GREAT TEAMS START WITH GREAT PEOPLE.

Meet Shontrese Smith

What do you think is unique about the culture at MorganFranklin?

Having been here 10 years, I’ve seen the organization transform in many ways.  What is unique about the culture here at MorganFranklin is what I have seen in the last 9 months (March 2020-December 2020).  And that is a culture of open, honest, and candid dialogue that invites tough conversations in a safe space for employees to voice their opinions and concerns. Also, we have an employee engagement committee that actually influences how leadership makes decisions impacting our people.

What is your role at MorganFranklin, and what do you do?

My role at MorganFranklin is multifaceted. While client delivery is an extremely important part of my day to day responsibilities, I do much more:

• Client Delivery – Provide value to clients by delivering solutions that allow them to meet their strategic goals
• Coach – Our organization is made of coaching trees. As a coach, I provide support and guidance to team members in my tree that will help them meet their professional goals
• Mentor – Listen and learn the needs of my colleagues providing ways to navigate their career, tough conversations, and share my experiences in a way that may help them continue to grow personally and professionally
• Reverse Mentor – Work with executives to provide feedback and business insight that will enable deeper understanding of the employee experience
• Mentee – Seek the guidance of colleagues that are leaders/trusted advisors enabling a counseling focused relationship
• IDEAS Committee Member – Committee member of MorganFranklin’s diversity and inclusion organization
• Transformation practice small group facilitator – Lead conversations and topics for new and existing team members that may help with navigating issues resulting from our 100% remote work situation
• Vaco Liaison – Vaco is in our family of organizations that are part of our PE firm’s portfolio. My role as a liaison is to stay tuned and help educate our ‘family’ of companies as to our service offerings, to recognize opportunities that may be right for Vaco resources, and work with our Vaco family to identify clients that have resources needs more in line with MorganFranklin’s service offerings.

What is your proudest moment at MorganFranklin, and why?

My proudest moment came recently when I was nominated and won Impact Employee of the Year. The reason I was proud is not only that I didn’t realize I had been nominated but simply because it was an honor to have my colleagues recognize that I’ve made a difference in the lives of some at our organization. Any positive impact is a win in my book.

What advice would you give to someone hoping to pursue a career at MorganFranklin?

Just showing up is not enough. Be ready to go to battle with your teammates and always carve out time to help someone. Be kind, patient, and hardworking.  But whatever you do, don’t just show up.

If you had to recruit someone to join the MorganFranklin team, what are three traits you would want to see in this recruit?

Positive, hardworking, and team player/oriented.

What three things do you need to be successful in your role at MorganFranklin?

The willingness to learn new things, to remain coachable, and to be self-reflective.

You were at one point a Division 1 basketball player. What parallels would you draw between your work at MorganFranklin and being a collegiate athlete?

You can’t win without your teammates, and you must constantly adjust your strategy in order to win.

What does an ideal Saturday look like for you?

Family, friends, food, drinks, a nap, and clothes that are magically washed and put away.

What’s one go-to office hack that makes your day more productive?

Everyone needs a breather between meetings, so scheduling meetings to start 5 minutes past the hour or past the bottom of the hour is my hack.  It can allow you an opportunity for a bio break, a beverage refill, or 9^th inning stretch. In addition, your meeting attendees will be grateful and more energized if they have a little break as well.