Culture

Career Conversations: Dana Murphy

career conversations
career conversations

This month we are featuring Dana Murphy, Associate in the Saba practice at Educe.

 

What do you do in your day-to-day role?

My day-to-day activities vary greatly depending on the role I fulfill on any given project with our clients. As a consultant, I may lead workshops to help understand the client’s current and desired future states, work together to determine how the learning management system (LMS) should be configured to support a successful launch, or facilitate learning sessions to help the client understand the best ways to leverage their new learning technology. At other times, I may guide system configuration and testing to ensure the system meets their needs and is ready for go-live. As an engagement manager, I may work with the client and internal teams to plan and manage all the details leading to a successful implementation.

What skills does your current job require? How have you mastered those skills? 

Communication, problem-solving, and relationship building are critical to being successful in my role. Communication often requires careful listening to hear not just what is said, but also what isn’t specifically said. Then, we translate what is or is not said into needs and requirements. Building relationships is critical to helping foster communication because it helps the team understand each other to build solid working relationships that lead to successful work. Time and resource management are critical to ensuring we have the right internal and external resources available to help clients achieve their goals on-time and on-budget. Problem-solving is one of my favorite things to do because it is very satisfying to see a client provide a problem and then work with them to find the right solution.

What advice would you give to others working in Educe Group about how to succeed in the organization?

Remember that we have an amazing organization and that we are only one small part of the team. Each of our individual actions work together with those of others to make us all as well as all of our clients successful. Our firm culture is very supportive and collaborative in nature. Leverage the whole team whenever needed because you are never alone. Always be willing to learn and stretch yourself.

What project/s are you most proud of?

In one particular project, I worked with a global client implementing a new learning management system to replace some solutions that were no longer meeting their needs. In addition, they had experienced a number of changes in employees to support this and other initiatives. They also had a challenge with several failed projects in the past. As the lead consultant, I worked with the team to identify their core needs and deliver a solution to meet those needs. Not only did the launch go smoothly for the team and employees, but it was completed ahead of schedule and on-budget, which was a critical achievement for the organization.

How do you successfully build relationships with clients?

One of the most successful aspects of relationship building for me is to be genuine and have a genuine interest in the clients on both a work and personal level. We are so much more than the hours we are at work. Honesty and transparency are critical because there may be times when things do not go as planned. Owning up to them and bringing them to the surface leads to addressing them promptly for the success of the project.

What do you feel sets us apart from other consulting firms?

Our firm’s culture definitely stands out. Everyone is friendly, works hard, and supports each other, even on projects they may not be officially involved in. The ability to reach out to a larger team filled with all different levels of experience and skills helps each of us grow and provide the best outcomes for our clients. Transparency is also critical. We all know our firm’s goals and how each of our efforts add together to achieve them. Leadership and managers are available and interested in each of us both personally and professionally.

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?

I love working as an audio engineer mixing audio and doing media production work for different bands, events, and our church. My family are huge Disney fans and we like to take as many trips to the Walt Disney World Resort each year as possible.

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