Caroline Kramer
Meet Caroline
Caroline Kramer is a Senior Associate at McChrystal Group, where she currently advises a client in the financial services industry, providing leadership development workshops for their executive teams. Previously, she interned at McChrystal Group as a Summer Analyst, working with a global oil & gas company’s Information Technology division to enable their new corporate digital strategy.
What did you do before joining McChrystal Group?
Prior to McChrystal Group, I worked as a Research Assistant for the Associate Dean of Research at Wake Forest University School of Law conducting work on social change and accountability in secret organizations. I also held an internship at a Connecticut Criminal Defense firm.
Why did you join McChrystal Group?
I joined McChrystal Group during my internship as a Summer Analyst. The mentorship that I received from not only my direct manager but from members at all levels of the firm was unparalleled from any learning experience I had previously been a part of. I decided to return as an Implementation Analyst where I knew that any team I had the honor to be a part of would be invested in my development and help me to become a stronger teammate.
What has been your proudest moment at McChrystal Group?
My proudest moment at McChrystal Group was facilitating a 200 person Joint Special Operations Command Simulation with our team in the West region. Supporting this event allowed me to represent the unique culture of McChrystal Group, while also helping our client to pressure test and build upon valued team dynamics.
What are your favorite books (besides Team of Teams!)?
The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis – I have always found Lewis’ analysis of how humans make decisions grounded in common biases interesting. Since joining McChrystal Group, this interest has only grown through learning the principles behind Red Teaming and developing creative solutions to the problems we encounter every day.
B.A. Wake Forest University
Written Articles/ Materials
Insights
When it Comes to Motivating Your Workforce: One Size Doesn't Fit All
For employers, the cost of employee turnover is high and has a significant impact on a company’s performance. Motivating and retaining your team cannot be a one-size-fits-all tactic, but rather a tailored process of communicating and understanding what matters most to the frontlines of your organization.
Managing Your Priorities as a Leader: Balancing Expertise with Efficiency
As leaders mature in their roles, the transition from expert to executive is a critical but difficult change to manage effectively. Once in a senior leadership position, executives must shift from tactical thinking to strategic thinking. Improperly balancing senior-level responsibilities with tactical-level problem-solving is a recipe for bottlenecking, slowing the rhythm and speed of execution for teams below. As a leader, recognizing the impact that this balancing act has on your organization is a crucial self-evaluation.
Leaders Must Address Their Own Blind Spots When Connecting Strategy to Execution
Whether your teams struggle to align to broader company goals or your individual performance metrics fail to support collaborative team objectives, McChrystal Group leverages several tools to help organizations align objectives at all levels of the organization.
