“I call my process “painting the target”. What I want to do is the bullseye. And then, I don’t allow myself to lose sight of that bullseye.
Once you see the target and paint the target clearly, you can start to work yourself back to reality. You’ll see what the key things are that you need to do now to eventually reach that target. ”
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Why Listen:
Special thanks to Jim Sinai for making the intro to Michael. While Michael had a full career in the Marine Corps, with over 21 years of service, he didn't let either what he did in the Marines, or how successful he was at doing it get in the way of his going on to have a truly exemplary tech career as a Chief Information Officer at some truly incredible companies. Here are a few things to look for in this interview:
How Michael is always dreaming of what is next, and then working his tail off to be proactive and bridge any skill gaps in his next career move
How Michael is always learning, always pushing himself forward and NEVER playing it safe
How Michael uses his network - not just to find a job, but to sharpen his skills and be the best he can be in his current position
How Michael "paints the target" to determine what he wants to do, and then doesn't allow himself to lose sight of the bullseye
At the end of this episode, Michael rattles off a whole host of books and frameworks. Don't worry, we've listed them all at BeyondTheUniform.org. While you're there, if you've got 400 hours free, be sure to check out over 381 other episodes hand crafted to help you crush your post-military career.
About Michael:
Michael Hansen is the Chief Information Officer at Procore Technologies, a company with nearly 2,000 employees that provides cloud-based construction software to clients across the globe. He started out in the Marine Corps, where he served for 21 years as an IT Security Architect. His career has included 2 years in Guantanamo Bay Cuba as the CIO, 2 years as a Cloud Architect for the Federal Government, and 5 years as CISO and then CIO of Mindbody both pre and post IPO.
Selected Resources:
About Michael
Resources Michael mentioned
TED Talks podcast
Books
Turn this Ship Around
The art of the unreasonable - how to approach certain situations dealing with multi-generational workforces
The Progress Principle
Focus - Daniel Goldman
Frameworks
Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs
BRMI INsittute - Maturity Chart
System Engineering V-Model
6Sigma
ITSM
Transcript & Time Stamps:
2:20
Joining me today from Austin, Texas is Michael Hanson. Do you have anything to add or amend to the biography we’ve shared?
I was 26th out of 27 in my high school class, I didn’t have many options. I found myself in the Marine Corps and that turned out to be an amazing opportunity for me.
4:20
Can you describe your transition out of the Marine Corps?
Right around the time that I couldn’t keep up with the Marines anymore, I realized that I needed to think about doing something else. I asked myself what I was passionate about doing. I started to research what requirements I would need to become a Chief Information Officer after I left the military. I knew that I would need a degree so I used tuition assistance to complete that while I was still in. I started applying for jobs while I was still in and eventually accepted a CIO role in Guantanamo Bay.
I think it’s important to think about what you did in the military and how those skills can be applied to the civilian world. Your skills do translate but you need to sit down and think that through. All military members are accustomed to working in unknown and stressful situations. Those skills are incredibly important in the civilian workforce. You have so many valuable skills that you can bring to a civilian career.
9:30
You’ve held many roles since leaving the military. How has the progression happened?
While I was in the military, the CIOs I knew were Colonels or government service people. After leaving the military, I knew I wasn’t going to go back in and work my way up to Commander. So that left government service. That’s why I was inspired to leave my role at Guantanamo Bay and work in a CIO role with the federal government.
There is a difference between being in the military and working in a government civilian role. There’s a lot of camaraderie in the military. That’s not always the case on the civilian side. Government roles are also typically less innovative and you’re paid less in a government role than you would for the same position on the civilian side. So that’s what pushed me to eventually go all in on a non-government civilian role.
Don’t be afraid of taking a step back when you leave the military. You’ll often need to take a step back in that first job after the military but then you’ll ultimately end up in the job that you want. So don’t dismiss a job in a field you’re interested in just because it’s a step down in terms of seniority.
16:30
What processes do you have for yourself to make sure you’re working toward your goals?
My process is called “painting the target”. The target is my ultimate goal. Then I think about the steps I need to take to reach the end goal. So that gives you some checkpoints you need to hit along the way. They serve as reference points that you can mark yourself against as you work toward that ultimate goal.
19:55
If a military member is interested in technology, it is necessary that they have experience in it before transitioning into a role at a tech company?
Absolutely not. The key is just making sure that this is the space that you want to be in. Then you want to make sure you understand what requirements will be expected of you in order to get hired into a role in that field.
21:15
What does the role of a Chief Information Officer look like?
Our company is a later stage organization. Because of that, as the company’s CIO, I come in and organize different processes throughout the organization in order to prepare the company to go public.
I also create vision for the organization. People work at their best when they clearly understand what the organization does and how they fit into that. So I work to make sure everyone in the organization feels that they belong and understand why their job is important.
Part of my job is also to act as a mentor to junior members throughout the organization. I help them set goals for themselves and start working toward those goals.
25:05
Is the CIO role flexible from one industry to another?
My experience with the military trained me well in moving from one role to the next. I like to come into teams that are dysfunctional and rebuild those teams. Those kinds of opportunities are not specific to one industry. All companies can be assisted in helping themselves operate better and more efficiently.
What appeals to me about my current role with Procore Construction Management is that the construction industry is a very exciting space. I didn’t have previous experience in the construction industry but it was a place where I felt I could have a positive impact.
30:50
How would you describe Procore Construction Management?
Procore automates the construction process. We automate the various processes that go into any construction project. We also build analytics around those processes that will ultimately make the project run more smoothly.
In the construction industry, we have projects that include very sensitive information. Projects have been the target of cybersecurity threats. So as a CIO, I build trust with organizations that we work with because I need to be confident in the software that we provide. I want the organizations that we work with to understand our security posture is and what we are doing to protect their projects.
35:50
Are there any resources you would recommend to listeners?
A podcast I really like is Ted Radio Hour. A couple books I recommend are Turn This Ship Around and The Art of the Unreasonable. Also The Progress Principle and Focus. Frameworks that I use a great deal at work are Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, The BRMI Institute Maturity Model, and Systems Engineering V Model.
39:05
How do you keep from getting burned out with such a demanding career?
It’s very easy in a Covid world to be working all the time. I encourage my people and myself to stick to a routine that is similar to your routine when you went into the office. Make time for yourself. That will allow you to bring your best self to work.
43:00
Are there blindspots that you think military veterans often have when entering the civilian workforce?
The military gives you very tight boundaries. That can often stop you from bringing inclusion to your thought process. It’s important to think outside the box and consider an issue from many different perspectives. That’s not always a strong suit of the military.
45:30
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
If you set your mind and work toward them, you will get there. It will take time, but you will get there. As you leave the military, reach out to people that have transitioned before you. They’ll have great advice for you and provide support. I didn’t take much from the military transition program. I learned much more from reaching out to other veterans.