Spotlight On… Grace
Meet Grace Park, our sentry meerkat. Always on the lookout for predators. Oh no, hang on, that’s a real meerkat. Our Grace is more concerned with making sure there’s trust and a sense of security within the team. We know she’ll always have our backs – and we love her for that.
As Cosy Meerkat’s Chief Strategist Grace’s job is all about, you guessed it, strategy. Grace will work with a client to come up with a plan which not only generates improvements to their internal communications but keeps it flying into the long-term. It’s not all theoretical though. She might enjoy delving into business strategy and extracting useful insights, but Grace and the team will then take what they learn and work with a client to develop a strategy they can bring to life, creating enjoyable experiences and supporting teamwork. This might mean introducing new ways to recognise and thank colleagues and teams in the moment or delivering events where there’s an opportunity for a bit of fun and creativity to be had.
Outside of work, you’ll find Grace either taking her whippet, Marcy, for a walk or trying to keep up with her equally energetic three-year-old. At work there is no typical day for Grace, which, as she says, is great for keeping her on her toes!
Grace says the biggest problem clients tend to need fixing is one that’s not new, but which has become more pressing as a result of the pandemic: how to communicate effectively with colleagues who work remotely. It’s a particular challenge for those who have a lot of employees in customer-facing roles, meaning they aren’t typically at a computer all day. The best way to figure out an effective solution, according to Grace, is to listen. And in order to do that she’ll ask a lot of questions. What do those colleagues want and need? How could communications fit into their day-to-day work? How could messages be enhanced and made simpler? How do you want employees to feel about your business? And what kind of relationship do you, as an employer, want to have with them? After that, you can leave Grace to mull it all over, before coming back and presenting you with a range of innovative and thought-provoking options.
Her favourite part of the job is the creativity, which in her job takes a lot of forms – from thinking up new solutions for business challenges to seeing things through from an initial idea on a whiteboard to a beautifully executed piece of work. For Grace working with a good team is another joy and she’ll work hard to develop a good relationship with clients, because, as she says, when you have that, that’s when the magic happens!
Grace had a variety of interesting jobs before she started working for Cosy Meerkat. The most fun was probably waitressing in a pizzeria; not only was it social but it had the added benefit of great food! At the other end of the scale, selling life insurance and loans over the phone was a tough gig. However, it’s often our greatest challenges which give us the most strength and Grace would say it taught her a lot about the importance of building relationships, developing resilience and how to talk to pretty much anyone. But, she says, her most interesting work situations have all arisen from previous communications roles. Ever the professional though, she has refused to divulge any titbits at all! How very disappointing.
