In honor of Women’s Equality Day, we our employee spotlight features one of our amazing employees, Ruth Moore. Learn more about Ruth below!
What is your role at Milestone?
For this month’s employee spotlight I’m the Service Delivery Manager for the One Store Operations Center at Microsoft. I have a team of about 50 including Analysts, Shift Leads, Technical Leads, and Project Managers. We provide incident management support for their Commerce and Ecosystems organization. That’s what we do, but what we are is a little different. We’re a team that has the discipline to provide a consistent experience, the agility to adjust to the unexpected, and the expertise to lead. I like to think that has a little bit to do with me.
For me personally, the short version of my role is that I manage the business of the OSOC. I like to think of it as having internal-facing and external-facing responsibilities.
Externally, I’m a representative for the OSOC, out in front so to speak. I work directly with Microsoft to present and improve the state of the business for all of us. The information I provide influences Microsoft procedures and discussions with their stakeholders as well as those between my team and Microsoft. Externally, there’s also relationship building. I’m constantly talking with my Microsoft counterparts and presenting data to ensure we provide the service quality they expect – or even better, exceed it.
Internally, I’m a facilitator, or behind the scenes. I have an amazing team, so whenever possible I stay out of their way. I’m a big proponent of continuous improvement so I encourage the team to find ways we can automate, share best practices, or tweak processes to make things a little bit faster or more accurate. I give guidance when someone has an idea.
Who has inspired you professionally?
I started my career as a Technical Writer at a software start-up. My manager, Sue Kilburn, is one of the strongest influencers of my management style. She had an inclusive style that created a family atmosphere that emphasized teamwork and doing what was necessary to achieve the best results.
The team was young with most of us in our 20s. Rather than seeing us as a group of inexperienced kids, she led us as a team of enthusiastic professionals. I think she saw more in me than I did. She gave me the room to grow into my strengths, challenged me, and listened to my ideas.
What made her so special was her personal touch. Promotions and raises came with a hand-written thank you card. We had daily “chocolate breaks” where we’d all sit down as a group and just chat. To this day, I can’t have one of those little single-serve Hershey bars without thinking of her.
The second person might sound a little odd, but my son has inspired me. Or rather being a parent has. My experiences as the mother of a toddler and now a teenager allowed me to practice skills such as negotiation, communication, and adaptability. Seeing him grow into an independent, capable young man gives me hope that maybe I’m doing something right at work too.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I am very much an introvert. I’m not shy and I don’t mind making presentations but if I can avoid a phone call or a face-to-face interaction, I do – even for things like ordering a pizza. Days without meetings are the best days.
Given that I manage people and spend much of my time analyzing data and using tools like Excel and PowerBI, some might be surprised to learn that I was an English major in college who wanted to work on political campaigns
As a female leader, what advice would you give to other aspiring leaders in overcoming potential gender biases and achieving career success?
First, find an ally who will not only support you but will also tell you the unvarnished truth. We don’t always truly know our strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes you need someone else to tell you what those are. Find a friend or colleague you trust and then pay attention. When do they come to you for help? Maybe that’s a strength. When do you go to them for help? Maybe that’s a weakness. This person should encourage you or even push you forward when you need it.
Second, walk in like you own the room and take up space. Act like you’re supposed to belong there, and people will believe that you do. If you enter timidly and make yourself small, you’re easy to ignore. You don’t have to be showy or rude but you’re there for a reason so don’t be scared. It’s okay to be uncomfortable or nervous, it’s even okay to admit it to others, but don’t dismiss yourself or hide before giving others the chance to see your worth.
