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For me Hugh Varilly, is an early and excellent example of when it’s better to ask than to assume. In the summer and fall of 2002, I was a Band 6 Software Engineer at IBM—company speak for being a fresh college hire.
Hugh was a Distinguished Engineer (DE)—a Director-level position—within IBM’s Global Technology Services. I happened to see his “How to Become a DE” presentation on the company intranet. On a dare, a colleague and I emailed him, asking if he’d be interested in mentoring us. In what I’d later realize was his signature responsiveness, he replied right away and agreed.
Mentors share their expertise, networks, and connections, but the best mentors share their time. Hugh was always generous with his.
At one point, he was preparing for a major presentation to then IBM CEO Sam Palmisano. In an IBM with 350,000 employees, this is a big deal, even for a Distinguished Engineer. It’s not every day you get the CEO’s undivided attention for an hour. I casually mentioned to him how great it would be to hear how it went. Given the confidential nature of the subject matter, I didn’t expect to hear anything about the presentation.
To my surprise, later that day, Hugh sent me a detailed email that, without compromising the confidentiality of the meeting, broke down how the presentation went, the quality of the conversation, and most importantly, what could have been improved.
That last bit, coming from a Distinguished Engineer, was eye-opening for a newcomer like myself. It revealed that no matter how high you climb the corporate ladder or how well you excel at something, there is always room for improvement. The key is to be honest about it.
I left IBM in 2006, and Hugh retired in 2009, though he continued on as Distinguished Engineer Emeritus for a few more years. We’ve kept in touch throughout our post-IBM journeys. I’ve continued to rely on him as a sounding board for ideas, thoughts, and situations, always appreciating his timely responses—a trait I’m still striving to emulate.
In this edition of “My Best Advice,” Hugh Varilly shares his best advice for today’s leaders.
Editor’s note: This is the sixteenth in a series of guest posts where people from all walks of life share their best advice in times like these. A big thanks to the leaders who volunteered to share their life experiences. Reflection on the past is a deeply personal exercise. The willingness to share it with the world, especially in the written form, is a commendable act of vulnerability. For this alone, they have my deepest gratitude.
My Best Advice
I’ve had a lifetime of learning, and getting advice, from others. This consists of picking up the good habits and insights of my mentors and role models. It also involves observing the mistakes and missteps of other people and promising myself to avoid them in future. This is much less stressful than having to make those mistakes myself.
The best advice I got was from one of my senior managers when I was going to represent him at what promised to be a confrontational meeting. I asked him what advice he had for me. He told me to “sit and listen”. Don’t rush to offer your opinion until you have heard and evaluated all sides of an argument.
The next best bit of advice is Polonius’s advice to his son, Laertes, on the eve of the latter’s departure for France. This can be found in Act I Scene iii of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
What I also advise people to do is to build a good personal network – be known by as many people as possible – build up a set of people to whom you can turn for help when you need it. The way to build such a supportive network is to help people; if someone asks you for help, and if you can help, help them. If you cannot, tell them so immediately and, if you can, find someone to help them. This will get repaid with interest, maybe even years later. Finally, say “Thanks” often,
