Gardian of the Month: Kelly Clark

Our Gardian of the Month is Kelly Clark, Manager for Online Marketing, Naylor Association Solutions.

Learn: Let's say you're helping your child or friend with some homework. What's your strategy for helping them learn a difficult topic?

Thankfully my children aren’t old enough for homework yet, but my 3-year-old is at the prime age for learning basic skills like dressing herself, carrying dishes and pouring liquids. Having a child has been a humbling experience because you can have multiple degrees or know how to run a digital marketing campaign, but if you cannot adequately explain to a toddler how to put on a shirt, they will let you know in no uncertain terms (usually through tears) that you need to change your strategy.

I start by demonstrating or explaining what I know about the topic, then asking if they want to try the task at hand with my help. As we solve the task, I try to have them lead as much as they feel comfortable while letting them know I’m here to assist if they want reassurance. With my preschooler this looks like me asking her questions such as, “You’re doing great so far, but it looks like you’re getting frustrated. Do you want to try again? Do you want some help?” My goal with her is eventual self-sufficiency! With a friend or co-worker, I try to ask leading or probing questions that gently guide them toward the solution or mastery of the new skill.

 

Network: Social media or face-to-face? Which form of networking is better and why?

Both forms of networking are great. I enjoy meeting people face-to-face; it usually feels more natural and can lead to some memorable encounters. But I like discovering connections through social media as well. It’s a bit easier to discover commonalities like mutual friends, schools attended, or like-minded views via someone’s profile or posts. It’s easier to think through your posts, responses or connection request messages when you can type them out instead of having to think on your feet in person. As an introvert, I also like that social media lets you interact without having to be in a room full of strangers!

 

Transfer: Let's say you just attended a certification course. What would be your first step in applying what you learned?

I would look at specific ways I could apply the material to my role. I would share what I learned with my team in hopes they might see a way to take advantage of what I learned to improve another area of our department’s work. I’d also spend time re-reading notes and re-examining or re-watching visuals. I’m the kind of person that will re-watch sessions from a conference that I really enjoyed to make sure I catch everything that is said, the same way some people re-watch favorite movies.

 

Please share with us a resource you can’t live without.

Google Drive. I use it to store everything from work documents to podcast segments to photos of my family. It’s easy to organize and share files. I really like the group editing tools; they’re especially helpful when I’m coordinating case studies involving multiple authors, editors and clients. I also love that I can access Google Drive on any device. I’ve reviewed documents and assembled podcast episodes from my phone while rocking my infant to sleep. Moms get it done.

 

Just for Fun: What adjectives best describe you?

I asked my colleagues what they think, and they say I’m creative, helpful, efficient and resilient. I love creatively using words to transform a story into something exciting that people enjoy reading. I’m one of the bridges between people and tech in our company, so being helpful is baked into my role. As for the last two adjectives, we’ve all had to become more efficient and resilient this year. 2020 is throwing everything it can at us, but I’m determined to not let it completely obliterate our work or fun.