Who is Eric Simonson, Really?

Interview by Sarah Clayton, Global Head of SSON Last Friday, I grabbed an hour to chat with Eric Simonson, Managing Partner of Research at Everest Group. Eric is an enigma – despite being well known in the ever shifting world of shared services and outsourcing research as a man whose data and advice can be trusted. We felt we would all be better off for knowing what this man does over the weekend – but we threw in a couple of superficial questions to provide the "cover" of an interview. Coming from a family of mid western teachers and scientists, our man in Dallas trained as an engineer before entering the shark infested world of consulting, 20 years ago. Then, eight years ago, he shifted to research. Marrying the equally smart Mrs Simonson, after meeting her at the Reagan National Airport bag check, they now have what is shortly to be the brainiest baby in Texas: little Heidi. Both coming from big families they tend to split their time between supporting Texas A&M football team, hiking the rolling "hills" and trails of Dallas-Fort Worth, and passing Heidi around at family gatherings while they catch up on caffeine. A seriously clever chap – in case we haven’t already made that clear – Eric spent his early professional years focused on super-sonic heat transfer in aerodynamics while working at a top secret, NATO sponsored research lab in Belgium. These days, rather than poring over wing shapes, he is working virtually with clients all over the world and travelling to the usual global hubs. We asked Eric 5 critical questions: SSON: You have a million dollars to spend on property – where and what? ES: I’d buy in Costa Rica near the water or up in the hills. We’ve been a couple of times. My wife learnt Spanish there and we want to raise Heidi to be bi-lingual. It has a great friendly society and definite business opportunities SSON: If you weren’t already doing what you’re doing you’d … ES: I’d start a politically agnostic think tank to look at broad policy issues in an engaging way, generating visual representations of big thought pieces. Gun control, foreign policy, homelessness might all benefit by using social media to help educate, compelling people to play with models that show how things could change with certain adjustments. We then spent a good 15 minutes on the intricacies of American College Football, Alma Mater donation programmes in the US, the hypersonic research Hitler did during WW II, Belgian beer, mass transit museums and our colleague Becky Dennis’s book ‘Brainwreck’ – before noodling over to ... SSON: What should captive shared service leaders be thinking about (a classic Friday night in the pub for SSON staffers)? ES: They need to continue to be change agents, there’s no end state. I see the same people who once helped to disrupt, now getting too close to their operations to be able to launch the next big thing. Knowing when and how to change endures; everything else varies so much. Change should be part of the norm. Leaders understand that and need to push for change rather than viewing it as episodic and painful. I often listen to stories at meetings emphasizing why something DOESN’T need to be assessed or moved to the next level. I think we’re all too invested in delaying the inevitable. SSON: What about BPO leaders? ES: OK, there are three basic different models Sophisticated versions of staffing agencies – organizations who can get you the right type of labour when and where you need it and training offerings, too Companies that are very good at solving problems and then delivering solutions against them in a new way; in effect, real transformation that is customised versus standard solutions Companies that make wise investments in technology and know how to manage those investments to capture increasing value from technology-centric service delivery models I don’t think you can do all three models in the same unit managed by the same people… SSON: What do you most value in clients and colleagues? ES: A colleague who can laugh at almost anything and a client who likes to work collaboratively and be challenged to solve problems vs preconceived answers they want OK’d by an advisor. SSON: What have you learned about leadership? ES: CEOs are not looking for sophistication or complication in their back offices, they are looking for simple, predictable, and flexible. It takes genius to make something simple, so while they know they want simple, that often means an inherently sophisticated thought process behind the scenes. Eric Simonson regularly speaks at SSON’s conferences around the world, sharing the fruits of his day-job, and providing SSON members with the research and analysis to help them prepare for tomorrow’s world. Meet him in Orlando, at Shared Sercvices and Outsourcing Week (March 11-15). [inlinead]

Who is Eric Simonson, Really?

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