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This month marks the 12th year that Schneider Electric’s New England campuses have helped raise funds for The Jimmy Fund Walk and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The work our Walk Team does for the charity race every October is related to an ideology I strongly believe in at work and in everyday life: the importance of giving back. To leave a legacy that’s good. As a leader, I think that by enabling people to be heard, building strong relationships, and engaging with younger generations creates a better future not only for companies but for employees seeking success in their own lives. I’ve had a lot of great people help me throughout my career, so I’m working hard at Schneider Electric to pay it forward.
The annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk also happened to coincide with my ninth anniversary as the Vice President of the Field Devices line of business at Schneider Electric. As a business, Field Devices is focused on process measurements, taking the data it yields and providing operational insights back to the customer, creating value from the data.
Before joining Schneider, I’d spent 12 years working at a company focused on plastics, utilizing my background in process control and materials property analysis, specifically in extrusion and injection molding. While I do hold degrees from Northeastern University in marketing/management, I find that the one degree that’s helped me the most as a manager is in psychology.
Here’s why. Back when I joined the company in 2013, I gained the sense that not many employees in Foxboro’s Field Devices line of business were being heard. Schneider had trusted me and trusted my predetermined goal to make employees believe in Field Devices. To do so, I had to gain the trust of longtime employees, some who’d been there nearly 40 years and that had never been publicly recognized. If we couldn’t fix this, how could we hope to attract the next generation of employees?
Cynicism can easily take over a company. With a rotating door of leaders and unmet promises and goals, negativity can reign over a workplace. When I joined Field Devices, there was one key thing I had to do: listen. It might sound like checking a box, but it’s not. On day one, someone told me, “Don’t do anything for two years but listen.” So, I did. I heard what challenges people faced and then worked within the confines of what that team faced. How do we counter that? What solutions can we find together?
Feedback came from employees and external partners to understand where we went wrong and what we needed to do to fix it. Ultimately, we came up with a list of 30 or 40 things that needed to be fixed. Over two years, we began crossing off items every other week to the point where we found solutions for nearly everything. My coworkers observed every show-and-prove moment, and how we are working towards creating a positive legacy. Once I earned their trust, it was time to for the team to truly put Foxboro on the map—make it synonymous with Schneider Electric.
Making Field Devices ‘Relevant’
Towards the beginning of 2016, I rounded up all the key managers and stakeholders within Field Devices—about 50 people in total—and held an offsite event at the nearby Gillette Stadium to answer one question: “What do we want the business to be?”
Of course, this question spawned others. How do we get employees engaged enough to want to drive the business? And then, how do we engage outside of that team? The 50 of us began to craft a strategy that we would execute over the next few years. The theme for this strategy was called “Relevant.” How do we become relevant to the employees, the customers, and, most importantly, to Schneider Electric? Our focus was to create awareness and buzz and to empower our employees. To make them believe in Field Devices.
The biggest career milestone for me was when my team signed off on the idea and rallied behind the goal to become Relevant and in turn make the business viable. Our ability to compete at the basic legacy instrumentation level is high, and we make sure that our customers feel supported. Making sure the foundation is sound. Today, when people ask my team what the strategy is, they say, “Relevant.”
Investing in a Legacy
We’re working together to leave a better legacy for the next generation. When it comes to sustainability and investing in diversity, equality, and inclusivity, Schneider is a company that walks the walk and talks the talks. You can see it in the transformation of our leadership team over the last six years. People of all backgrounds are stepping into roles they deserve, and that’s a big deal. Younger generations are providing input and affecting actual change.
Similarly, and on a personal note, I’ve taken this idea of legacy into an everyday practice by mentoring four to five people a year. In the past four years, I’ve had about 20 mentees, and we stay in touch at least once a month. And it’s something I recommend all leaders consider.
To inquire about a future at Schneider Electric, I encourage you to visit the various job opportunities on our talent site.
About the Author
Matthew Carrara is Vice President of Schneider Electrics Process Instrumentation (Field Devices LoB). He has a demonstrated 30+ years history of working in the space of process instrumentation, controls, and materials properties analyzers. He focuses on strategy, acquisitions, sales & channel management, product development, marketing, and operational delivery. With a passion for philanthropic service, Matt is in his 4th year as Schneider Electric’s Executive Sponsor for the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, which raises money to help cure pediatric cancer. In his spare time, he likes to kayak, cook, entertain, and spend time with family and friends.
