Grateful love to @Jill Rawlings & @Terri McCormick for being my Cancer Care Leaders
Earlier this Spring we announced the 2023 Engage FedGov Honorees, a list of exceptional individuals who were nominated, evaluated, and selected by a panel of their peers, and represent leaders from across government and industry who stand out from the crowd for their willingness to drive BOLD approaches and innovative engagement strategies while supporting a culture shift across the Federal sector which values collaboration, open communication, transparency, and partnership between and across the Federal government and industry partner ecosystems.
We caught up with Alexa Tsui, VP, Digital Services Enablement with MetaPhase Consulting who shared her tips for engaging with industry in an authentic and productive way.
Lead with Levity, follow with Professionalism—but Most Importantly, SHOW UP:
Anyone who knows me knows I am always reading and/or laughing, and sometimes at the same time. Among the long-lasting lessons I’ve learned – don’t get tied up in the details, wrapped around the axel or down a rabbit hole too deep. I’m pretty known around the office for saying we are not here for a long time, we are here for a good time. Yes, we have responsibilities at work, commitments to our clients and each other, and at the end of the day we are here to do an outstanding job, but also to have fun—dale, to quote my favorite, the singer, Pitbull.
That balance of walking a line between professionalism, understanding often millions of dollars are on the line, and finding levity in the moment, helps balance the everyday stresses, for yourself and those around you—people will ALWAYS love to laugh. This is a super competitive industry so try to have some fun at the same time as thinking as strategically as possible. This is a magical place to live—right on the cusp of laughing and thinking.
Lean Towards the Positive
An essential perspective for achieving success in a fiercely competitive marketplace is embracing the principle of assuming positive intent. This lens emphasizes the significance of staying true to oneself and recognizing our shared humanity, as we all strive to perform well in our respective roles. Adopting this mindset not only shapes our own behavior but also influences how we interpret the actions and intentions of others. By assuming that everyone is genuinely aiming to do their best, we cultivate a more constructive outlook and foster healthier relationships within the competitive environment.
Sales people often get a bad reputation, so much so that GovCon coined the terms Business Development and Capture to avoid the word “sales people.” Sales is code word for “problem solver, especially in GovCon.” I am perfectly comfortable considering myself squarely in sales because I live by a code…one I learned from the pivotal book: The Go-Giver Leader: A Little Story About What Matters Most in Business which provides a framework for sales folks. One of the key takeaways is to always give more in value than you take in payment and, instead of building bigger walls, you build a bigger table. I refuse to engage in a scarcity complex way of thinking. We don’t do scarcity complex around here…There is more work, more money, more deals, more engagement and problems to solve to go around.”
Show Up Being Who you Are
MetaPhase is gaining notoriety its culture—much of which stems from Brett & Fred (the owners) directly. The most unique aspect of the culture is MetaPhase’s expectation that people show-up authentic. Fred walks in with an orange suit jacket and funky socks and will ‘dude’ someone 6 times in one sentence. I love this way of showing up. Whether through interactions with your team, with industry, or with clients, being genuine and authentic in who you are, in what you say, will give people the space to show up the same way—as themselves. There is magic in this.
There is a marketing voice, kind of like a mom voice, when people post for attention on LinkedIn. The real secret here is to provide value in your posting, to always give a portion of the secret sauce, make it saucy…ha. Also, the real real secret here is to provide value and humor when posting on other people’s content.
It’s easy to get ensconced in GovCon…never raising your head above the competitive, lucrative waters. However, I love to stay in the know on what’s popping out in the wide world. I consider it one of my differentiators. As an active member of Trends, I use its as a tool to stay informed and grounded, to know what is happening outside of GovCon. There is a tendency to follow a model of what others are doing, how others are behaving. You must find a way to have your own voice, to share your own ideas. Plus driving innovation is part of what we should be providing to this industry.
Always take the Meeting
Whether it’s the first time or the thousandth time being asked even the most basic question, I will always take the meeting. Yes, yes…you want to know which Market Intelligence Tool is best and why for the money (I get this one A LOT). If you ask, I will tell you my thoughts. Hint—it might not be what you think.
Recognizing the fundamental truth that, ultimately, we are all human, and that companies and customers are comprised of individuals, it is so important to infuse humanity into our interactions. By genuinely connecting with people’s identities and understanding their values, we can establish meaningful personal connections. By understanding the desires and concerns of our customers, partners, and anyone we engage with, we can provide the most fitting solutions. After all, isn’t really knowing people and what matters to them, connecting over those shared experiences, the whole point of what we are doing here?
In an industry famous for buzzwords, we need to spend more time talking about the now, about the mission-based challenges we can solve today. Instead of haranguing the AI topic again and again, how about we address challenges we have today? Let’s talk about the Change Management Process that needs to happen to re-work antiquated applications, move them to low-code/no code and rapidly deploy them using Agile. Let’s talk about the brass tacks of Digital Transformation…Let’s not spend time on topics that do not impact the here and now. Let’s be as action orientated as possible.
Seek and Bring Inspiration
I look to inspiration as a guiding perspective in how I see the world. I actively seek both personal inspiration and the ability to inspire others. Whether it is self-improvement or motivating those around me, I believe in raising the bar and making a positive impact to kick-start a culture movement for GovCon. This is what drives me.. No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes but if we work to leave the world better than we found it, we are at least moving in the right direction.
If you see Alexa drive by, you won’t miss it. Her licence plate reads: Inspire and her back window says ‘tell your dog I said hi’. She would be so happy if you hoked and waved! Our thanks to Alexa for sharing her advice, insight, and perhaps throwing down a subtle challenge to us all to find our own magic and the courage to live by it.
About Alexa Tsui
With almost two decades of experience in the GovCon industry, Alexa brings a wealth of knowledge to the table and she loves to share the table with people she enjoys being around. Her educational background includes a Master’s Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language and a Postgraduate Certificate in English Composition. During her time in Japan, she spent a year teaching English at the university level, an experience that greatly influenced her perspective and her love for Japanese food.
Alexa’s dedication to giving back has been acknowledged through her recent recognition as the Mentor of the Year for Consulting Women Leaders in Technology. Alongside her professional pursuits, she is an avid animal lover, hiker, and a perpetual student of leadership. Through her journey, she has also learned the importance of not taking life or herself too seriously, embracing a light-hearted journey when and where possible, wanting to do the same for others. Her many years love and appreciation for the color pink has been displaced during her recent battle with Breast Cancer, and she is now in a committed relationship with royal purple.
Want to get involved with OS AI? - A small number of Sponsorship Opportunities are now available here. Starting at $500.