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In this episode of Curiosity at Work, Dr. Julie Pham speaks with Diem Ly, Division Director at the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development (OED). Diem shares her unique journey from community journalism and telecommunications to leading citywide efforts for inclusive economic growth. She describes OED’s mission of supporting businesses, neighborhoods, and entire industries, ensuring opportunities reach everyone across the city. With a growing team and a post-pandemic landscape to navigate, Diem shares the complexities of prioritizing different needs of stakeholders, especially as we move from the emergency mode of the pandemic.
As a relatively new public servant, Diem reflected on the constant need to learn about many stakeholders, unlike her previous experience in the private sector, and on how to partner effectively with them so that they feel valued. She also discussed that learning isn’t just enough–public servants need to also document and share what is learned from these stakeholders within OED staff and across the City so that community groups do not feel they are constantly being asked for the same information. As for practicing curiosity internally, she emphasizes the importance of creating a learning and feedback culture within her team that is consistently operationalized across the department. She believes in demonstrating that it’s okay to make mistakes in the spirit of learning. .
Diem said she draws from conversations with her family to inspire her own personal curiosity. She believes embracing different perspectives requires slowing down, acknowledging our assumptions and biases. This practice helps strengthen her ability to practice curiosity at work as well. Drawing inspiration from her family’s diverse perspectives and her team’s dedication, Diem highlights how curiosity builds stronger relationships and more thoughtful solutions.
Connect with Dr. Julie Pham:
- LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliepham2/
- Website:https://curiositybased.com/
- Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/juliephamphd/
Connect with Diem Ly:
- Website: https://seattle.gov/economic-development
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diemtly
#DiemLy #EconomicDevelopment #CuriosityAtWork #Leadership #PublicService #FeedbackCulture #WorkplaceInnovation #InclusiveGrowth #CommunityDevelopment #PostPandemicRecovery
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