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Member Spotlight - July 2017: Don Doggett

Each month, SEWI-ATD turns the spotlight on an active member who has been visible in the chapter by attending events and participating in other ATD functions. We are proud to acknowledge the important work of our members, provide additional career exposure within the Talent Development community, and help you to get to know a colleague just a little bit better! If you are interested in nominating another member for the spotlight, contact Laura Chartier at LChartier749@gmail.com or Meica Hatters at meicahatters@gmail.com


Don Doggett
Platform Training and Success Lead at Rockwell Automation

Member since July, 2013
Currently an ATD Power Member


This month, we are pleased to feature

Don Doggett

Tell us a little about yourself, Don. Include something that many people don't know or might find surprising.
“Well, I live in Franklin and I’m married to my wife, Angie. We both work at Rockwell Automation. For fun, we like to go sailing on the weekends. We have a 22-ft. sailboat. I teach sailing classes in the summer, and in the winter I teach boat safety. My birthday is in March and I’m a Pisces, so water has always been a big part of my life. I grew up in the Milwaukee area, lived in ‘Tosa, and went to Pius. I had early interests in arts, painting, and ceramics, which eventually led to pursuing a Computer Graphics / Visual Communications Associate's degree at MATC.  From there I got into web designing and programming, while going for my Bachelor’s Degree in Information Science and Technology. When I was there I got my first exposure in training and creating DVDs and Content Management Systems. Later I started working at Rockwell Automation as a multimedia developer. Ultimately, I ended up getting the position I’m in now where I use the training skills I’ve gained.”

What are 3 traits that describe or define you?
“Hmmm. I think I’m quite patient, which has been a blessing for me in training so that I can allow people to go through processes they need in order for information to sink in and without expecting them to do it perfectly the first several times while they’re still learning. I don’t typically get frustrated with that. I also would say that I can see things from other peoples' perspectives and be empathetic. I can see both sides of disagreements which helps me lead others beyond their emotions and get to the root cause so that problems can be solved. I’m creative and innovative, not only with design, but I can frequently come up with ideas that are a little out-of-the-box. Sometimes that causes people to initially give me some weird looks (laughter), but then sometimes it leads to people thinking of new possibilities.”

Tell us a little about your current professional role. 
“Right now (at Rockwell Automation) my title is Platform Training & Success Lead.  For the Platform Training piece, I deliver training on CM (content management) platforms, marketing systems, and on-boarding, for people across the globe. I also train people in their job roles with respect to what they can and can’t do, for example, when working with marketing materials and copy-writing. With respect to being Success Lead, I helped develop the system for templates and design, and encourage their continual use and problem solving to generate improvement and increased productivity.”

What advice would you give to recent new hires in your industry or people who are in transition?
“Learn as much as you can. There’s so much out there; a lot of different theories. You may never use all of them, or you may only use one of them, or knowing a theory might help you out just one time; But building that wealth of knowledge and all those capabilities can help you be a better trainer.” 

How do you stay up to date on changes in your field?
“I think the best way to do that is just continuing to pick stuff up. I’m always looking at pamphlets and magazines. The ATD website has a lot of great information and has saved me time rather than searching on my own. Attending chapter meetings, PDNs, and just networking with people has been very helpful to me. The warmth of the ATD people is a big draw – even if you can’t attend events for awhile, when you are able to, it’s like walking into family reunion.”

Which SEWI-ATD program has been your favorite or most valuable? 
“There was a Fall Special Event in 2013 about how Learning and Development is changing. I think it was a two-day event with Jason Sprunk from Rockwell and Trish Uhl. It was a really good introduction to the group. I also went to a Master Trainer Session two years ago through National ATD. Another great group of people! I’m excited about the E-Learning Instructional Design Certificate Program that I’ll be attending in September in Chicago.”

What's something you've always wanted to try, but haven't attempted yet? Why? What’s holding you back? Do you think you’ll ever do it?
"I really want to be an entrepreneur – owning my own business or company. I’m not looking to be the next Bill Gates or running a huge corporation, but it would be really neat to have a small business, having my own clients and customers coming in. I’ve got a small business for a sailing school on the side, but it’s kind of in a niche market and it’s not done a lot of business. It would be nice to have that entrepreneurship be a full-time thing.  The reason I haven’t attempted it yet, is that there’s some risk and fear. There are no guarantees once you try to venture on your own for anything.  It’s still something I’d like to do at some point. It’s been a passion and I’ve been reading up on it a lot and doing webcasts or podcasts, so I think it might be a possibility in the future. That’s kind of my dream."

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