Mabel Casey has served as the Vice President of Global Marketing and Sales Support at Haworth, Inc. since September 2006. Responsibilities in her current role include global brand strategy and execution, public relations, advertising, and sales and design training. Casey previously held a wide range of leadership positions in the industry, including marketing outreach, sales operations, customer care, training and distribution. Casey received her B.S. in interpersonal communications and psychology from Central Michigan. She later completed an Executive Certificate in Marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
I grew up in a very rural area with a pretty large family. One of the unique things that I learned from that environment was how to avoid mistakes by watching others make them. I’m the youngest of seven kids, so I’ve had a chance to see what works and what doesn’t with lots of different people and personality types. This has absolutely translated into my career and even saved me quite a few times! I am hyper aware of behaviors and what is working for other people, and possibly more importantly – what isn’t.
At the helm of my family was my mother, an entrepreneur and business owner. She not only managed the family farm, but also ran another business on the side. She wrote articles for professional magazines and had contacts all over the world. She often ran her business on her own, but also had a true partner in my father. As her daughter, it was inspiring to witness and be a part of as I grew up. I spent a lot of time with my parents as their youngest child, listening to conversations about their business and witnessing the true power of partnership in a family business. Now at Haworth, I appreciate the challenges, respect and perseverance that are innate in a family run business, forming the cornerstones of its success.
How has your previous employment experience aided your tenure at Haworth?
I started my career in a government position as a purchasing agent and then transitioned to another organization focused on helping businesses grow through marketing to the federal government. From there, I moved into private business where I was the head of marketing and sales for a small organization.
I found myself in a lucky position at that first job in private business. It challenged me to prove myself as I was constantly learning new tactics and strategies, because I needed to understand every aspect of marketing in order to do my job. For example, if we went to a trade show, I did the research, logistics, planning, all of the packing and all of the unpacking. I manned the booth, presented to clients and potential customers and, back at home, did the follow up. This led to me creating the organization’s first true outside sales force.
Moving on from that position, I took a job in the office furniture industry. The knowledge and experience I have gained over the last 20 years has become invaluable in a very complicated industry. When I first started out, the manufacturer that I worked for moved me to different positions around the business. Since then, I’ve had responsibilities in accounts receivable and order entry, customer care back through warranty, marketing, research, contracts, and executive management.
What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at Haworth?
One of the highlights at Haworth has been researching and co-authoring a book about organizations with highly engaged cultures, and how to apply best practices to help more workplaces support varying cultures. It was fascinating to visit these different organizations and listen to people talk about unbelievably positive work experiences.
I also consider the opportunity to lead my team to be a highlight here at Haworth. I thrive in a continuous learning environment and we have consistently evaluated where we are, strategized what is needed and implemented new plans and teams in order ensure we are always evolving and improving. It’s highly energizing and I’m proud of the pace of change we have been able to create.
Admittedly, change is also one of the challenges. In today’s world, change is almost everywhere and as a leader, you lead others through the process. Leaders are too often out in front of the team and have already worked through any new ideas or doubts on their own. It can be hard to remember sometimes that others need that time to process change, as well. I tend to view change as an opportunity and sometimes forget that others can sometimes see it as a threat.
What advice can you offer to women who want a career in your industry?
For anyone and everyone interested in the office furniture industry, it’s crucial to recognize that that design is very important. My advice is to gain an appreciation or foundation of understanding about the design process and to be design sensitive in your approach to the industry.
It’s an industry where the product and people come together. Even though Haworth is most often considered a manufacturer, it’s more about the people than the products. We think about how spaces and furniture effect each other and the groups and culture that use them. We think about how space, structure and design support people every day in their work. These are critical elements of design thinking.
For business in general and specifically to women: find some place where you love what you do. The best way to do that is to find something that you love. I happen to love marketing, design and furniture, so I found myself at an apex of my passions.
Also, work for someone that you can learn from. If you don't have that, it’s time to move on. The only way to grow and stay relevant in your career is to continue to learn. If you’re in a position where you feel like you can’t gain any knowledge or any insights, it’s time to reconsider where you’re at and to find a position that can provide the right learning environment.
It’s unfortunate that people can often settle in a spot where the passion, respect and learning aren’t fed. This can result in stagnation, which often leads to unhappiness. I really encourage people to think about their personal development and growth as they are working through their career. It will keep them fresh, engaged, and relevant.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career to date?
The most important knowledge I’ve gained over the years came from having the opportunity to move around within a business, experiencing all aspects. It brought me a real sense of context. I understand how all of the pieces of the business fit together from our distribution network to our product development world. I can see how every aspect of the business clicks together to create a value chain. This is critical when it comes to decision making and understanding how actions in one part of the business affect other parts and people. Often, this is one of the greatest issues I as people move up the ladder: Individuals and groups can become myopic from one section of the organization. Having well rounded views is incredibly important.
