Introducing Our New Chief of Staff
We are pleased to introduce Meredith Hargreaves, newly promoted to Chief of Staff.
In this new leadership position, Meredith will play a crucial role in collaborating with leaders across Dome in developing our strategy and effectively implementing it with the valuable input of our employees.
Meredith began working with the Dome in 2015 when she coached, supported, and facilitated early efforts in Dome’s Lean journey. ” Even before Meredith joined the Dome Team, she was already instrumental in making Dome a better place to work. She was and continues to be a trusted advisor,” says Steve Long, Director of Innovation & Learning. In 2021, she officially joined Dome as our Business Systems Manager.
Coming to Dome through the Systems Department allowed me to learn about a wide range of people, processes, and systems at Dome. While I'm continuing to learn, it was a fantastic foundation, and I have many people to thank who have supported me along the way,” Meredith shared.
Meredith goes on to say, “There are so many unique ideas and initiatives at Dome; this role is intended to help prioritize, connect, and shepherd them to completion with clear goals and visibility so that our people see and experience the value of such efforts. Given our evolution, today’s an opportunity to unite our efforts more cohesively and transparently so that everyone at Dome benefits.“
As the new Chief of Staff, there are three things Meredith is most excited about. Firstly, we have some key focus areas for the following year. She looks forward to unpacking those focus areas and helping Dome see meaningful results. Secondly, we have an opportunity to finish some of the things that we’ve started. Initiatives often move along but amid a lot of other priorities. We’ll work towards better defining what constitutes “finished” and reach completion on loose ends. Lastly, it’s exciting to collaborate with leaders across Dome in refining their plans and how they contextually relate to the bigger picture. She’s excited about working with different people throughout the organization.
For Meredith, what drives her are the people. “Collaborating with people to understand the landscape of something and achieve results that make a difference in people’s lives.” Meredith continues, “I love supporting others in uncovering the root causes of a problem to create mutual understanding and clarity that leads to value. There is much to learn from those around us, and I sincerely appreciate the people at Dome who genuinely embrace our core values.”
Please join us in celebrating Meredith and stepping into this new role. We can’t wait to keep learning from you!
Did you know?
More about Meredith
What's your superpower, and how will you leverage that to further your impact at Dome?
I enjoy listening to others and synthesizing information in a way that helps others understand. If we collectively have a shared understanding, we can move forward together. This mitigates the likelihood of assumptions that can derail us, helps us stay focused on the task at hand, and achieve meaningful results.
How do you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
Dome has incredible resources for people to grow and develop. Right now, I’m participating in our Leadership Development program (Lighthouse), where I’m learning and reinforcing some critical elements of leadership and management. Outside of that, I’m fortunate to be among great people who often share resources – books, articles, podcasts, frameworks, and more, that we use to discuss and enhance our learning together.
What career lessons do you wish to pass on?
I think we often think about outcomes, but it's the journey that matters. I had a Lean Sensei (teacher) who taught me this. If we learn to be patient and appreciate the journey and the learnings from it, the results will come naturally. In Lean, we say, "the right process will produce the right results." In other words, if we become too tunnel-visioned on outcomes, we may lose sight of the crucial details that help to shape the right results. It's not to say that we don't want to have meaningful outcomes, but the method to get there requires a path – and taking the best path with the best knowledge we have at any given time is so very important. I think that's why our core values resonate deeply with me: value our people, seek to understand, and do it right.
What's your motto or mantra?
I believe in the quote, "leave everything a little bit better than you found it."
What were you like at age 10?
Vocal, energetic, and eager to participate in new things. We were living in Tokyo at the time, and I remember taking in Japanese culture, seeing snow for the first time in my life, walking to the Japanese market near my house to buy school supplies and stickers, and running around on our school playground that had a slide that resembled Mount Fuji.
What is inspiring you in life right now?
People and their stories inspire me. We all have had to endure some form of struggle, and we’re really more alike than different.
What makes you smile the most?
My husband, my two little girls, and my mother (who lives nearby). I look forward to spending quality time with them at the dinner table, on walks in the woods, or playing board games. The ocean also makes me smile – every time.