This month we are featuring Ben Guthrie, Associate in the Saba practice at Educe.
What do you do in your day-to-day role?
I help businesses optimize their learning and performance strategies through process discussion, system configuration, and training initiatives.
What skills does your current job require? How have you mastered those skills?
My job requires time management, expectation setting, oral and written communication, organization, interpersonal skills, knowledge of talent management tools and trends, among other things. I have honed my skills through formal training courses, shadowing mentors and managers and a desire to help my clients succeed. I want them to feel like their engagement with Educe was not only worthwhile, but something that they will go out of their way to tell others about.
What advice would you give to others working in Educe Group about how to succeed in the organization?
My biggest piece of advice on how to succeed at Educe is to leverage the wealth of knowledge that is within our organization. There are so many aspects to our business and the projects we work on that there will be times you feel like you don’t have a full grasp on everything that is going on. If you leverage the years of experience and expertise of your peers, those perceived knowledge gaps will shrink—and quickly!
What project/s are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my work on the Cornell University project. Cornell had unique requirements and were early adopters to a brand-new functionality within their learning management system. When that functionality didn’t quite live up to expectations, we had to find another way to successfully get them to Go Live, and in a place, where the burden on their admins would not be too much to bear. It was a tight rope to walk the whole time, but we came through with a lot of hard work, good communication and leadership, and an understanding from both sides on what we could accomplish given our project time frame.
How do you successfully build relationships with clients?
Communication—I don’t know the answer to every question, but I am up front and honest with my clients. If I don’t know the answer, I will either find it or find someone who can get them the answer. If the client knows that I am working for them and I am reliable and trustworthy, then they will feel like they are in good hands with me.
What do you feel sets us apart from other consulting firms?
Honestly, there are many things that I think set us apart, but the one that I always come back to is that we are fun to be around. It sounds simple, but people want to work with people that they like to be around. Educe is a group of fun-loving, hardworking individuals who are a joy to be around.
What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?
I love my family, spending time with friends, house music, tacos, sushi, BBQ, Dallas Cowboys football, snowboarding, tennis, traveling, hiking, photography, and a lot more!
