Kaili is driven by creating meaningful connections and an insatiable desire to help people solve their problems. An achievement-oriented Jill-of-all-trades, she brings structure, clarity and alignment to complex business agendas through clear communication and collaboration. Read on as she shares insights on her consulting approach, motivations for success, and helping organizations solve complex problems.
1. How Would You Describe Your Consulting Approach?
I am naturally an explorer. I like to be inquisitive and help clients to think about the “why” and “how” behind their agendas. My co-workers, family, and friends say they value my ability to bring structure to their ideas, consideration of other perspectives, and to ask questions that help clarify, consider, and align ideas. Being able to bring this approach through my consulting is personally rewarding, and of value to my clients.
2. What Motivates You to Do Your Best Work?
It may sound cliché, but I find no greater satisfaction than knowing all project teams are aligned and collaborating on a common goal, one may question why teams wouldn’t have a shared understanding of a project; however, I have found a lot of misalignment occurs when teams start the solutioning phase and realize team members have a varied understanding and are solving for different problems. When I start working with clients, I like to ensure there is clear communication across various teams, find any disconnects and bridge information gaps to align.
3. What is Your Approach to Creating Meaningful Interactions?
In my experience, the most meaningful interactions occur when people are genuine and interested. I like to be myself and have a sincere interest in the lives of the people I’m working with. There are only so many hours in a day, but I always want to hear about people’s personal interests, how their work agendas are evolving or be a lending ear.
4. What Do You Like About Working at Blue-Mark?
One of the things I value most about working at Blue-Mark is how accepting and diverse the team is. When I was hired, I was told “be yourself, that’s what we hired” – I found it allowed me the permission to bring my own style flex to projects while still representing and tapping into our team methodologies.
5. What Are Some Lesser-Known Facts About Yourself?
I jokingly refer to myself as a citizen of the world, as a holder of a Canadian, Estonian [EU] and American passport. I was born in Toronto, and I have also lived in Chicago, Illinois, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Angers, France and Tampa, Florida. A true animal lover, I grew up an equestrian in the hunter/jumper discipline and have always had a soft spot for dogs. The extent of my fondness for animals led to me having my own tadpole stand, in lieu of lemonade, thinking people would want to grow their own frogs. Sadly, few shared my enthusiasm for amphibians.
Education: BA, Paralegal (Cert.), MBA/MHA (Candidate)