MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: MICHELLE WARE’S EXPERIENCE IN HUMAN PERFORMANCE SPARKS INTEREST IN THE DLE

By Katie Kelly, DLE Social Media Intern, Communications and Culture major with a concentration in Media and a dual minor in Sports Journalism and Digital Technologies and Emerging Media at Fordham University, New York, NY

New DLE member Michelle Ware joins from the Chicago area, where she works as a Global Talent and Learning Project Management Leader at Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Over her 13-year career with the company, she has received numerous promotions, thanks to extensive experience in the area of human performance. Her interest in the field dates to her undergraduate days at Southern Illinois University, where she studied workforce learning development. She followed those studies with a Master’s degree in human performance improvement from Roosevelt University and has also received other certifications.

In her current role, Michelle works as a strategic partner with senior leaders to drive business transformation by focusing on both the front-line employees and the business. “What I bring is the value of learning and development and human performance improvement. I work with senior leaders to identify problems and then use data trends to see what employees say about the culture and body of work they are leading,” she explains.

“I bring tools to help close the gap, remove barriers and position employees to reach their highest potential. I work on building capabilities by implementing programs and individual development plans and then analyzing these. When I find a process that is not functioning well, I process map it and formulate a plan for how to effectively and efficiently improve that process.”

Change management is an important factor in Michelle’s work. Reflecting on the vast changes triggered by the pandemic, she underscores the importance of communications. “We had to take things one day at a time. The company had to create a new standard for employees. I worked to create an open dialogue with executives about the needs of employees in order to ensure that employees were equipped and empowered with the tools and resources they needed in this new normal.”

Michelle says she was drawn to the DLE for the organization’s ability to adjust rapidly, taking all programs virtual immediately after COVID shuttered workplaces. “I am super impressed with the work that Linda (Dulye, DLE Founder) has done through changing times. She has an agile mindset to adjust the DLE’s vision as the world changed before her.”

She is especially enthusiastic about the networking opportunities offered by the DLE and the opportunity to share and gain skills from others. “I am excited about getting involved with the DLE. I look forward to learning skills that I can apply to people joining my company and to helping young professionals. But I am also interested in the leadership side. I want to get involved as much as I can!”