72 - How to Progress from an Individual Contributor to a Manager - Elena Cocco

Text us your questions and thoughts!In this episode, I’m talking to Elena Cocco, Manager of Customer Success at SafetyCulture. Elena has a special passion for supporting and helping other women in their professional journeys. She is energised by seeing people around her succeed and I'm excited to bring this conversation to you! Elena started her career journey in Support and then transitioned into Customer Success where she is thriving in a leadership role. She's also a leading member of Customer Success communities in the UK, leading Manchester CS Cafes.Did you know? ⭐️ Elena wanted to be an archaeologist and explore artefacts like Indiana Jones ⭐️ If she would change career today, her choice would be interior design - Scand stile (right there with you Elena, we should have Fika together!) ⭐️ She's Italian 🇮🇹 ⭐️ Elena lives in Manchester, but if she could choose, she would spend summers in Finland 🇫🇮 and winters in the warm south of Europe 🇫🇷 Elena's Take on Leadership:Elena’s leadership principle is based on the concept of increasing psychological safety for her team. Part of this involves holding on the judgment and opinions and allowing yourself to absorb what is happening, look at the facts, and be present in that. There’s power in her team giving and receiving feedback, not taking on the judgment but looking at the actual impact. It's about thinking: What was the consequence and why do we think that you should continue or stop doing what you're doing? Part of Elena’s leadership style is to wear many hats, always choosing the most relevant hat for the situation. Often that requires a teaching or coaching hat. Elena believes in promoting a culture where risk-taking is seen as rewarding. Career advice: Elena provides practical advice on taking a step and moving from an individual contributor to a people leader. She believes that your career is your own responsibility and you have to make initiatives and steps that will take you from an individual contributor to a leader. “I learned by observing, by reading, by speaking with other people in the same situation as myself. And this is why I am so passionate about encouraging my team to actually look around, what's out there that resonates with them.” “Everybody needs a job. But to move from the concept of a job to a career, it has to be a positive and enjoyable experience.” How to move from an individual contributor to a manager? 🔥 Be a Customer Success Manager for your: assess the value others are getting from your work 🔥 Prepare a SWAT analysis for yourself 🔥 Communicate how invaluable are you 🔥 Do an EBR on yourself: present accomplishments and outcomes you have contributed towards your company's goals and for your customers 💬 Follow Elena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenacocco26/ _____________________________About Women in Customer Success Podcast:Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. Follow the WiCS Podcast:Subscribe to my Newsletter WebsiteLinkedInMarija Skobe-Pilley, the Founder and HostInstagram: @womenincspodcastJoin the Women in Customer Success Network!Suggest a __________________________________________________About Women in Customer Success Podcast:Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. Follow:Women in Customer Success Website - https://www.womenincs.co/podcast LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincsHost Marija Skobe-PilleyLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/Check out our Courses:The Revenue CSM  - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm