child. Davis’ off-ramp lasted two years, and she returned to take on a series of top-level, mission-critical assignments. Over three years, she cut back costs and scaled down the weight of technol- ogy for the F-22 and Joint Strike Fighter program. She also led the build of a German design mail sorter within schedule for the US Postal Service. In 1989, she won a $100 million in new busi- ness, building it from scratch to thriving double-digit growth and profitability within Northrop Grumman.
So how did she move into those kind of plum jobs? “Just the fact that you’re interested in continuing career growth puts your name in people’s mind when they’re considering,” said Art Lofton, CIO and vice president for Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector. “At the end of the day, it’s about networking, expressing your interest in opportunities. The more you get networked across the company, the more you understand what opportuni- ties are out there.”
“When I started as an engineer I kind of knew my discipline, my function,” said Darryl Fraser, vice president of corporate communications at Northrop. Fraser also realized, however, he didn’t know how his military program team interacted with
2. Know your value to the organization
3. Know enough about the business your companies are in so you can bring your A-game every day
4. Have mentors, champions and sponsors that will raise your name in a favorable light and raise your name when oppor- tunities are being discussed Sure, having mentors is key, but how do you rev up to speed for new assignments?
“Do your homework. Find out as much as you can about the
“Just the fact that you’re interested in continuing career growth puts your name in people’s mind when they’re considering.” –—Art Lofton, CIO and vice president,
Northrop Grumman
thermal design folks, or even the structural people. So he made it a point to understand a bit more about the organization. “That’s what helped me get those phone calls and opportu- nities,” Fraser said. Taking on projects and assignments that give you the op- portunity to lead a small team is a good way to start getting experience, said Vice President of Learning and Development Kathy Thomas. But when you get into roles where you are the key individual that folk go to — the go-to for advice and guid- ance—don’t think leadership comes innately. “That’s the time to get professional development training where you actually learn how to lead, how to talk to people and communicate. It’s so that you’re in a position where you enable people and through that you’re enable projects to be successful,” Thomas said.
FOUR RULES FOR SUCCESS Thomas’ four rules to help take your career to the next level
are: 1. Know what’s on your resume
www.blackengineer.com
job,” said Davis, who had 15 different assignments over her 33- year career. “When you don’t know, find someone who can give you an answer, and then find a solution.”
Lofton, who is a mechanical engineer by degree, says prob- lem-solving skills, how to approach things, work with people and collaborate are some of the things he had in his toolbox as he advanced. Up against career information technology profes- sionals when he competed for his current vice president position, he reflects on what gave him the edge.
“I brought a diverse set of skills and the ability to work across the experience regimes,” he said. “What does IT mean to the business? How does it enable the business?” Understanding the business and what it takes to bring value are the set of experience and perspectives that helped him to suc- cess and took him to the next level.
Lofton said his current position is made up of building blocks of his previous experiences. Among the many jobs the 25-year veteran has held at Northrop Grumman is running a site for composites at Hill Air Force base, a major U.S. Air Force base. The CIO position is Lofton’s first IT position.
USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 55
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