CEO Dan Helfrich To Team: ‘In Choosing Between Our Firm And You, Choose You’
When Dan Helfrich was hired by Deloitte Consulting early in his career, he had to square something very important with his employer right off the bat. Helfrich had played soccer at Georgetown and loved the experience so much he wanted to continue to serve as the program’s play-by-play announcer.
“At Georgetown, I said to the athletic director, “Let’s be one of the first athletic departments that streams games, and how about me as the voice of the Hoyas?” Helfrich recounts. “When I got to Deloitte, I told them, ‘This is something that’s important to me,’ and fast forward 20 years, I’ve only missed one game broadcasting.”
He’s also climbed the corporate ladder, advancing from mid-level manager to CEO, so he’s now in a position to use this experience of being true to his passions as a model for leading his growing team of 85,000 professionals at one of the largest professional services organization in the country.
“I’m always saying to my team, ‘I need you to believe that we want you to focus on your own well being and your own passions, even more than Deloitte’s,’” says Helfrich. “If you are choosing between you and the firm, choose you. I did it, and it wasn’t career limiting.”
Helfrich is deliberate in his frequent debunking of the phrase “career limiting” to describe behaviors commonly thought to undermine our advancement potential, such as asking the wrong question in a meeting or admitting you have commitments outside the workplace.
“We believe that people who are making the choice of our firm over themselves, either they or their family members end up resenting the place, and it’s not a recipe for productivity or longevity,” observes Helfrich. “As our captain, I want productive people who have longevity and who bring joy and balance to the teams that they lead on a daily basis.”
Leaders looking to improve productive work-life balances with their teams will enjoy Helfrich’s bold vision, including:
Yet another advantage of encouraging employees to show up as their authentic selves is that it allows Deloitte to recruit a rich tapestry of people. “And I think that’s a beautiful thing,” says Helfrich. “We have an incredibly diverse workforce in every way, the skills and talents people have. If we didn’t view culture as living and breathing, we wouldn’t be a place that feels like home for as wide a range of people as we do.”
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
