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Adam W.

Product Manager

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Commercial and Marketing

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Top Insider Advice

It sounds obvious, but sometimes it can be easy to perform the actions required for your role in a way that doesn’t best amplify your strengths. Be acutely aware of your own strengths and play to them, putting together a development plan for areas of improvement. I’d recommend developing your strengths too. Just because you’re naturally good at something doesn’t mean you should rest on your laurels. Have a mindset of wanting to move from the top 10% to top 1%. Always welcome feedback too whether it’s positive or constructive. Don’t take constructive feedback negatively, to be imperfect is to be human. We all have areas we can improve on.

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Career path

Product Manager

First Central

Started 11/2022 to Present

Product Management

First Central

From 01/2018 to 11/2022

Proposition Management

First Central

From 06/2008 to 01/2018

Company

What do you like about your job and the company?

At previous financial organisations, I’ve experienced politics which have often resulted in departments having contrasting goals which were harmful for productivity. There’s no such conflict here. Everyone is engaged, there are no hidden agendas, we’re all signed up to the goals of the company and committed to achieving them. The culture is also fantastic here, whether it’s the approach to flexible working, focus on diversity or wellbeing. Again, there is a marked improvement working here compared to other organisations I’ve experienced. We are also well informed here. There’s a breadth of honesty and this is demonstrated from top to bottom. It surprised me at first how open the entire organisation is and how ‘human’ our senior leaders are.

Greatest achievements

I have put together a roadmap of activity and subsequently pitched numerous initiatives at relevant forums across the business and received approval. Unfortunately, the activities mentioned are all in various stages of development and therefore I can’t make specific reference to what they are. However, they vary in nature and all align with our goals as an organisation. I am someone who loves ownership and accountability, so being able to strategise a development, pitch for approval and then work with teams to implement the change really ticks the box for me. In a matter of weeks, some of these developments will be live. At the same time others will move to development and I’m also scoping a few more changes with a view to pitching them in due course.

Other insiders

Angela W

Policy Review Specialist

Top Insider Advice

They often outweigh the negatives but get overlooked. Is a bad day really a bad day? Weigh it up and look for the positives. You’ll probably find it wasn’t so bad after all.

Paul F

Director of Data and Analytics

Top Insider Advice

My career experience causes me to provide the following advice, which is relevant for opportunities here at First Central: • Build credibility by doing what you say you will • Team spirit trumps all • Seek to understand and don’t judge a book by its cover • Give people space; micro-management is a killer • Be relentless in seeking to understand yourself • Coaching and mentoring are transformational and are amazing gifts you can give to others • Take risks and be brave • Be human, be vulnerable, show emotion to make yourself accessible

Lauren C

Culture Lead

Top Insider Advice

I’m a natural introvert and I don’t think anyone in my personal life would describe me as outgoing or confident! But, I’ve found in my career so far that the occasions where I’ve been brave - whether that’s deciding to move away from HR (even though I studied a Masters in the topic!) or saying yes to presenting in front of a crowd of senior leaders - have been the times where I’ve grown and developed the most. I’m at a point in my career where I’m eager to grow and progress, so being brave is something I try to make a conscious effort to do. It can be scary to say yes to things you might usually shy away from but, by getting more practice and exposure to these things, over time they naturally begin to feel a bit easier. Even if things don’t always go to plan, it’s all part of the journey.

Discussions with Adam W
Do you have much opportunity to travel in your role?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Picture of Oyinda
2 responses
19 views
How do you work in a team in your job?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, October 24, 2023
1 response
6 views
What motivates you about your role?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, November 7, 2023
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2 responses
18 views
What do you like most about this company?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, November 7, 2023
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2 responses
32 views
How do you ensure that junior employees contribute their ideas?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, January 30, 2024
1 response
9 views