After some careful consideration over the last few weeks, I decided to leave Deltek to pursue other opportunities. Last Friday (March 9, 2012) was my last day.
With this transition there are a couple of important things I want to convey:
1) I will miss the daily interactions with government contractors that made my role as the senior community manager for GovWin.com so unique and special. It is profoundly rewarding to work with companies of all shapes and sizes that are trying to make adjustments and improve their overall operations so they can compete for government contracts. At GovWin, we conducted a wide variety of video interviews with executives designed to showcase what companies are doing in a variety of sectors. We conducted roundtables, brought in experts for Q&A sessions and much, much more. The proof that these were the right things to do was illustrated by the executives, consultants and others from across the industry that I worked with who not only appreciated the information and value to their business, but also how they were treated in the process.
2) I will miss the daily interactions with the people at Deltek who were less concerned about process or having control, and more focused on building a positive relationship with the consumer. At the end of the day, engaging with prospects and customers in thoughtful and meaningful ways is the best path to understanding what people really need to be successful. It takes more time, energy and commitment, but establishing a relationship takes time, energy and commitment. Given the pace of business (and the rather slow pace of government contracting), relationship building is the cornerstone of success. For those whose emphasis was on sales numbers or leads on a spreadsheet, you are only limiting your own potential and that of your team and company.
3) This does not mean I am leaving the world of government contracting. I plan on taking a break for several months and then getting engaged when the time is right – and with those people who want to make a difference for small and mid-sized businesses in the GovCon marketplace.
