Leading with a Communication Roadmap, with Shannon Adkins

Episode 09

-15

+60

00:00

Shannon Adkins is a thought leader and CEO at Future State, a woman-owned, employee-owned consulting company with a triple bottom line where people get to be themselves. They bring value to their clients in Life Sciences, Technology, Healthcare and Consumer Goods by understanding the journey they are on throughout their transformation.

After years of working for startups, tech companies, and in corporate America, getting her MBA, and starting a family, Shannon decided she wanted to work somewhere where she could be fully expressed as a mom, a volunteer, and a badass business woman. So, she went back to Future State. The changes she initiated led to revenue doubling in 24 months, new offerings, new clients in new industries, new teams and leaders, and a new name, Future State. In 2015, she became the CEO and made sure to continue to grow and evolve, officially making it a B-Corp.

Shannon challenges herself to always ask “why,” and to make sure the answers contribute to creating a world that works for everyone. An eternal optimist, she believes the right team of people can find a radical solution to any problem. Weaving together the opportunity, the business needs and the collected wisdom of its stakeholders, these solutions become clear and executable strategies that lead to continual success.

What you will learn in this episode:

The difference between being in the C-suite and being a change agent in a company
Why it’s important to communicate with employees after being acquired
The benefits of having a communication plan for acquisition
Why employees leave after acquisition
How to create space for open communication with employees

Best Advice: “Love People”

Book Shannon is reading: Networked, Scaled, and Agile: A Design Strategy for Complex Organizations by Amy Kates and Greg Kesler

Great TV Shannon enjoys: The Handmaid’s Tale

Shannon’s Favorite App right now: Microsoft Teams

Resources: