Answering difficult questions

Geertjan Wielenga: If you're representing a company, that company might have made a decision on a Friday that impacts many people and there could be bad press about it. If you're standing on the stage of some big international conference on the following Monday, you're going to be asked why your company did that thing. How should you handle that?

Mary Thengvall: There's a phrase that I go back to on an almost daily basis: "To the community I represent the company and to the company I represent the community. I have to have both of their best interests in mind at all times." There's a very fine line there!

There are times when I need to stand up for the community within the company and my coworkers really aren't going to be happy with me because I'm pushing for this particular change that has to happen. But I'll continue to advocate for that change because I understand that if it doesn't happen...