The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Pinnacle Awards were announced Oct. 13, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place virtually Dec. 8.
Next is Healthcare Industry Executive of the Year (Public Company) finalist Lisa Slaughter, who’s senior vice president at Maximus Federal Services. Here, she talks key achievements, shaping the next generation of industry leaders, learning from failures and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2020 / 2021?
The biggest achievement was the ability to keep our teams working effectively while we moved to a remote work environment, starting in spring 2020 and continuing through today. It wasn’t an easy adjustment, but we made it work and delivered quality results for clients throughout the pandemic.
In particular, while we cared for our own staff, our staff was in turn assisting our government clients with their COVID-19 support needs. We assisted with the full range of impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, which began with helping to process the backlog of unemployment claims as well as working to inform the public of COVID test results and contact tracing. In 2021, we shifted to assisting with vaccine distribution in many locations, connecting citizens with vaccines to help fight the pandemic.
Our ability to contribute on so many fronts while keeping our own staff safe allowed us to maintain momentum for going on two years now, and we remain motivated to continue to help.
What has made you successful in your current role?
Years ago, I gave up the security of being with a large company to take on a role with an upstart, small business. It was there that I learned I could contribute, that I had a voice, and I could make a difference. That experience helped me understand how to help a company and grow the business regardless of size, which has resulted in my success with Maximus.
I have also been fortunate to work for several great bosses who were willing to teach and share information and allow me to make mistakes and learn from them. They trusted my judgement and instilled confidence to tackle new tasks. It has allowed me to do the same with my staff, by pushing them to do new things and sharing what I knew and provide guidance and counsel without judgement.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
There are two things that stand out. The first is the way we rallied to step up and solve issues related to COVID-19. As a prime example, at the very start of the pandemic, we were given five days from a federal client to establish a response team and stand up a process to deliver thousands of critical COVID-19 testing results. We had no road map to follow. We drew up our own game plan based on our instincts and experience.
Later, we were against asked to develop a larger and more comprehensive COVID-19 response center that could field 500,000 calls per minute. It was an unheard-of request, and we needed to do this within a 45-day window. Not only did we develop that center, there was never a moment of “we can’t do this” from the team. It may have felt impossible, but no one viewed it that way. It was another challenge for us during COVID-19 and we rose to the occasion.
The other thing I’m really proud of is our ability to recognize and develop staff where people are consistently receiving promotions based on their merit and abilities. It’s very satisfying to see our staff set up for success, which can be difficult in the best of times, not to mention everything going on due to the pandemic. We are part of a business area making a difference — pushing for advances in healthcare innovations and supporting the citizens and their journey as they navigate through the healthcare challenges.
How do you help shape the next generation of government leaders/industry leaders?
Building leaders who aren’t afraid to state their opinions but are still willing to listen. It’s imperative they understand the art of compromising in order to build and execute a better solution. It doesn’t have to be all one way or the other.
For instance, we have a healthcare issue in this country, and we need to continue to find ways to make it more accessible to all citizens across the board. One person can’t solve it alone. So, we need great minds, fresh ideas and working together to make it happen. No idea should be taken off the table and all things should be considered.
What’s one key thing you learned from a failure you had?
Failure breeds success. From each failure, you learn what and how to do things better. You realize it isn’t the end of the world to fail because it teaches you just how resilient you can be.
Learn something from every experience, every encounter. There is never a stopping point in your learning process.
Looking back at your career, what are you most proud of?
For many years, I was almost always the only woman in the room. At first it was intimidating. Then I started hearing the thoughts in my head coming out of someone else’s mouth. I realized that my ideas were as worthy as anyone else’s. So, I started by supporting someone else’s ideas or adding additional thoughts to others, until I finally made sure I was the one speaking up first. That shift has guided me through my career.
It’s led me to today, where I’m so proud of the cohesive teams I’ve built with leaders that have gone on to be successful in their own right. Some have come back years later when they have advanced in their careers and thanked me for being there for them and challenging them. It amazes me and humbles me because I didn’t even know it was happening at the time, as I was so focused on ensuring we did our jobs and aimed for a quality performance.