Dametra Johnson-Marletti has been a key executive at Microsoft for over 22 years. During her tenure, she has spearheaded growth and digital transformation across e-commerce and entertainment businesses, scaling the company’s revenue from millions to billions and positioning Microsoft as a leader in gaming, entertainment, and consumer applications.

In a conversation with The Global Woman Leader Magazine, Dametra Johnson-Marletti, Corporate Vice President, Digital Gaming at Microsoft, shares her views and thoughts on how to ensure team members are continuously learning and developing new skills, as well as strategies to foster agility and adaptability among team members during times of change.

What strategies do you employ to identify and nurture talent within your team?

Identifying great talent and finding creative ways to help individuals realize their full potential is not only the best part of my job but one of my greatest responsibilities. I’ve found that there are three telltale signs of great talent:

1. Someone who strives to be a “learn-it-all,” instead of a “know-it-all,” meaning they are always seeking to understand and to ensure clarity in their work.

2. A problem-solving, drive-for-results approach. We all know people who are great at noticing problems, but it takes a real talent to both identify the problem and offer a set of solutions that will address it and raise the bar for all. And finally,

3. Someone who has exceptional “how.” All too often, we forget that how you get things done matters—the right person won’t leave a host of casualties behind, but rather a set of strong bridges.

As for nurturing that talent, I anchor on three key components: mentorship, sponsorship, and opportunity. Everyone needs to cultivate their own personal Board of Directors in their career. This is a group of people that can serve as a safe space to learn, get guidance and direction, and seek honest feedback. This Board is typically made up of mentors, but you may also find your sponsor in this group. A sponsor is someone in a position to put their capital and equity on the line on your behalf. They are often in the room where decisions are being made when you are not. In my career, both mentorship and sponsorship have played vitally important roles. Finally, as leaders, we need to give great talent an opportunity to shine through roles and projects that will demonstrate their capabilities.

How do you ensure your team members are continuously learning and developing new skills?

Coaching and developing employees is one of the most important responsibilities a leader can take on. It is also one of the most rewarding parts of leadership. The 70/20/10 approach is a useful guide for framing development plans for employees, in which 70% of learning takes place on the job and through challenging assignments, 20% through development-focused relationships, and the remaining 10% through formal training and learning.

To make learning and growth a core tenet of our organization, my leadership team and I focus on creating development moments across each part of this framework. On the job, we look for substantive stretch assignments that offer opportunities for cross-learning and growth. We ensure that each person on the team, who wants a mentor is matched and paired with someone qualified, based on the area in which they wish to grow. For formal training, we assess which skills and capabilities are needed for team and business growth, and craft a training plan to address them. We have found that by building a rich menu of learning opportunities across the organization, we deliver stronger overall team health and culture.

In today’s dynamic business environment, how do you strategically position your team to drive future growth?

Driving growth in today’s ever-changing and increasingly complex landscape is an area that is top of mind for most leaders. There are four elements of my approach to position my team to drive the growth the company expects from us. 

• First, is creating clarity around our vision and direction. If people are unclear on the mission, it becomes harder to maximize our opportunities in an agile way.
• Second, we must ensure we have the right people in the right roles. For me, that means regularly conducting a skills gap analysis to ensure that the team is set up for success. This sometimes results in hiring new talent to fill gaps, moving people into new roles, or building up the skills of team members so that they are prepared for today’s business realities. 
• Third is establishing a set of team and individual priorities that align with both the growth goals of our business and those of our internal stakeholder partners in a way that accelerates our collective efforts.
• Fourth and finally, employing a philosophy of ruthless prioritization to ensure the team is only spending time on what matters most to our growth mission.

What strategies do you employ to foster agility and adaptability among your team during times of change?

Communicating to my team clearly and transparently is a top priority during these times. My goal is to purge as much ambiguity as I can so that people can understand the reason for the change and our new priorities, goals, and expectations. Creating an environment where you are as straightforward as possible, in a way that respects and supports the team, can be both reassuring and empowering. Giving the team the resources, tools, and clarity they need enhances their agility and adaptability and empowers them to embrace the times of change as opportunities to grow and evolve.

What advice would you give leaders who are looking to cultivate a stronger culture of inclusivity and representation on their team?

To succeed in this area is to first come to an understanding and belief in the data. The data on this topic is crystal clear – diverse teams deliver stronger results and make better decisions. There are a number of ways to build a culture of inclusivity within an organization, but I approach this through four main priorities.

• Representation matters. If your employees look around and don’t see anyone who resembles them, especially in positions of leadership, building an inclusive culture becomes exponentially harder. Leaders must build a diverse workforce that reflects the broad customer base and the world we serve.
• Creating an environment where inclusivity is expected and rewarded. This can be accomplished through outlining and modeling behaviors that put inclusion top of mind each day – like ensuring that all voices are heard versus just the loudest voice. Also, establish a culture where employees feel safe and confident to bring their complete and authentic selves to work regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, and personal identification.    
• Listening to the voice of our team. We regularly survey our employees to get a pulse on how they are doing and how comfortable they feel at work. The results from these surveys serve as a beacon for where we are going as a team, what we double down on, and how we still need to improve.
• Measuring and monitoring the results of our people initiatives using data and feedback. By quantifying our progress and understanding the impact of our initiatives, we can celebrate our successes and learn from the challenges. This approach has allowed us to continuously make adjustments and stay connected to our employees, aligned with our customers, and focused on our long-term growth goals.