As the world moves into a new phase of virtual offices typified by the 21st century style of doing business globally, anywhere and everywhere, Regus has emerged as one of the primary providers of solutions for executives and foreign business concerns looking for a temporary, yet prestigious and well equipped, office space in which to conduct business. For the last decade Noelle Coak has worked as a key component of the Regus business development and corporate sales initiative, raising the company’s profile in Japan and innovating to match the twists and turns of an often unpredictable marketplace.
Q&A
Illustration by Adam Fitzcharles
01 | JOURNAL: How visible are you to the people in your organization?
NOELLE COAK: Physically and mentally, every day. I manage the sales team at the head office in Akasaka, so my office is just around the corner. I have an open door policy so I always have contact with everyone. I am also out in the field to all of our centers to see our operations teams and clients.
02 | JOURNAL: What was your most recent, big mistake?
NOELLE COAK: Hiring the wrong person. When you have an interview with someone, you typically are with them for only an hour and perhaps a second interview for another hour. It is sometimes like playing Russian roulette, you never know their true character and capability until they are actually in the job performing every day. And with that, it will still take time to see true performance.
03 | JOURNAL: What percentage of decisions do you base more on logic than emotion?
NOELLE COAK: Logic is “thinking” and emotion is “feeling.” I would like to think I base decisions on both logic and emotion. Logic first, but then sometimes emotion just bombards itself through and pushes logic right out the window.
04 | JOURNAL: When you are away from your office, do you ever worry what is happening in your absence?
NOELLE COAK: Unfortunately, when I am out of the office, my out-of-office reply is never on! Of course I always wonder what is happening when I am away, but I am always still in communication with everyone because in our industry, office space moves so quickly with demand, we cannot afford not to be aware of all movements on a daily basis. As long as the world has Blackberry’s and wireless access, we can all stay connected, even on a beach in Bali.
05 | JOURNAL: What are your top three strengths?
NOELLE COAK: Coming from a sales background, I would have to say tenacity on never giving up, loyalty for both personal and professional connections, and passion—in order to succeed in your job, you must love what you do!
06 | JOURNAL: Do you take personal responsibility for anything and everything that happens to you?
NOELLE COAK: If not me, then who? I think everyone should take responsibility for themselves. I believe in the old saying, “you control your own destiny.”
07 | JOURNAL: If you were stripped of your job title and traits of office, would you still be able to get the best from your people?
NOELLE COAK: I would like to think that I could still get the best from my team as our relationship is based upon trust and respect, not title.
