Christine Washburn of Berkshire Grey: Why It’s So Important To Give Your Team The Flexibility To Experiment
By: Alexandra Spirer
Tags: Sheroes, Startup, Executives, Women In Business, AI

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I am not your typical high-tech Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in that I started my career in politics rather than marketing. I also never formally studied marketing in school. Right out of college, I worked as a speechwriter and press secretary to the Chairman of the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance in Washington, DC. I moved to the Boston area to be with my soon-to-be-husband and got into high-tech marketing simply because that’s where the jobs were. I soon discovered that promoting people and issues were not that different from promoting products.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

I started my latest role in May of this year and because of COVID-19, I onboarded remotely and have not been in the office since I interviewed. Several members of the executive team also started at the same time. As a result, very few of us have ever met face-to-face. With that said, we’ve been able to build relationships over Zoom and work productively over the last few months. I’ve also hired contractors, third-party agencies and even new team members remotely — something I never thought I would be able to do without looking someone in the eye. COVID-19 has created a very different and newly flexible office environment that will probably influence company operations for years to come.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Early in my career on my first trip to Asia, I made the mistake of checking my bag. When I arrived in Japan, my bag was still in transit in New Jersey and not scheduled to arrive in Japan until evening of the next day. Since I had to make a presentation first thing the next morning, I immediately hit the hotel shops with the hope of getting something more professional than the slouchy sweater and jeans I’d worn on the plane. At 5’7 with size 9/9.5 feet, I was much larger than the average Japanese woman. Many of the storekeepers laughed at me when I walked in telling me I was “too big” to fit and waving me away. Fortunately or unfortunately, the only store that offered a business suit in my size was an Italian designer. When the sales assistant showed me the exchange rate for the price in dollars for the one suit that fit me, I almost fainted. In fact, I ended up having to call the president of my company to authorize the purchase of the suit as I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to expense it and I would have never purchased such an extravagant piece of clothing for myself. The shoes were even worse. The big joke around my company that year was that they had to choose between funding the annual holiday party and buying my wardrobe. Needless to say, I still have the suit! In terms of what I learned from that trip, as someone who has travelled extensively since then, I always try to keep my bag with at least one change of clothing with me.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

While I have never had a real mentor, I am grateful to a boss early in my career who taught me how to successfully ask for and get things in business. Initially, I went to him with an emotional request to hire an assistant. He turned me down flat. And, while I didn’t like his answer, he made a point of giving me a second chance, telling me to frame the ask in terms of what the new hire could do for the business rather than why I deserved to have someone reporting to me. I stewed for a bit and then walked back into his office. This time, in making the new hire request, I quantified the additional work I could get done (including one of his pet projects), the money I could save on outside services, and bang, I got approval. It sounds so simple but he helped me understand the importance of always framing requests and what I do in terms of business impact.

In my work, I often talk about how to release and relieve stress. As a busy leader, what do you do to prepare your mind and body before a stressful or high stakes meeting, talk, or decision? Can you share a story or some examples?

I have several different remedies. I’m a runner so can usually work through thorny problems on a long run. At night, I read to relax. Before COVID-19 when I was on planes a lot, I usually had my Kindle with me, loaded with several good titles as well as the latest Netflix download. I used to be very skeptical of meditation but have found using the Insight Timer app on my phone to meditate for just five minutes a day — either at the beginning or end — is a good way to clear my head.

As you know, the United States is currently facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?

There is no doubt and data from McKinsey & Company as well as the Harvard Business Review supports this thesis, that a diverse executive team is a much more successful executive team. Access to a variety of different perspectives as well as skills and experience can drive innovation, creativity and even faster-problem-solving as well as more informed decision-making. The net result is higher company revenue and profits and optimal performance.

As a business leader, can you please share a few steps we must take to truly create an inclusive, representative, and equitable society? Kindly share a story or example for each.

Inclusiveness must always start with education. It’s the key to understanding and overcoming differences. Access is also key. Many employers talk about wanting to create a level playing field but in reality, they have to take steps to make the playing field level by actively recruiting men and women of color rather than just waiting and seeing who applies. It’s also critical to invest in and actively maintain a culture that has no room for hate or bullying of any sort.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a CEO or executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?

The further up you are in the company’s hierarchy, the more your job is about envisioning the future and steering the organization toward a better outcome. You must also exercise the appropriate amount of influence and gravitas to get others to commit and ultimately execute your ideas.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive. Can you explain what you mean?

You have a glamorous life. As an executive I’ve had the good fortune to travel around the world to remote areas in the interest of growing the business. But I have also had my share of travel horror stories. I once opened my “hotel” room and immediately fell over the bed because the room was so small (there was also no shower). I’ve also shared a bus with chickens and other livestock on a visit to a manufacturing plant and was once escorted off a plane by Homeland Security (they let me go).

You have to be extroverted and charismatic to be an executive. Many of the top-performing executives with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working are excellent listeners. They use these skills to gather intelligence, process it, and make the right decisions rather than project a larger than life personality.

You have to be a social networker. Certainly, there are many executives who have a great social presence and share their passions and brands this way. With that said, most executives I know are too busy doing their jobs to post a lot on social media.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women executives that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

• Being confident. We need to know when to accept a compliment. Women constantly downplay and try to explain away compliments rather than just accepting them. We can’t accept that we rock!

• Speaking up. We apologize far too often and sometimes avoid identifying an issue or questioning something because we don’t want to come off as aggressive or shrill.

