Episode 05: Succeeding In The First 90 Days With Kameka Dempsey

Have you ever taken a chance and switched jobs? In this episode, we learn how to prepare for the first ninety days on the new job and the ways to make the most out of networking opportunities. Founder of KD Leadership Strategies, Executive Coach & Consultant, Kameka Dempsey joins the show.

Kameka partners with business leaders to deliver their business strategy through coaching, off-sites, team/individual development and assessments. She also currently serves as a Strategic Advisor, Facilitator and Executive Coach at BlackRock. Prior to starting her firm, she was Vice President Global Talent Management at BlackRock.

Kameka says that mentorship has been critical in her career. Her mentors have given her critical feedback that assisted her in climbing the corporate ladder. The best advice, in particular, was that you could have it all, you can’t have it all at the same time.

When joining a new role, Kameka says to spend the first ninety days doing a listening tour. Who should you be talking to in order to understand the organization? It takes between ninety and one-hundred days to do it well. A manager can help you lay the foundation.

Women do not think about the importance of strategic networking. Anytime that Kameka has had a misstep - she was able to course-correct via someone in her network. There should be people you know in your organization that you can go to. Often, women are not getting good feedback, that’s why networking and mentorship is so critical.  

Stay tuned while Kameka explains how to balance personal and professional goals, ways to leverage your network, and how women can stay ahead, given the future of work.

Highlights:

[02:00] About Kameka Dempsey [06:00] The importance of seeking mentorship    [09:50] What to do when joining a new organization [13:25] Find people to deepen relationships with [17:00] Struggling with imposter syndrome [20:20] Competing between personal and professional goals  [26:00] Leveraging and building your network [31:50] How women can stay ahead given the future of work

Quotes:

“What are the important legs on my three-legged stool?” -Kameka Dempsey

“Make sure it’s the kind of environment that’s going to enable you to be successful.” -Kameka Dempsey

“Find 2-3 people that you can help, help you.” -Kameka Dempsey

“You may have to create an environment in which people give you feedback.” -Kameka Dempsey

“I said yes to everything – I took sixteen flights; ten flights were simply for work.” -Kameka Dempsey

“Always be learning.” -Kameka Dempsey

About Kameka Dempsey:

Kameka M. Dempsey, Founder of KD Leadership Strategies, is an Executive Coach, consultant and globally fluent facilitator. She partners with business leaders to deliver their business strategy through coaching, off-sites, team/individual development and assessments. She also currently serves as a Strategic Advisor, Facilitator and Executive Coach at BlackRock.

Prior to starting her firm, she was Vice President Global Talent Management at BlackRock. At BlackRock, Kameka was responsible for a wide-range of Talent Management activities including the global design and delivery of BlackRock’s leadership & management development programs. She was specifically responsible for various aspects of the talent strategy, program design and facilitation, assessments, Executive Coaching and other firm-wide development initiatives. In addition, she has been part of the Women's Leadership Forum design, facilitation and implementation team since its post-pilot launch. She also led BlackRock’s emerging work on unconscious bias through the Driving Better Decisions program.

Prior to her role at BlackRock, Kameka was with Goldman Sachs in the Office of Global Leadership & Diversity in a diverse talent strategy role covering six businesses. Kameka returned to the private sector from her appointment in the Senior Administration of Yale University, where she was also on the teaching staff of the Yale School of Management. Prior to her role at Yale, Kameka designed and delivered executive level educational programs at Duke Corporate Education for clients in various industries including financial services, technology, pharmaceuticals, beauty and government. Kameka began her career as a business consultant with Accenture, her focus being strategy consulting and business process design.

Kameka is a 2012 Women’s Leadership Fellow of the Impact Center’s Women’s Leadership Institute. Kameka holds a Bachelor’s degree from Yale University and Masters of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is certified in the Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument, the Hogan Suite and various 360 instruments. She is a graduate of the Institute for Excellence in Coach Training Program, accredited by the International Coach Federation. She is a board member of the Phelps Association. She lives in New York City.

 

Links:

Website: www.kdleadershipstrategies.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kd-leadership-strategies

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kdlssays