Melissa Wong Of Zipline: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Positivity. Good leaders are always multi-faceted, but one constant characteristic I’ve always fallen back to in my career is kindness. Showcasing positive leadership with your direct reports can change the mood of an often stressful workplace to one full of camaraderie with potential for internal relationship-building from HQ to floor.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Melissa Wong.
As co-founder and CEO of Zipline, a field enablement platform for distributed teams, Melissa Wong aims to improve the lives of retail associates by ensuring they feel valued and have the resources they need to excel in their jobs. With over ten years of experience in corporate communications working with disparate teams, Wong launched Zipline to streamline and simplify the way brands communicate from headquarters to the frontline. Melissa studied at Bates College and currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I launched Zipline after over a decade of working at a top global retailer in a communications and operations capacity. Despite great talent all around me and access to resources, I struggled to drive store execution and engagement. Knowing that the problem could be solved with a focus on bringing the ease of consumer technology into the enterprise, I left the company to start Zipline. I teamed up with my co-founder, Jeremy Baker, a repeat founder and technical leader,, to create the platform that I always wished I had. Today, our solution is being used by more than 65 brands, including Gap, Sephora, Rite Aid, AEO Inc., and Hy-Vee.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
Very early on in the infancy of the company, my co-founder and I had the opportunity to meet with a top retail brand that we had been coveting. I had been able to get a meeting with some of the managers and directors on the team. Our plan was to talk through how we approached store execution and engagement in a casual way, as more of a coffee chat. Instead, when we arrived, they checked us in and showed us into a 20 person conference room telling us to connect to the projector. We really had not prepared anything to show. Since then, I have always had a plan B.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Earlier in my career at Old Navy, I had an amazing manager, Kim. She was able to see individuals for their strengths, support them in their life goals and help them achieve a healthy work-life balance. She was a role model for how I try to lead my team. She showed me that you can be compassionate and authentic while still being a compelling, courageous and impactful leader. I feel comfortable leading in a way that’s authentic to me because of her.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose-driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
Our vision has not wavered since we started in 2014. Quite simply, we aim to to improve the lives of retail workers. We know that with better communications, retail workers can operate in a more informed, effective and efficient way. By connecting what employees need to know with what they need to do so everyone — down to the very frontline — knows what’s expected of them and what good looks like. As a result, they are more successful in their jobs, feel more aligned with their companies and are happier overall.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
Through COVID-19, it’s easy for people to feel scared, lonely and burnt out. There was a certain moment, where I realized that we needed to communicate more about these challenges — both personally and professionally since we were all facing it together. I learned to be more vulnerable, open and to communicate more frequently since people will fill in the gaps if you don’t.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
Yes. Building a business is hard. There are a lot of challenges that you face where there isn’t a “right” answer. It’s difficult to navigate through the unknown and have the learning agility to keep up with the pace. Every year I’m faced with different challenges (and opportunities!) as a leader. However, I do believe it comes down to conviction and for doing something for the right reason. I know how Zipline can make lives easier for stores, brands and employees. I truly believe in our vision and I see, every day, how Zipline is helping our customers be better brands and helping leaders be better coaches. As a result of Zipline, they’re transforming their operational models, providing better omnichannel experiences and improving the customer and employee experience. Knowing that the effort we put in will help make people’s lives easier across the board is what sustains me to keep going through tough times.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
One of the most critical roles of a leader is providing stability and psychological safety, particularly in uncertain times like the pandemic. In order for employees to show up to work each day and be productive, they need reassurance from managers and senior leaders that their basic needs will be met: jobs are safe, sick time will be provided, the company has a plan for how it will move forward. By being open and communicating these things to employees, it enables people to focus on doing work they love.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
Uncertain times require giving employees the space to speak and be heard. Leaders can seek to foster an environment where employees can voice their concerns truthfully and without fear and in doing so, enable leaders to understand where opportunities for improvement may be. What’s equally as important — is that people feel better getting worries off their chest, knowing they’re not alone and in my experience working in the retail industry for nearly two decades, people can handle periods of uncertainty as long as they trust management has their best interest in mind. Small gestures, words of affirmation and public recognition of work well done can do wonders for morale and provide a much-needed boost.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Retail is quite a personal industry. I’ve found that honest conversation with a wider lens on the “why” and intent has been the most productive. Sharing context beyond just the news and talking about either next steps to get to a better point of clarity, or what other pieces were considered has helped with difficult news. In the field, bosses who are empathetic to their teams’ needs and share “the why” can best guide and orient teams that may not be on the same exact schedule as they are. Transparency, context and open communication are the keys for team members to know they are “in the loop,” — especially during this critical time of COVID-19 when shifting store protocols and customer policies are shifting on what feels like an irregular basis for most stores.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
