In this episode of the ‘Making It Count’ podcast, I sit down with Alicia Payne. She is a senior sales executive with Lucid Software, based in Melbourne. As a teenager, Alicia always loved singing, and her path led her to teaching. So, how did she find herself in the world of IT at Lucid Software? ‘A colleague told me I had a passion for connecting with people. I ended up in IT sales and have never looked back – I get excited to get out of bed and connect with customers, and my team-mates. And, that is where I found my purpose’ says Alicia.
Alicia has had a huge influence in her company. After falling pregnant, Alicia was the first women, in Australia to apply for maternity leave at Lucid Software. Realising she was not eligible for the government Centrelink scheme; she drew attention to this problem. ‘I wanted to bring attention to the situation’ says Alicia, ‘It is something that would certainly impact the diversity aspect of the business, as we were trying to employ more women.’ Two days before her maternity leave, Alicia was told that a new company policy had been written for this issue. In addition, she would receive paid parental leave. ‘I was so thrilled, not just for me but for what it meant.’ says Alicia. ‘It’s perhaps my greatest achievement so far.’
‘I’m a recovering people pleaser and I used to find it really hard to speak up’ says Alicia. She goes on to share how she became bold and learnt to share feedback, rather than negativity. ‘When you speak from the heart and share your truth, you can’t go wrong.’ The world has changed dramatically and leadership also needs to change. ‘Empathy and vulnerability are essential to building successful teams and establishing trust’ says Alicia. ‘What I’ve noticed is the ability to be open and honest with each other is missing. It all starts with a wiliness to share.’
As a leader, Alicia is making the most of the opportunity to hone her skills. Connecting with those who are outside of her comfort zone has given her inspiration to continue to use her voice to create change. She also encourages us to be present and provide feedback. She practices this in her mentoring – ‘It’s an ongoing learning process but you just need to say it like it is.’ says Alicia.
So, sit back and enjoy this episode with Alicia Payne as she continues to Make It Count and be a voice for change.
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Lucid Software