As the Senior Director of Human Resources Services, I am deeply committed to growth. With nearly eight years at our company, I believe success depends on cultivating a culture that balances risk-taking with pragmatism. For me, the right type of risk is intentional, driven by informed leaders, adapted to the needs of each department, and supported by diversified talent who utilize the Novanta Growth System (NGS).
Leaders should create safe environments where calculated risk is encouraged. Balancing innovation with compliance and performance is challenging, especially in a public company. I often think about how, as a child, you learn to walk by falling down; if you don’t fall, you don’t learn.
Risk impacts more than just the decision-maker, so I always ask myself where the risk travels and how it affects our teams. No decision impacts only one individual. I also recognize that risk looks different across departments. In HR, certain areas cannot tolerate risk, and because my role is technical and operational, my ability to take risks is narrower.
Personally, I am more risk-averse, which suits my role well. I prefer to understand all potential outcomes before acting, but I am learning to ask what the best answer is right now and make decisions based on the information available. A former CHRO taught me the value of trial and error by allowing me to make decisions, reflect on what I missed, and adjust as needed. Conversations with peers, leaders, and my team help me challenge assumptions, consider alternative perspectives, and grow my risk tolerance in appropriate ways.
I firmly believe that our employees and NGS are our greatest tools for finding the right level of risk-taking as a company. Good talent attracts good talent, and expanding our talent profile is critical for continued growth. To avoid groupthink, we need to look beyond traditional networks and explore new talent pools.
I see NGS as a powerful tool for challenging assumptions and integrating healthy risk-taking into our processes. It helps teams revisit the why behind their work, remove personalization from problem-solving, and create environments where people feel safe to share ideas. I value involving people who are not directly connected to a process in NGS sessions because they bring unbiased perspectives. This approach prevents solutions from becoming top-down and builds resilience, increases risk tolerance, and multiplies impact across our organization.
Ultimately, I care deeply about balanced, thoughtful risk-taking because I believe it makes us stronger. I am committed to supporting growth so that we can continue becoming the best we can possibly be.