Consultants Donna McNamara and Michael Vaughn are in the midst of a multi-faceted effort to enhance the skills and the caliber of work of NESC personnel. As Michael explains, “Our desire is to institute reinvigorated training of consultants and staff to get higher effectiveness.”
The pair has updated and strengthened the consultant orientation program, designed to be more engaging and easier for staff member to present to newcomers. They have updated the consultant handbook, making it more user-friendly. Additionally, along with Yeiry Guevara, they have substantially strengthened the Consultant Portal on the NESC website. The Consultant Portal now contains examples of best practices, time/expense form, and sample documents/reports. “Enhanced access to updated and useful materials was a main goal,” says Donna.
She adds, “Continuous improvement is the key.” They next plan to revamp the two-day Consultant Skills Workshop, and to devise a program for training “soft” skills such as developing relationships and making presentations.
Donna McNamara, Ph.D.
Donna McNamara, Ph.D. is a past national president of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), and has been vice president of global education and training for Colgate-Palmolive Company, and an executive with AT&T in human resources, education, and strategic planning. She received her doctorate in education and human resources from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.
Michael Vaughn
Michael Vaughn spent more than 34 years with Ogilvy & Mather, ending as Executive Group Director, managing a large portfolio of accounts, and as an internal trainer. He has provided various training and communications services to both business and nonprofit clients as an independent consultant. Mike has a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College.
