Recent MOR graduates reflect on their growth

In November 2021, five staff members from within and outside of central ITS graduated from the Maximizing Organizational Resources (MOR) program, including Apriel Biggs, Julienne Hadley, Taber Lightfoot, Lucas Swineford, and Leonard Welch. They represent the seventh cohort from Yale IT to complete this immersive year-long coaching and leadership training experience, which offers both professional development and networking opportunities with participating IVY+ colleagues.

This year’s year-long program was conducted virtually (except the capstone session) and included representation from Yale, Harvard, Stanford, and MIT (including MIT Lincoln Laboratory). Despite the lack of face time, the group came together through their willingness to be vulnerable, share feedback (or “feed-forward”), and receive mentorship from their MOR-assigned and peer coaches.

Participants opened up about their experience in the program:

Apriel Biggs, Director of the Portfolio Management Office (IT)
“The MOR program has reshaped how I engage in both personal and professional relationships by causing me to be more deliberate and intentional about how I show up in spaces and how I seek to connect with the world around me. MOR and the coaches and program participants have provided me with an opportunity to focus on the things that are really important to me as a leader and how I can elevate those things while working to amplify the work of my colleagues.”

Julienne Hadley, Associate Director of Digital Strategy and Design (Internal Communications)
“The MOR program offered me a fresh perspective on how to be an effective leader. Key takeaways included the realization that asking questions can sometimes be more supportive than providing solutions, not taking risks may be riskier than taking risks, prioritizing wellness is an important aspect of leadership, and it’s important to be intentional about where you focus your time, to be sure you are supporting your long term career goals.”

Taber Lightfoot, Associate Director, User Experience (IT)
“The MOR program taught me how important it is to be able to lead through disruption. The curriculum, coaching, and conversations with my peers gave me the tools to guide my team, and even myself, through significant change and disruption this past year. I’ve been able to hone my leadership style and values that matter the most right now for my team and ITS.”

Lucas Swineford, Executive Director, Digital Education (Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning)
“An unexpected outcome of the MOR program was that it reminded me of the importance and joy of building relationships with colleagues and peers. This is something I wasn’t able to do much of in 2020 because so much time had to be dedicated to immediate tasks. I realized through the MOR program that connecting with colleagues and peers has both professional and personal benefits. It must remain a priority. The lesson that I have thought about most often is the difference between doing, managing, and leading. Working my way through a daily checklist might be helpful in the short-term, but leadership requires committing time to strategic thinking, effective communication, talent building, and many other areas that might not provide instant gratification.”

Leonard Welch, Director, Telecommunications (IT)
“My participation in the MOR program has resulted in a few key takeaways. I realized that leadership is a work-in-progress. I also realized that I have a habit of waiting for the green light or the right opportunity. In the past, I’ve spent too much time looking for the signals. Moving forward, I need to focus on improving myself every day, lead from where I am, and accepting that yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, so how about today?”

All participants expressed their gratitude to Yale IT, particularly John Barden and his SLT, for nominating them to participate in the program.