GET TO KNOW
People used to talk about work-life balance and now they talk about work-life harmony .
they ’ ve discovered that video meetings are very effective for collaboration and productivity .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
I never really get stressed because I think it ’ s a choice I can make . There ’ s a politician in Norway who said something along the lines of : ‘ There are very few things in life worth getting irritated about .’ I think that ’ s a great approach . I try to avoid getting stressed in the first place . If you worry about something you can control , that ’ s easy .
Take care of it and you shouldn ’ t have to worry anymore . If it ’ s outside of your control , there ’ s nothing you can do about it anyway , so stop worrying . Of course , that ’ s easier said than done sometimes .
People used to talk about work-life balance and now they talk about work-life harmony . What resonates with me is to manage my energy balance . It ’ s not about the hours , it ’ s not about the stress , it ’ s about having fun , it ’ s about having energy and getting energy . When I ’ m not working , I don ’ t work . I really disconnect when I ’ m off .
If you could go back and change one career decision what would it be ?
Nothing . I feel very fortunate to have been given lots of opportunities . One thing I ’ ve learned in life is that when doors open , go through them . When you do , new opportunities come up . You need to look forward and I always try to do that .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
In general , the video industry is booming . With services like Zoom and Microsoft Teams , it was easy to start using video on your laptop .
But I think after doing that for a while during the pandemic , people now realize that isn ’ t an ideal way to experience video . People get tired of sitting hunched over a laptop so they ’ re looking for a better video experience .
That ’ s driven growth in the importance of the device , and that ’ s Neat . Between new players like Neat and established companies , there is a lot of investment in this area . Innovation from companies like Neat also extends to growth in other areas , such as the channel , who recognize the opportunity for additional services and offerings around these video device deployments .
What are the region-specific challenges when implementing new technologies in North America ?
One challenge is that CIOs need to think about the problems they ’ re trying to solve . What are the important ones and the not-so important ones ? People are confused and not sure what they ’ re trying to do .
We see customers ask us for things that they asked for five years ago , 10 years ago . People are creatures of habit . They like to do things the way they ’ ve always done it . We inspire a lot of our customers by showing them a path that they haven ’ t thought about before . I think people need to ask : ‘ What are we really trying to do and how can we find the right company or the right vendors or the right services to help us deliver that ?’
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months ?
My job role changes a lot because a year ago my company was a fourth of the size it is today . My role has changed in terms of how involved I can be in the details . I need to trust our Neaters and empower them to take the business to the next level . Our growth has been five times year over year so next year we ’ re going to be a lot bigger than we are now and my role will continue to evolve .
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
Focus on the job and responsibility you have and do your best in that role . Always be supportive of people around you . Always be helpful and have a focus on how you can make the team or the business successful .
Never focus on the role that you want to go after . I ’ ve seen that create the wrong incentive , the wrong focus . I believe if you do a great job , show yourself as a team player , show yourself as someone who really cares about the mission of the team , you will naturally evolve into a leader or a more senior role . Opportunities will arise . p
80 INTELLIGENTCIO NORTH AMERICA www . intelligentcio . com