WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR “DAY JOB”?
I am an idea connector. I look for unique ways to approach situations and solve challenges.
I use this talent by helping organizations redesign their people strategies, or businesses re-imagine their business solutions.
WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE SUPERPOWER? TELL US MORE…
My creative superpower is connecting the dots. Connecting things that are seemingly unrelated; finding patterns where there seems to be chaos - these are my eureka moments.
I use this skill in everything I do. While working with People teams, I help find patterns between policies and culture, processes and employee morale.
WHEN AND HOW DID YOU DISCOVER YOUR PASSION FOR DESIGN THINKING?
I discovered design thinking when I learnt about the Chicago HR.Hackathon. I went ahead and took Nicole Dessain’s “Design Thinking 101 for Talent Leaders” course on Skillshare. I followed that with the Global Service Jam, which gave me a real taste of blood. Nothing has ever been the same again. I knew, right then, that I need to use this process to help HR teams.
Since, I have attended a few Hackathons and hosted a super fun and successful HR.Hackathon in Los Angeles.
WHY ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT DESIGN THINKING’S POWER IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN RESOURCES?
The first thing that caught my attention about design thinking is that the user is in the center and involved in creating the solution. In my opinion, there is no other area of a workplace where involving the user in building solutions makes more sense.
The second reason I think design thinking can do marvels for HR departments, is that it starts with empathy. All too often, the ‘human’ part of human resources is lost and HR becomes a policing department.
This approach allows HR teams to focus on how the employees are feeling, and they can make sure that they are solving challenges that the employees need solved.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN THINKING RESOURCE OR HACK?
Empathy Maps and Creating Personas are the most useful in my opinion. They help me understand who I am designing a solution for.
I find myself using the empathy map in various situations. For example, while helping a client design their remote onboarding program, we created a persona and spent a few minutes walking in the shoes of a new employee. It completely changed our solution.
WHY DID YOU RAISE YOUR HAND AND BECOME AN HR.HACKATHON EVENT HOST FOR LOS ANGELES?
I jumped at the opportunity because I knew the HR community in LA would love this energetic, effective workshop. Also, this workshop allows me to introduce the local HR community to Design Thinking.
WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR HR.HACKATHON IN LOS ANGELES?
In light of the last few weeks’ crisis mode, my vision for HR.Hackathon LA is that we come together and build actionable solutions to create a society where everyone is welcome, where everyone has a voice, and where everyone is safe.
I would like us to start by listening to the voices that have been hushed for too long.