“My biggest hope, as a founding owner of Reverie, is for every one of our clients to say that Reverie did exactly what they said they would. If we can help 100 entrepreneurs over the course of our career, that means 100 more businesses have inspired leaders, balanced home lives, and more engaged employees.”
Jaid Mackin is a Lead Consultant at Reverie Organizational Development Specialists. She has spent the last decade mastering the craft of Organizational Development within several different industries, for companies of varying sizes.
As a founder of Reverie, Jaid was inspired to create an organization that would allow her to position uniquely in a niche space. Her approach to the role is one part organizational development, one part process, one part C-Suite executive, and one part trusted partner.
Q: It sounds like you have a distinctive approach to helping your clients achieve success?
A: My primary goal is to have the targets of the business and the entrepreneur in my mind at all times. I do everything I can on a day-to-day basis to move the team toward that direction. I try not to get bombarded or distracted; knowing that the business leader has to deal with it, my goal is to coach them through it, helping the team to become more focused on directing conversations and outcomes to the targets and goals. That is my number one priority - staying aware of the goals and targets and always pushing them forward.
I also team up with the leader through effective communication to earn that COO seat. I work as the right-hand person - a big idea and brainstorm partner. I also work hard to really understand their business on a super deep level so I can jump in to help at all times.
Q: That is a very specific approach, can you share any tricks you have to help you stay so focused?
A: Constant. Movement. Forward. I encourage my clients to always move it forward one step at a time - or even a half step, a shuffle - just move forward. You must have someone in your business (whether it is you, or someone you bring in) who is always that focused on the future and the success of the company - even during really difficult situations. The goal is to continue moving closer and closer to those goals and targets. I could call it accountability, but it is more about the future. It is a dedication to strategy, tactics, and goals. An example might be that a client says they don’t need a regularly scheduled meeting and I’ll push them to have it. There is always something we can do or talk about that will push us closer to hitting that goal.
Q: What might a client expect when they are working with you?
A: Execution. I approach it by listening for all of the things that they tell me the team should be doing, and make them a reality. Once they identify something they should be doing or should start doing, I ask tons of questions, develop a plan, and then keep everyone accountable and on track. For example, a team might say - we really should be doing performance reviews. I start the questions: who would be involved, how would we get there, and when would you roll them out, what questions would ask, etc.
Then two weeks later we would have the questions formatted, and then 3 weeks later we would have the roll-out set up. 3 - 4 weeks later they would have been delivered. This would have been an idea they had for several years, and within two months we were able to make it a practice of what they do vs. what they should do.
Q: Your clients must really appreciate your skillset. How did you identify this talent and path so early in your career?
A: When I was working for past clients as an OD consultant I absolutely loved it. I especially love how fast-paced it is. I spent some time in an executive role as well, and it just wasn’t where I drew energy from. I love getting to create, fix, innovate, stretch, and implement. I became super clear about what I liked in the roles I played very quickly, and I took it from there.
Q: Knowing that your family owns a successful business, is it safe to say you got an early start?
A: Growing up in a family business was super formative for me. It was my inspiration for developing the skill set to be the right-hand woman to the visionary CEO. That is who my dad is - and I recognized that I could develop those skills that would provide him some relief. I went down the business and IO path as a result. After graduation, I started my own business to ensure that I knew exactly what my future clients would go through, and learn those lessons first hand.
Q: You mentioned that you started a business before, so why did you decide to have a partner when you started Reverie?
A: It’s so nice to have a full-blown partner. Having someone you can trust to work at your level - and I am very particular! I don’t have to put thought into the projects my partner is working on because I know it will get done with the quality and standards I set for myself. I see this as being pretty parallel to how we operate with our clients and their businesses as well.
Q: Your dedication to collaboration is impressive. What else separates you from competitors?
A: We offer a level of authenticity, partnership, and comfort that other companies may not offer. Our flexibility to walk you through a strategic plan and a hiring process all in the same day, and bring all of those skills to the table is unique. We also have the ability and desire to simply ask you how you’re doing, how you’re feeling, how your weekend went, etc. We have a genuine interest in becoming your partner and establishing that level of a working relationship. We only focus on two - maybe three- companies at a time. For all of those reasons, we are more personal and niche than you would get with one of the Big 4.
Q: Do you determine client type based on industry, or a different qualification?
A: I look for soulmate clients. I heard this from another consultant who I respect very much. My soulmate client is the original entrepreneur who came from being the do-er and is now in the leadership position. They are authentic, competitive, driven, and people-focused. It is usually someone who wants to grow the business, wanting to transition out of the business, or needing to innovate and pivot in the way they are doing business.
Q: How would a business leader identify whether or not the time is right to bring you in?
A: When the leader has hit a point where they recognize that they have to let go of some control in order to go to the next level, and they want someone to walk them through options of how to do it. If you have been wanting a COO, co-CEO, or a partner for six months and you are not in a position to start an executive search, and there isn’t someone to promote from within - that might be a sign that it is time to explore an opportunity to partner with Reverie.
If you are at the point where you need someone who is an expert at self-managing, driving change, and transforming the business with you to get to the next level - that is another sign that you should consider partnering with us.
For more information about Reverie Organizational Design Specialists visit www.findreverie.com. The team takes on a variety of clients across multiple industries. The team has a shared vision of helping business leaders rediscover and reinvigorate their dream.