Congratulations on your recent launch of SWBC’s Leadership Academy! How did you approach the design and development of this program?

Thank you! This has been something that my leadership envisioned for quite a while. It’s exciting that we have finally hit the ground and are in motion!

The process was very collaborative. I had no experience in program development when I was initially invited to help create and design the program. My AVP, Yesennia Gonzales-Reyes, and our SVP, Mandy Smith, were very patient with all of my questions and did a really good job of guiding my thought process and explaining the ‘why’ or ‘why not’ behind a direction they recommended.

In the initial stages of development, we thought what better approach than to ask the division leaders directly what they would like to see their leaders grow in and improve upon. We received a wide range of feedback and filtered the things that would be most impactful and measurable. That became the baseline for the competencies we would focus on developing throughout the program. From there, it was just a matter of researching content and being very intentional in how things were framed to inspire introspection in the leaders to apply the principles to themselves and their roles/responsibilities. In addition, a few from outside SWBC who have initiated different leadership programs graciously shared their wisdom and insight with us on how to create a program with the most impact.

Considering that this is the pilot year, we wanted to make sure that we’re keeping a consistent pulse on the program by sending out feedback surveys to the participants. Their valuable and immediate feedback is letting us know what’s working well and what things we may need to reconsider before the program is available company wide.

 What was your biggest professional hurdle in the past two years, and how did you overcome it?

I think many in the training industry are aware of the struggles virtual learning introduced, especially for an organization that didn’t already incorporate virtual learning into its curriculum. Our experience at SWBC was no different. There was so much trial & error for the first several months while converting our catalog from in-person to virtual. Realizing mid-class that a certain activity didn’t make sense, the learning curve for the less than tech-savvy participants, technology mishaps, you name it! Yet, the hardest part for me was not letting those things get me down too much. I tend to be very tough on myself, even in things that are out of my control. I knew the potential for virtual learning but struggled to accept that things wouldn’t be perfect right away and to allow myself grace when bumps in the road presented themselves.

A huge part of overcoming the hurdle was leaning on my team for support. We all collaborated in the conversion process and shared our experiences and best practices. It helped me to feel less like I was on an isle alone when things didn’t go right. Through perseverance, we were able to figure out the new normal and deliver virtual learning at the high standard I’d become used to.

How does diversity, equity, and inclusion factor into your role and work as a Training Design & Development Specialist?

There’s a direct correlation in content development and DEI. There are so many areas where differences exist beyond the more obvious in race and gender. Differences in economic status, culture, mental and emotion wellbeing, etc. are very real influencers for how someone may receive information. The goal of a facilitator is to impart knowledge and principles that can be applied once your training session ends. But if I’m explaining a principle from only the perspective of my experiences, I’m missing out on so many potential teaching moments, or even opportunities to expand my own schema.

An example of this realization in my own life came a few months ago when I was preparing to facilitate a class on working more effectively with the different generations. Part of this class involves reviewing pivotal historical moments that occurred during each generation and discussing how those things impacted that generation’s view of the world. Some of those moments in history are very polarizing, depending on what “side of the tracks” you grew up on. I made sure to highlight those (possible) different perspectives, and the result was better than I expected. Because safety and trust were established, we had individuals share their experiences as a member of a marginalized group that they may not otherwise had I not invited a different perspective on the world event.

Overall, knowing how important this conversation of diversity, equity, and inclusion is has made awareness that much more important in my role. Making sure I’m constantly checking my unconscious bias and expanding my vantage point of the world through others’ experiences has, without a doubt, made the privilege of facilitating richer and more meaningful.

What important skills did you develop in your previous role as a Senior Sales Representative that you brought over to talent development?

Empathy was one of the biggest takeaways from my previous role while in the banking industry. Finances are a tricky thing. One on end, it’s as simple as making sure you spend less than you make. But, as we all know, it’s never that simple. There were many times when someone would come to my desk for guidance on what kind of loan could work for them because of a situation they found themselves in. Often, the situation was avoidable. So, in the process of helping them know how loans worked and which one made the most sense for their situation, I always tried to impart some financial wisdom as well. So many adults wound up in a difficult position because they never had anyone teach them how to manage their money. I never wanted to see someone struggle financially, and that empathy helped me to always be on the lookout for things I could do or share to help someone keep from making a potential mistake in their money management.

When I think about the skills I try to impart during training classes it’s no different. For example, leaders, even with the best of intentions, are struggling to retain talent and foster a healthy team dynamic without ever having been taught the basics of managing and leading people. How could one expect them to be proficient at navigating such a heavy task without having even the most basic of leadership skills to start with? The same empathy from my previous job roles pushes me to be constantly aware of trends and best practices to share with the leaders I influence.

At the end of the day, employees of any industry are people with lives, families, and concerns. Whether a leader or a team member, I have the privilege to help them grow as an individual, and empathy helps me to keep the right perspective during class development and facilitation.

Lifelong learning is critical for today’s workforce. How do you prioritize your own learning?

I credit my grandmother with my view on learning. When I was a child, she would say that I could ‘read every book in a library and still only scratch the surface of all there is to learn in the world.’ To this day, our conversations are still very intellectual in nature, and she’s constantly challenging her thought process on things. And so I make it a point to attend webinars and watch TED talks that relate to my field of training. In addition, I’ve found that inviting others to share their lived experiences with me on any subject does as much in expanding my perspective as reading a published work. The science in a book may be well researched, but without varied human perspective, its application is limited. When I learn or hear something from a training webinar, one of my favorite things is to share my takeaways with friends and family and invite them to give me their thoughts or share their feelings on the subject. What they share may not align with the hard data from the book or webinar, but their input expands my perspective on the topic, which helps me to be a more well-rounded learner and facilitator.