• Balancing work, life, and family. Unfortunately, women all too often own a disproportionate share of raising kids and maintaining a home. When trying to perform in a high-stress environment at work, this can feel overwhelming.

What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?

I haven’t worked at a start-up in a while so I was a bit rusty in getting back in the rhythm and forgot about the need to continually pivot and adapt again and again. Unlike in more mature companies, in start-ups, everyone’s performance matters. How you perform can materially change the outcomes for the group. Working at a start-up can be glorious — you’re on a roller coaster ride — but it lacks structure — you’re thrown all over the place and sometimes you just can’t catch your breath and you’re constantly reaching, grasping at new heights. It’s also humbling. You’re testing the roller coaster while you’re riding it and potentially doing things yourself you may have delegated in the past. Also, as I mentioned in a previous response, because I started after COVID-19, I still haven’t met the majority of my co-workers in person. If anyone had told me I would be able to be effective working from home at a start-up pace, I would have thought he/she was crazy.

Certainly, not everyone is cut out to be an executive. In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive? Can you explain what you mean?

The word “executive” is often used interchangeably with the word “leader.” And to confuse you further, I’m going to say a good “executive” has to be a good and inspiring leader. But, to answer the question, to be a successful executive, you have to have a vision that goes beyond just organizational or department-level goals. Being an executive is high-risk/high-reward so you have to have the vision and the guts to implement the vision even if others can’t or won’t see it. You have to have the confidence and inner conviction to persuade others to pursue your vision as well as the ability to hire and motivate the extraordinary people required to execute the vision. If you’re timid and risk-averse, you’re probably going to struggle in an executive role. As an executive you may not always be doing the actual day-to-day work but your reputation and job may be on the line if the vision doesn’t progress. Given our mega-connected and global business environment you also have to understand how to work outside your own country as well as understand and appreciate other cultures and customs.

What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?

• Focus on outcomes. In many cases, this takes the emotion out of day-to-day tasks — especially if you’re always making decisions on what’s best for the customer — not what’s best for you, your department or your company.

• Support for Education/training. I’m a big believer in developing skills and not just the technical or the specific expertise required to perform your daily tasks. I’ve been fortunate to work with companies that offered training on some of the softer skills such as situational leadership, navigating different cultures, negotiations, and how to be an overall better manager and leader in building high-performance teams.

• Provide the flexibility to experiment. This is really important for me, personally. I need to have the opportunity to fail, otherwise I won’t perform at the highest level. With this in mind, I want my team to feel comfortable knowing they can take risks and fail as well. The key learning is to understand WHY you failed and what you need to change to succeed the next time around.

• Actively recruit a diverse group with different skill sets. Different skill sets and perspectives all lead to a high-functioning team that can innovate and get things done faster and with a more informed decision-making process.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

I’m fortunate to have raised a daughter who is kind, thoughtful, and intelligent. Most important, she respects herself, so that will go a long way in guiding her decisions and career path to come. Professionally, I’m proud to say that a number of the co-workers I’ve mentored have gone on to successful roles in running their own marketing teams or even their own businesses and are growing the next level of leaders and innovators.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

• Build relationships with your peers. Proactively building relationships with your peers helps you get things done.

• Quantify your work whenever possible. Use metrics such as top-line revenue, margin, market share, and/or customer retention and success. It’s not enough just to work hard and “do stuff” — you need to ensure everyone understands your business impact.

• Keep up with the gossip but don’t BE a gossip. Understanding the workplace dynamics are key in helping you advance your agenda.

• Give others credit. By highlighting your genuine appreciation of others you create a positive feedback loop where your good deeds are acknowledged and theirs do too — plus, it helps in building relationships (see #1).

• Own your mistakes. Recognize and alert appropriate team members to your mistake, take responsibility for it, and then identify several potential solutions while documenting why you won’t make that mistake again.

You are a person of great influence. If you inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I’ve always been intrigued with the notion of the wisdom of crowds. When I worked at DS SolidWorks, a 3D CAD software company, I interacted with a number of engineers who were passionate about design. We launched a project to harness that collective wisdom to use design to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems such as water irrigation and getting low-cost pre-natal equipment to developing countries. The objective was to post an initial design online and then wait for others to contribute and continue to refine and improve that design until we had an optimal working prototype. Certainly, Wikipedia and open source software operate on this premise and consistently result in some of the best-performing software in the industry. I’d love to see this concept taken to a higher level to address societal problems where you’re able to virtually take advantage of all the energy and good intentions and let the wisdom of the crowds prevail.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” — Ronald Reagan, former U.S. President

One of the best compliments I ever received was from a colleague who told me that he couldn’t understand how a team that had largely turned in mediocre results before I arrived had suddenly morphed into a high-performing, cohesive unit. Clearly, they had always had the talent and even the desire to execute at a higher level but needed the spark and direction to achieve the next level.

This quote is particularly meaningful to me because I had to learn how to be an effective leader — not just a good manager or individual contributor who could get her own projects done on time. I didn’t get the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts” equation for quite a while because I was focused on me. It was only when I started focusing on understanding what motivated people, that I was able to rise in the ranks and ultimately be a part of a highly successful team.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them

Hands down, it would be Michelle Obama. I read her book “Becoming” and just finished watching the Netflix documentary on her tour and got an even greater insight and appreciation for her personality. In my mind, she’s the total package — intelligence, grace, charisma, warmth, with a dose of feistiness.