In the Beginning…

So, as a kid I didn’t grow up wanting to be an instructional designer and corporate trainer. As a child, I wanted to be a dancer, actress, or architect (like my dad). When I got a little older, I set my sites on being an archeologist or other type of scientist. While in college, I was really good at math and science and was fascinated with medicine but had no ambition to be a doctor or nurse. So I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology.

Fire in my Belly…

Working in a hospital clinical lab, I quickly realized that I liked working with people a lot better than test tubes! I enjoyed training new staff and was always “tapped” for that task even though I wasn’t the most experienced or senior person in the department. And so it began. I became a high school teacher to refine my curricula development and delivery skills, and believe me, if you can keep room full teenagers engaged and learning, you can handle any audience!

Finding my Niche…

My first corporate training position was as a Training Specialist for a pharmaceutical company. I developed and delivered job skills training as well as CGMP FDA compliance programs. My microbiology and clinical background benefitted me in the design and delivery of Aseptic Technique and Gowning training, my first solo developed training program. I felt right at home in the pharmaceutical arena. As a two person team, my manager and I built the training department together. The department grew as training requests increased.

After five years and being promoted to Training Supervisor, I was recruited by a Biotechnology firm. This was a wonderful start-up opportunity as the company was just getting organized. Operations had not yet begun and they started out with just 30 management positions. I was able to facilitate the management meetings and contribute to the discussions around human resource guidelines, benefits, hours of operation, etc. I even wrote the draft mission statement for the company myself. My role morphed into primarily organizational development. I developed and delivered leadership training, coached and worked with individuals on personal development plans and facilitated teams for projects such as a new performance management program.

After four years, I was recruited by a blood banking organization specifically looking for a training professional with pharmaceutical experience. Due to the discovery that aides was transmitted through blood donations, the FDA reclassified blood banks as “manufacturers” rather than “healthcare providers” which put them under a new “rule book” of FDA regulation; the same standards as pharmaceutical companies. My new role tasked me with building a new training department from scratch to support the new guidelines. The first focus was on standardizing job skills training and documentation, but I wrote the Strategic Training Plan to include not only technical training but also leadership development. And so the department continued to grow and expand our offerings as training requests increased.

All Good Things Must Come to an End…

I left the blood bank after 20 years as part of a large scale organizational restructure. (I was laid off) With increased physician education and a decreased demand for blood and blood products, blood banks all over the country need to streamline operations, become much more efficient and cut overhead. I get it! I now find myself returning to what I truly love – the creative process!  I have been keeping my skills sharp through consulting with clients including Intel and Wells Fargo.

New Passion…

Having extra time on my hands, I didn’t sit around eating bon bons and watching soap operas, I sunk my teeth into learning as much as I could about the effects of negativity in the workplace. I was inspired to research this topic after seeing the effects that the wake of downsizing can leave on an organization. The “survivors” are often stretched very thin covering multiple areas from departed staff, feeling sad, guilty, distrustful of management and looking over their shoulder wondering who’s the next to go. This can seriously limit communication, teamwork and the desire to help each other succeed. Organizations become stifled in “playing it safe”. Creativity, risk taking and employee engagement decrease significantly. This breaks my heart. Through my research, I have cultivated a new passion for increasing positivity in the workplace. Life is too short. My mission is to help individuals and teams reengage with life, their jobs to be more productive, creative, healthier and satisfied with life. Lofty goal I know, but I am starting with my own outlook and working it one fun, interactive training program at a time.

Current…

I am happy to say that I landed at a new wonderful financial organization.  Serving as a VP in HR Talent Development, my role is to help awesome employees be even better by enhancing their leadership and professional skills.  I truly get to do all the things I love 🙂