If there’s anything society has been forced to learn in the last two years, it’s the ability to roll with the punches. While fostering clear direction and achievable goals is essential, it’s equally as important to remain flexible and create backup solutions, as we never know what the future holds or allows. Leaders can create objectives with multiple roadmaps to success, so when forced to pivot, there’s always another way to make it over the finish line.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
Support through open dialogue, communication and transparency. There’s often floating confusion and chaos surrounding a company in turbulent times. By opening the door for honest communication and creating a singular place for direction, everyone in the company can understand each other and align on protocols to achieve a company’s mission. It’s the reason we created the Zipline COVID-19 Hub so early in the pandemic — employees in every store fleet could easily access updated memos and first-line communication to help maintain structure within teams at critical times.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
- Not implementing new technology to adapt to changing times. Retail is forever changing. Today, agility is the new must-have quality in a strong retail brand. When times are uncertain many companies freeze. However, it’s during these periods of great transformation that brands need to transform and improve.
- Not listening to employees. Zipline’s Labor of Love Report released in June 2021 showed that 43% of employees don’t feel consistently heard when suggesting in-store changes and improvements to retail headquarters. To avoid that, businesses should encourage two-way communication and adopt a platform like Zipline to support flexible communication in an easy-to-navigate app.
- Over communicating. While field employees need to hear from HQ regularly, there needs to be a balance between sharing information and bombarding the field. One incredible benefit of Zipline is that it helps quiet the noise for store teams, giving them access to just the information they need for their role and allowing them to focus on what’s most important.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
The ability to pivot and remain nimble is paramount, particularly during turbulent times. The pandemic was, and continues to be, a hurdle for many of our customers. Regulations change at break-neck speeds, supply chain disruptions impact inventory, employees require time off if they exhibit symptoms of illness — the list goes on. Over the last two years, our goal has been to analyze these problems, see how Zipline can offer a solution, and empower teams with the resources they need to execute them. Being successful in this environment goes beyond offering a product; it requires being a trusted partner.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
- Open-door policy. The strongest brand is only as strong as its employees. I‘ve found that when an associate feels safe and heard among management, the brand itself flourishes due to their comfort and security reflecting through the brand. As leaders, it’s vital to keep open communication with teams, whether virtual or physical — being able to answer questions or just lend a listening ear can mean so much to the health of a work environment.
- Work constructively with field teams. As leaders, ask yourself what your frontline teams’ needs are, specific to their store and brand? The Great Resignation is real. Retail is often a hard and unforgiving job. With a common disconnect between brands and store teams, engaging with them will be the first step in leading an effective business.
- Create opportunities. A stagnant workplace does nothing for an associate, therefore hurting management in the process. Leaders in-tune with their employee’s goals and aspirations within their jobs can show they’re willing to go the extra mile to help their employees on their self-actualizing journeys, creating positivity.
- Maintain a vision for the future. Companies with stability and tangible goals tend to keep forward momentum. In a time where uncertainty persists, leaders who can show their employees what they’re working towards and why can keep teams engaged with an overarching mission.
- Positivity. Good leaders are always multi-faceted, but one constant characteristic I’ve always fallen back to in my career is kindness. Showcasing positive leadership with your direct reports can change the mood of an often stressful workplace to one full of camaraderie with potential for internal relationship-building from HQ to floor.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Throughout the different stages of growth at this company, I’ve had different quotes that reflected the intersections that I was at. As a founder, I’ve come to see my role more as managing change, as each year is so different from the one before. How do we move forward; what do we need to do to get to the next stage? How do we navigate through COVID and beyond? This quote in particular reflects the conviction and tenacity I think that I’d had to lean on in the past couple of years. “You have to have confidence in your ability and then be tough enough to follow through.” — Rosalynn Carter
How can our readers further follow your work?
Visit https://getzipline.com. There, they can learn more about Zipline’s platform, read about our case studies and request a demo of our product.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Melissa Wong Of Zipline: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
