Collaboration and Participation

BY LISA GIBSON

When did you start working for Midco and what positions have you held since then?

I started in 1984 at Sioux Falls Cable Television, which was a Midco partner at that time. I worked in accounting as part of the management team, which provided a great opportunity to learn finance, operations, marketing, sales and more. I then moved to corporate accounting where I eventually assumed company-wide responsibilities for payroll, then benefits, and ultimately became vice president of human resources. In October 2015, I was thrilled to accept the chief operating officer position. Throughout my career, I’ve remained close to the operations side of the business, which is a significant benefit as I lead this new role.

What barriers have you had to overcome to get where you are?

I grew up in rural South Dakota, graduating from high school in the 1970s. In this area and time, it was a common belief that there was little value for women to have a college education, so I did not pursue a degree then. While I was fortunate to have positions with on-the-job training, I came to a point in my career when it was increasingly difficult to move to the next level without a college degree. In 2005, I became serious about my education when working in HR for Midco. I enrolled in an accelerated program at Concordia University in St. Paul and had an amazing experience.

You’ve told Prairie Business in the past that you’re passionate about expanding female leadership opportunities. What opportunities have you

helped create and how have you done it?

I discovered my passion for expanding female leadership opportunities when I was in HR. There is no silver bullet, but instead a number of factors need to work together. It starts with a culture of supporting and embracing the expansion of opportunities for women. Midco has been developing this culture for several years. I’m proud to play a role in building on this — by making it part of our business strategy at Midco, setting targets for improvements and creating new leadership paths for women.

A few successes we’ve seen include developing a strong pipeline of top talent, creating an inclusive and diverse work environment, promoting work-life balance and encouraging women to participate in leadership training and mentoring programs. I’m excited to again host Midco’s annual women’s leadership summit this fall, which focuses on professional development in the workplace and provides women leaders at Midco an opportunity to create new connections with their peers.

In HR and in my current operations role, I firmly believe that this makes good business sense and will result in wins for our employees, our company and our customers.

What does a typical work day entail for you?

As with many jobs, there is no typical day, but I can count on reading and answering many emails every day. My leadership style is collaborative and participative. This tends to lead to a workday that includes many face-to-face meetings, brainstorming sessions and working in a more team-based environment.

What is the most rewarding part about your job?

I’m grateful for the opportunities that have come my way and were made possible with help from others. I find it incredibly rewarding to give back and help others grow their careers in the way I was helped. I also lead Midco’s efforts to continually deliver an exceptional customer experience by always looking for opportunities for improvement. It’s rewarding when customers share feedback on how we made a positive difference for them.

What character traits do you think have helped you excel in management positions?

I’ve been told I have a high level of energy and optimism, and can be competitive. I truly enjoy working, find satisfaction from being busy and productive, and want to do the best I can at everything I do. This likely comes from the work ethic influence I had growing up on a farm in South Dakota.

Finally, one of my favorite quotes is by Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This really speaks to the golden rule of treating others how you want to be treated — and striving to live by this has helped me professionally and personally. PB

Lisa Gibson Editor, Prairie Business 701.787.6753 lgibson@prairiebusinessmagazine.com