Bruce Hunter was named the Interim Chief Innovation and Economic Engagement Officer almost two months ago, so how are things going?

We caught up with Hunter to discuss changes he’s seen at PIVOT, goals he has for the future, and the role PIVOT should play at the University of Utah.

In February, we published a story welcoming you to PIVOT and the U. You shared three priorities you had as you joined the team: 1) building trust, 2) understanding people’s goals, and 3) listening to learn how PIVOT can evolve. How do you feel those three things have been going?

In terms of trust, which is the first one, I think it’s been going well. I think you have to be present. You have to be involved in operations, solving problems, helping people out, and that’s the way you build trust: by working with them.

With my new position (Interim Chief Innovation and Economic Engagement Officer), as well as the old position, people have come to me, saying, “Well, this is what I really want to do.” So, I’m trying to set them up for success. I want to put them on a trajectory or path to get to exactly where they want to go. You can’t always do it right away, but you help them get on the trajectory or path to do what they want to do within a reasonable period of time. It’s interesting listening to all of the goals people have, and a lot of it is different than what they’re doing now.

Listening to learn how we can evolve is probably the most important one, right? Listening to people to figure out how can we improve the work environment, how can we make our jobs easier, and how we can problem solve. How can we not only find ways to take everyone personally to the next level, but to take the organization to the next level? And how can we work better as a team?

To read the full interview, click here.