On daily basis, WP Engine’s numerous staff of consultants brings their distinctive views and deep experience to the desk. Whether or not they’re refining our instruments and platform, organizing our inside groups, or supporting our world clients, each worker has abilities that contribute to a tradition that’s constructed on belief and driving innovation collectively.
On this version of our Meet the Specialists collection, we sit down with Kasie Kremenak, a Principal Agile Coach primarily based in Iowa who helps our product groups enhance their pace and effectivity.
Say good day to Kasie!
Kasie is a Principal Agile Coach in our Product and Engineering division who helps groups work smarter, not more durable. Whereas her day job includes streamlining complicated workflows, her private life is all about artistic expression.
“I work in expertise, however I’m an artist at coronary heart,” Kasie says. “I paint, do chalk artwork, and play the violin.”
When she shouldn’t be creating artwork or teaching groups, Kasie recharges by spending high quality time together with her son and her canine exterior, normally by way of mountain climbing or tenting. She first got here to WP Engine searching for a constructive, supportive surroundings, and in keeping with her, that’s precisely what she discovered.
“My favourite factor about working for WP Engine is the tradition, for positive. After I utilized, it was for a lower-level position, however the firm acknowledged my intensive expertise and really upgraded the open place to deliver me on board,” she remembers. “It simply exhibits how a lot they worth their folks right here.”
Kasie’s profession journey
Earlier than becoming a member of WP Engine, Kasie spent 12 years as an Agile Coach within the monetary companies business. This background in a extremely regulated area gave her a disciplined strategy to bettering processes. Now, she makes use of that have to assist WP Engine’s product and engineering groups ship worth to clients sooner.
“My main focus is optimizing the stream and pace of worth supply throughout your entire firm,” Kasie explains. “I do that by teaching groups, people, and leaders in agile practices.”
For Kasie, the technical aspect is barely half of the job. The true problem comes from the human component of managing organizational change. Change is hard, however she believes it’s simpler when you’ll be able to inform a persuasive story.
“To efficiently affect a change, I’ve to obviously talk the worth and constructive affect of that change to get everybody on board,” she says. “It’s about discovering actual options and ensuring everybody understands the why behind a call.”
Kasie likes to study and likes to learn, alternating between fiction {and professional} growth books that assist her develop as a coach. She considers Lyssa Adkins’s Teaching Agile Groups a foundational useful resource for anybody in her area. You may study extra about her skilled philosophy on her private web site or on LinkedIn.
Phrases of knowledge: The ability of intentional listening
The throughline of Kasie’s strategy to management is the significance of actually listening. Kasie believes being current and listening to folks out builds the muse for each skilled relationship.
“Listening is an important side of any profitable profession, however particularly in my position,” Kasie shares. “It’s not nearly listening to what individuals are saying, however understanding what they’re not saying, too.”
She emphasizes the necessity for “pure” listening, the place the purpose is knowing, not making ready a reply.
“Simply taking in info and never eager about my response is basically essential,” she says. “When somebody listens nicely, they study extra, and other people are inclined to belief you extra whenever you actually hear them out.”
Past communication, Kasie advises leaders to guard their very own vitality to keep away from burnout.
“Prioritize your self and psychological wellness,” she suggests. “Don’t schedule conferences back-to-back should you can keep away from it. Give your self time to recharge, so you’ll be able to present up as the very best model of your self.”
Powered by folks
Kasie’s empathetic management is an ideal instance of WP Engine’s people-first tradition. By bettering processes for our technical groups, she helps guarantee we proceed to offer the very best merchandise, instruments, and options for our clients.
Are you curious about becoming a member of a staff that values your expertise and your creativity? WP Engine is all the time searching for supportive and reliable consultants to hitch our world staff. Discover the WP Engine careers web page to search out your subsequent position.