How do you maintain a work/life balance?
Research discusses work/life balance as work life/integration. In many ways, I very much believe in the latter. Because on any given day, it isn’t usually a balance. Thinking of it as a balance can actually cause too much pressure on either side. Healthy integration is more realistic and can provide more relief.
I believe that taking time off, turning off your computer (truly unplugging to spend time with your family and friends) and taking a real break from work is critical. It has health benefits and allows you to reset. If you don’t take time for yourself, over time your creativity can suffer. It’s important to keep yourself fresh and renewed and to find a way to connect with what is important to you; this can be through nature or family or something else. Having that occasional dedicated downtime is monumentally important in both personal and professional development.
This is also very specific to the individual. My need is going to be different than the person next to me, and both will be different than the next person. Organizations and companies need to do better in recognizing this: people need different levels of work/life integration at different times and life phases. We can ensure that we’re getting the best of each individual by providing ways that they can manage both sides of their life.
What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?
Many people understand their own technical skills and abilities, but I find that these attributes are not typically what holds people back. It is important to really know yourself: What about your personality or character make-up do you need to know and manage to be better at your job? For example, I’m an introvert; however, I often act very extroverted in the course of my job. In fact, most people who know me through my work don't believe that I am an introvert. But those who know me in other environments do see it.
As an introvert or extravert, you are not limited to job function or level based on this trait. I’m able to accommodate for occasions that call for extroverted behavior. Knowing that I’m an introvert helps me remember to gather energy differently and find a way to create balance. I know an evening home alone is incredibly important to keep me fresh and on my game. It’s important that I take the time to do that and I think it’s important for people to know what they need to perform at their best.
How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?
I've been very lucky with mentoring in my professional life. First, it’s helpful to understand that I don't have a strong belief in formal mentorship programs. I believe it is really about the chemistry and trust between two people that can't be forced or assigned. It has to be earned.
As a result, I found my mentors through organic relationships – one of us was a resource to the other or I became close to someone because I looked up to them and it evolved into a mentorship.
I found that my mentors were fantastic at both nurturing and challenging. My favorite mentor, who was also a boss, was a really energetic and interesting man. We talked about all aspects of my life and how it fit together. The thing that I liked most about him was that he was very candid. He often told me that if I made a mistake, it was his job to talk it through and make sure I understood what had gone wrong. Then, pick me up, dust me off and send me back out there. This is what mentorship means to me: giving the opportunity to grow and be strong while providing a safe place to reflect.
I also have a very strong belief in professional coaching and have used one for over 15 years. I think it’s very important to have an outlet outside of work where you can talk about what you are struggling with, where you can make appropriate connections between your personal and professional lives. Missed connections between these elements can hold you back and it isn’t always easy to talk about in the work setting, nor necessarily appropriate.
Whether it is mentorship or coaching, having an external point of view and someone who is there to listen, will help make connections for you that you might not see. This is vital when working through scenarios and incredibly helpful. It's something I believe and invest in for myself and others.
Which other female leaders do you admire and why?
One of the women leaders that I admire most is Sally Ride. A lot of people know her as the first woman to go into space. One of the things you may not know is that, after her career as an astronaut, she went on to do a lot of really important and interesting things. She was part of a team setting the next century's goals for NASA and also wrote five science related children's books.
For me, the most interesting and impressive thing about Sally Ride is the diversity of things she accomplished. I find this especially true as people are living longer and thinking differently about their careers (you may have two or three). Sally Ride didn't just host a career then sit back when she accomplished a milestone. She went on to the next piece of her life with vigor and gusto, and really explored and demonstrated her varied talents. She cared about people and the future; she turned her “typical” career experience into a life-long passion that contributed in a very significant way.
What do you want Haworth to accomplish in the next year?
As an organization, Haworth is going through many changes on the front end of our business and my hope is that, as we go through this, we continue to make these changes in alignment with our values. As previously mentioned, change can be difficult but it is a constant. Ultimately, we are more successful when we grow from the values that have brought us where we are today. It’s a really unique space and powerful opportunity to reach for our next major goals while honoring who we have become.
I am also looking forward to focusing on and engaging with new technologies to help our organization be more aligned and successful. We don’t ever want to stop learning and discovering the amazing new tools that become available every day.
As I think about our team and what we bring to the workplace, we very much believe that creating fantastic workspaces can really enrich people's lives and the businesses that they work for around the world. So, my hope is that we continue to get better and stronger at doing that and that we can positively affect many more people in the coming years.