Member Spotlight.

Q: What is your educational background? 

I have a Masters in Counseling Psychology and a MS in Business Administration. I am also a licensed psychologist in Minnesota.

Q: How long have you been in the OD field?

I started in the OD field when I landed at the HealthEast Care System in 1999 as a Talent Development Consultant. Our work quickly morphed into OD activities as we served the system on major initiatives in talent development, change management, succession planning, and organizational structure and improvement.

Q: How long have you been a member of MNODN?  

I have visited MNODN on and off over the last 20 years as time allowed. I have been a member for 3 years.

Q: Why did you join?

I was looking at reconnecting with OD professionals after taking my job at the U of M. Just prior to that, I was working exclusively in change management and less involved with the more broad initiatives that I would be doing in OD work.

Q: What benefits do you gain from membership?

Having a group of professionals from diverse backgrounds who share a common interest in furthering their skills in OD is always a plus. The variety of speakers and topics addressed at the monthly meetings is something I look forward to each year to add to my toolkit of approaches.

Q: What special skills do you possess that make you an effective OD professional?

I’m able to analyze situations from both the 10,000 foot view as well as the ground floor. That’s quite helpful when organizations face challenging initiatives like reorganization or deep improvement efforts. I also do quite a bit of professional coaching in my current role with medical residents and fellows. That enables me to affect change on an individual level that enriches the overall educational environment.

Q: Have you been a board member or volunteer with MNODN? If so, please share your  experience/benefits.

Expand your horizons as much as you can: network, read, experiment with new ways of reaching people. A lot of leaders in organizations don’t really understand OD work, but they like the benefits it can bring to the organization. Learn the language of those potential clients, the needs they have, and keep the “OD speak” to a minimum while communicating the potential value of what you can offer.

Q: What advice do you have for people entering the field?

Expand your horizons as much as you can: network, read, experiment with new ways of reaching people. A lot of leaders in organizations don’t really understand OD work, but they like the benefits it can bring to the organization. Learn the language of those potential clients, the needs they have, and keep the “OD speak” to a minimum while communicating the potential value of what you can offer.