Self-Assessment

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Introduction

The first question that Don asked me when he interviewed me for the masters program was "Why aren't you pursuing an MBA?" With over 25 years in business development and executive management, the question was well founded. 

My journey starts in 1994 when I was doing some work with Larry Wilson, the founder of Pecos River Learning Centers. I had been building my consulting and training company specializing in organizational transformation work since 1991 and was extremely interested in the experiential learning work that Pecos River was doing. In a conversation with Larry, I asked him directly if he could envision me working at Pecos River. His answer was swift and to the point, "no!" He said I did not have the background or the credentials. Larry's input set me on the journey to explore advanced work in the field of organizational development and training and eventually to the conversation with Don. 

Why Adult Education and not an MBA? The answer was simple. I have a passion for helping organizations and adults build capabilities and capacity and do not want to focus on finance and marketing. Understanding my need to transform my career to Organizational Development and training gave me the foundation for this direction. The ownership for this new direction has not come easily. Many of my life changing incidents during the masters program have revolved around my letting go of my 25 year career in sales, marketing, and executive management and embracing a career in organizational development and training. This transition has been very painful financially and with other changes in my life at 50, has forced me to let go of much of what I felt important in my past career life. 

At the end of this masters program, I will be in the same position most new college graduates are in, starting my career anew. Even though I am starting over again, I am enthusiastic about the work I am doing and my future career has never seemed so bright. For the first time in my life, I am pursuing what I have a passion for, the development of capacities and capabilities in organizations and adults for change and growth. 

The incidents reviewed in this self-assessment have provided me with critical leaps in learning, helping me accelerate my journey to become a leader in organizational development and training. And has this been a journey! Selecting only five incidents has been a difficult task. I have had way too many. Of the many, the five that I have selected have truly had a life-changing impact on me professionally and personally. 

To select these five critical incidents, I reviewed all of my e-mail correspondence to my professors over the last two and one-half years. I usually put my thoughts in writing via e-mail. My review of the extensive collection of e-mail's led me to an idea quite accidentally and one that I have implemented on every critical incident paper. I have started each one with an actual e-mail note that captures my thoughts, feelings, and experiences and reflects the critical incident described. 

As is consistent with the navigation in this portfolio, follow the links above and to the left under self-assessment to be introduced to these the five critical incidents.