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Featured Affiliate - Bob Daubenmire
By: Lizzy Camille
It was this hunger that led to his
involvement in the training and organizational development of high-tech
players such as Sun Microsystems Inc. and Tandem Computers Inc. As an
internal consultant at Tandem Computers Inc. in 1983, Bob brought
Flawless Consulting into his business. This was his first contact with
Peter Block’s material, and he was hooked. “I loved the material. It
spoke to my beliefs about change management and group development.”
In 1993, Bob again sought the
expertise of the Designed Learning trainers and brought Flawless
Consulting to Sun Microsystems Inc. Bob began to train the Flawless
Consulting course to more people at Sun Microsystems. “Eight months
later I joined Designed Learning as an affiliate.”
For Bob, the decision to work for
Designed Learning came as a natural progression. With expertise in
facilitating leadership skills, project management and team development,
the ideals, beliefs and practices of Designed Learning were a perfect
fit. He facilitates workshops best by collaborating with participants
and getting them as involved as possible in the learning process.
“I want people to find an
opportunity to grow in some way; to find something in the workshop they
can immediately apply to their real world experience.”
Feedback from clients throughout the
years has been encouraging, said Bob. “Clients have said how much what
they have learned in the class has really helped them in their work. I
found that to be true when I first took the course and I want people to
find new skills or new ways to use the skills they already have.”
Admittedly, this task has not always
been easy. According to Bob the last few years have been the toughest.
“In order to be a good consultant you have to take risks. When the
economy went south, people were reticent to take risks. People wanted
to remain safe.” Bob reminded participants that “safety doesn’t lead to
change and when hard times are upon us, it is often the best time to
make changes. Risk follows the economy and people are beginning to take
risks again, slowly.”
His favorite part of the job is the
constant learning and personal growth that takes place during each new
training session.
“I have learned so many things
throughout the years. Software is still magic to me. I can listen to
the software engineers and see what they are trying to accomplish
without understanding a word about programming.” This capacity to
listen and learn from others has been a real asset to Bob. “You can’t
be a good consultant without understanding the client’s business, so
I’ve had to learn as I went through the process.
While his sense of humor while
training may be arguable, Bob’s integrity, dedication to continued
learning and love of his family are always evident. It would be
difficult for many to balance the demands of family and a work schedule
involving so much travel, but Bob said it’s always been an easy decision
for him. “My family has always been in the forefront of my plans. If
you put family first, the rest will fall into place.”
Bob and his wife, Jennifer, have
both made a career in the consulting field. The two have worked
together on various team development projects throughout their marriage
and ran an office together for some time as well. While Bob is
traveling the world with Designed Learning, Jennifer is currently
working at St. Mary’s College where her consulting skills are now
helping college students in a variety of capacities.
Working with college students may
prove to be a valuable skill; the Daubenmires have two daughters
attending college and one in high school. Kira, Emily and Katlyn are
currently keeping Bob busy. “I have to keep checking in with them to
make sure they’re doing what they should be doing,” he said with a
chuckle.
When asked his favorite joke,
Daubenmire could not think of one right away; Leno is still waiting.
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