GIS Managers Summit session recap: Thriving Through Adversity from Michael Green

MichaelGreen — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 23:26:26 GMT

Corporate Culture can be a brick wall that stops progress or just a boulder in the stream of work depending on how you interact with it!

At this year’s GIS Manager and Leaders Summit, we had the opportunity to openly discuss the value of persisting through and adapting approaches consistent with corporate culture. Clearly GIS Managers carry a passion for geospatial awesomeness, yet it can be challenging to bring others in their organization along for the journey of expanding the value gained by GIS. I had fun exploring this opportunity for geospatial leaders to share their experiences to Thrive in the face of Adversity as they grew their Geospatial Programs within their organizations.

Each successful leaders shared their experiences and had very different approaches to adapting to their corporate culture. Here are their key points shared:

Louis Hill – Director of GIS Administration for Planning and Development Services of Kenton County

Adapt your approach for each team you engage to match their culture to minimize resistant mindsets and expand GIS without disrupting their flow.
Build trust through earnest intentions for their team’s best outcomes
Deliver consistency over intensity by following up and maintaining a schedule of touchpoints with these teams. This builds further trust through reliable outreach.

Jennifer Lana – Previous GIS Manager for Cobb County

Earn executive support through stakeholder growth by building a strong user community of practice.
Include executives in solutions to challenges within the business.
Shift your language away from technical talk to business conversations.

Trisha Brush – LOJIC Director, Louisville Jefferson County Information Consortium

Take the time now to build a team mindset that serves the team in later crisis.
Lean on your team and trust they can deliver on crucial activities.
Be intentional and model the desired behaviors you want for your team.

topic GIS Managers Summit session recap: Thriving Through Adversity from Michael Green in GIS Leadership User Group

GIS Managers Summit session recap: Thriving Through Adversity from Michael Green