they do, you know, also. So yeah, there are some people that, you know, their work is very suitable for this remote type activity. And then there are some that are struggling with it, because they do have a high level of collaboration that's required for their their business line. So I think, you know, having that, again, that constant engagement with folks to get the feedback in being part of working groups, in those type of things, that you're constantly seeking that that information, but it's also an opportunity for you to provide that to your co workers as well, you know, they're expecting the same level of feedback from you that they're giving, giving back. So like I said, I've seen some mixed success there across that, but I do think people just need to remember, to engage with each other frequently, it is a deliberate thing that you're going to have to do where it was maybe kind of a natural thing in the office, just because you were running into people. Now we have to be very deliberate about it. And you know, if that means adding a calendar item, then put it on your calendar,

Amy Parker
I was wondering if you had a particular mentor or mentee that has helped you, or influenced you,

Unknown Speaker
one of my commanding officers in the Coast Guard that I had, was very influential to me, because, you know, it was more about how he used personal power versus position power. So you know, everybody recognize that he was the commanding officer, but that was not something that he rammed down our throat every day. You know, it wasn't something he had to remind us of, he had a very strong personal power, in authenticity, where he engaged us, he took a career path like I wanted to take, and, you know, he provided me guidance. Through that process, you encouraged me through the process, and, you know, was just was just really tremendous. So I would say, he was probably the most influential person that I dealt with that I remain in contact with him today. You know, thank God for Facebook, you know, to be able to remain connected with him. And even reach out when I need to, to ask questions.

Amy Parker
Is there anything in particular you'd you'd like to say to listeners before, before we do, you know, I

Unknown Speaker
tell folks, you know, don't ever pass up an opportunity for fear of failure. You have got to get yourself in the game, and be okay with making mistakes. Because it's not the end of the world. It is about building that experience, and that self confidence that you can do these things. So don't ever pass up opportunities. You'll see people do that all the time. Oh, I don't know anything about that. I don't want to do that. Well, that's the best time you need to be engaging is when you don't know anything about it, get involved and learn something new, because it's gonna make you more marketable, more confident in the end.

Amy Parker
And that's great. That is an excellent circle back to our growth mindset. If listeners if you are wondering what it is, because I haven't done a very good job of explaining it. Jeff just nailed it. That's a growth mindset. Thank you. You're very welcome. It was a pleasure talking with you today. Yeah, likewise, I so enjoyed this. And we will also have available for listeners when they are accessing this podcast, just what you described the tools and resources that are available because we do care about every VA is learning and development journey. And so thank you again, this has been an absolute pleasure. Thanks for joining us on are you future ready advancing your professional development. To find the resources highlighted today. Check out the vantage point blog linked in this episode's show notes. If you enjoyed listening, please share this episode with a colleague friend on your LinkedIn network.