The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced April 15, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place virtually May 27.
Next is Chief Operating Officer Award finalist Jai Saboo, who’s COO at Harmonia Holdings Group, LLC. Here, he talks professional achievements, proud career moments, primary focus areas going forward and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2019/2020?
Well, the first and most important achievement is that we’ve almost gotten through this pandemic. I’m very proud of how the entire Harmonia team came together, helping and supporting each other through this amazingly challenging time.
As a company, we did what we could to help our team members and their families, but in fact, they are the real heroes — supporting not only each other but also their communities and local business establishments as much as possible.
In terms of business, we have continued to build on our strategy to grow as a large business, which, as is well known, is a very challenging space. Our strategy to help other small businesses grow through the mentor-protégé process is beginning to pay off — it’s creating a win for the protégés even as it enables us to continue to partner with them on small business set-aside contracts.
The pandemic has created challenges in terms of creating better stronger processes, but we have worked through them, albeit slower than I would have liked, and we are in a stronger place today than we were 2 or 1 year/s ago.
What has made you successful in your current role?
My team. I wouldn’t trade my team for anything in the world. They are dedicated, hard-working, amazingly committed. I’d go to battle with them any day! They have my back every day and I try my best to have theirs, every day.
What was a turning point or inflection point in your career?
That’s a hard one. I don’t know that there was a single one. I’ve been an entrepreneur all my life and being an entrepreneur means being ready for curve balls and inflection points every day. I’ve faced many many curve balls, and I’m incredibly grateful that I’m still in the game!
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
Our ability to celebrate life, celebrate wins as a team and our ability to trudge part the losses. We work hard, we play harder. But we also know how to support each other and the company.
On numerous occasions, we have had contracts where the option period didn’t get exercised in time due to funding shortfalls or there were last-minute funding changes and in an effort to continue supporting the client, we have asked team members to take unpaid time off. Amazingly, a huge number have stepped up.
We have tried our best to take care of them after the fact (and we have almost every single time), but just the fact that they stepped up is incredibly humbling. We are a family in a way. I am incredibly proud of that.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
To build a strong organization, comprised of current and future leaders who are empathetic, demonstrate high emotional intelligence and are driven to create positive change in the federal contracting space. I have been blessed with a career that has created tremendous success, and frankly, tremendous wealth. A large part of this was because of fabulous mentors and business partners.
Now, more than anything else, I want to pay it forward. It’s important for the future of our nation because I think empathetic leadership is generally key to a strong society and the federal contracting space needs it, today more than ever before. (Federal contracting done right could shave billions of dollars of the federal budget, in my humble opinion.)
How do you help shape the next generation of industry leaders?
By pushing for accountability. Toward one’s employees and team, toward one’s partners, toward one’s clients and toward one’s vendors.
Which rules do you think you should break more as an industry leader?
The rule that says it’s bad karma to file a protest. Filing a protest just because one is pissed off that one lost — well, that’s for losers — literally and figuratively. But whether industry leaders want to admit it or not, the federal procurement process is broken. It relies too much on who you know versus on capability and quality of team and/or proposal. That isn’t right. If one believes that they were wrongly evaluated, I believe it is a duty to protest.
The best analogy I can give is that of Neighborhood Watch. Just like one must do their share to keep their neighborhood safe, I believe we must do what it takes to keep our industry clean and efficient.
The protest process is a key component of this — it was established to ensure accountability, so what’s the deal with not using it, as long as it is done respectfully?
Speaking of accountability, not just that, I believe we must all push Congress to make the Government Accountability Office and the overall accountability process stronger.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Surround yourself with people smarter than you. This is harder than one might think, but do it anyway. Be a good listener and heed their advice. In the end, remember: The only person you ever want to be answerable to is the person in the mirror.
Never compromise on your ethics and integrity — your reputation is your most valuable asset.
Entrepreneurship is a journey, or to look at from a runner’s perspective, a marathon, not a sprint. Be ready for the long haul.
And the most important one — advice my first client gave me — “Pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered.” Share the wealth with the folks who made you successful, look after them! (Reminder to self: It’s your team, stupid!) Because if you don’t, someone else will!