Over the course of my career, I’ve managed a lot of people. A handful have permanently raised my bar of excellence. After working with them, my definition of “great employee” shifted - both for what I wanted on my team - and who I wanted to be myself.

A fantastic senior lifecycle marketer I know, Darci Terlizzi, is looking for her next role. I’ve been referring her to a number of people with the wholehearted endorsement, “I would hire her again in a second,” and then raving about the specifics: her can-do attitude, how nothing ever falls through the cracks, her proactivity, and the quality of her work.

She once made light of my own work ethic - gifting me a fridge magnet that read “Perfection is our goal, excellence will be tolerated.”

But she didn’t reflect anger or irritation at my drive and constant requests for improvements. She found a way to make us both smile and laugh. Plus, she was a YES machine, “Sure, and what if we…” And most delightfully, she always delivered. These three things reinvigorated my own work style, and shaped how I hire. Some things can be taught, some are a matter of will and state of mind.

Lead with Yes

There’s nothing more frustrating than employees who are “No machines.” We know there is too much to do in too little time with too few resources - we work under those same constraints. It’s a breath of fresh air when you encounter an employee who leads with yes, adds to or explores the idea, and then proposes actionable next steps. Darci was a pro at saying yes… then summarizing things I’d asked her to do, recommending how we should scope and sequence the work. She’d deliver on the most important things and then she’d quietly complete the less important in her time gaps. It was lovely!

Proactively Improve Processes & Deliverables

Many employees will do their own job very well, but stop at the boundaries. Darci would delightfully bring ideas about how to improve processes and deliverables, leading with what SHE’D MAKE BETTER instead of complaints about what was wrong. If Darci needed budget or support - I’d help her find it, because her recommendations were always well-thought through. Darci would clearly outline the structure and vision to bring others along. Darci wasn’t certified in Six Sigma or Kaizen, but she might as well have been. We were a constant improvement engine.

Make it Pleasant

Darci and I worked together on high-stakes advertising for Larry Ellison at Oracle. Sometimes his demands were unpleasant, sometimes revisions were endless. Sometimes, fantastic ideas were trashed subjectively. Sometimes other employees were really unpleasant and difficult. But Darci kept it pleasant. She came with a smile, she came with energy, she came with ideas. She had made a choice on how she wanted to live, and it wasn’t resentful, disgruntled, or irritated - no matter what life gave her. She reminded me over and over who I wanted to be as a person, no matter the situation.

Get it Done

Of course, the essence of why I’d hire Darci again is that she delivered, over and over, on increasingly difficult challenges. She’d be open about needing to learn new skills or when we needed to juggle deadlines. But if Darci said she’d get it done, she’d always get it done. If I needed changes or revisions, she turned them around quickly. I knew I could count on her outstanding work.

It’s not just the work, it’s the relationships

As an A-student, I was fixated on delivering good work for good grades.

When I started working, I sometimes mistakenly focused on the work product more than how I made people feel. I came to realize, in part by observing my best employees, that it wasn’t just the work product that led to success. The positive attitude, the energizing energy, the humor in hard times, the collaborative relationships, the personal connections… they were often just as critical as the work product itself. I’m grateful for people like Darci and others who have made me a better employee, a better manager, and a better person.

She’s available!

*If you’re looking for a Senior Lifecycle Manager or a Senior Marketing Growth Manager, reach out to Darci Terlizzi up on LinkedIn - you won’t regret it. Highlights sheet below:

Carilu Dietrich is a former CMO, most notably the head of marketing who took Atlassian public. She currently advises CEOs and CMOs of high-growth tech companies. Carilu helps leaders operationalize the chaos of scale, see around corners, and improve marketing and company performance.