Some of the most valuable leadership lessons I learned came during my time at The J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu.
This article is a part of our Leadership Series — reflections on inspiration, influence, and the choices that shape meaningful achievement.
It is also a part of our Life at Work Series and our Team Leader Resource Series.
I Went Back to the Getty for a Visit
I had the opportunity to return to The J. Paul Getty Villa (formerly the Museum) in Malibu.
This is where I began my first post-university job as Accounting Supervisor, more than 35 years ago.
I still draw on those lessons whenever I work with senior leaders.
Whether you work in Customer Experience, Customer Service, or Contact Centers, your success depends on more than your technical expertise.
You also need to build productive relationships with senior leaders across the organization.
My studies and early career were in Finance.
Like Customer Experience, Finance is a cross-functional discipline. It touches every department in the organization.
That means successful finance professionals have to build productive relationships with senior leaders across the business.
I Didn’t Try to Teach Finance to Senior Leaders
After I joined The Getty, I didn’t run around trying to teach Department Heads how reserves were calculated or why certain financial ratios mattered.
I didn’t bore them with how financial statements were prepared.
The Department Heads at The Getty held titles like Head of Paintings, Head of Sculpture, and Head of Decorative Arts.
These were remarkably learned and sophisticated people responsible for caring for some of the world’s greatest treasures.
When I accepted the role, I honestly believed my technical skills were what mattered most.
But my boss — who was an accountant herself — made it clear that building productive relationships with the Department Heads was an important part of my job.
So I got up out of my chair and met people regularly.
I began those conversations by asking the Department Heads about their departments and their priorities.
Simply by listening, I learned what mattered to them and got a sense of the kind of people they were.
If I’d started those conversations by talking about budget constraints or financial ratios, I would have lost any chance of connecting with them.
The conversation would have been about me.
Meeting the Head of Sculpture
One of my first meetings was with the Head of Sculpture. It was a little intimidating, to be honest.
The goal was to help his department make it through the year on budget — because even the world’s richest museum still has budgets.
That meant discussing trade-offs relevant to his department.
Hold off on the intern program? Reduce some international travel? Hire the Deputy Head now or defer the new cataloging system?
The discussion was about his people, his department, his priorities, and how Finance could help.
I once even received applause after running the annual budget meeting. My boss told me that had never happened before, but she wasn’t surprised.
She knew that, with her encouragement, I’d spent time understanding the needs and personalities of the Department Heads.
So as we sat around that massive conference table at the museum, we knew each other.
We’d already had the tougher conversations in private — where they belonged.
As a result, getting people on board with the next year’s plan became much easier.
The Same Lesson Applies in CX
The same principle applies in Customer Experience.
If we go in and present ourselves as the customer experts, we can’t expect that conversation to go well.
If all you talk about is NPS, VoC, or customer journeys, you’ve made your discipline the center of attention, not theirs.
Respect the work they do. Understand what they’re trying to achieve.
When you walk into a meeting with the ambition to be of service to them — rather than to demonstrate your expertise — it’s remarkable how much better the conversation can go.
I’m Grateful I Came Up Through Finance
Finance tells the story of what’s happening in a business.
The numbers help us understand where we are, decide what we want to happen, and plan how to get there.
By using my finance expertise to help others succeed, I gradually built my own credibility and reputation within the organization.
Whether in Finance, Customer Experience, or Contact Centers, the principle has remained the same: understand what matters to other leaders, then use your expertise to help them achieve their goals.
Thank You for Reading
I regularly share stories, strategies, and insights from our work across Contact Centers, Customer Service, and Customer Experience. If this article resonated with you, I’d be pleased to stay connected.
Feel free to get in touch anytime, or explore more of our work below.
Daniel Ord
[email protected]
www.omnitouchinternational.com
