Vice President of HR Tracy Dodd, a New Yorker who Exudes Positivity, and a Fan of Collaborative Learning in the Workplace   

For anyone who thinks of the term “HR” (Human Resources), and rather serious concepts like training sessions, manuals and performance reviews come to mind, Tracy Dodd is a refreshing anomaly.  While still very invested in the minutiae of her detail-oriented profession, she has a sunny outlook, loads of interests outside work, and, on the personal side, a commitment to “sharing parenting and household responsibilities 50/50” with her husband. Daily laughter-filled meals with her family are also a big priority, as well as museum visits, travel and lots of reading.  She says that her mother was a “strong role model” while growing up, and credits her with instilling the idea that she could be both a working woman and a happy spouse and parent.

Can you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?
I have worked in the HR/Learning & Development and Organizational Development fields for more than twenty 20 years, and began my career at JPMorgan Chase while I was still in college.  I worked there for fourteen years in various roles in the business and HR/Learning & Development areas. I transitioned to the IT/high tech/software industry in 2006, and have worked for CA Technologies  for the last nine years.

In the professional arena, I’m a big-picture thinker, making connections to ideas and concept.  I enjoy solving problems and coming up with solutions.  I also love helping people by facilitating a process where they learn, grow, and develop into more; really helping them to see and actualize their true potential.

On the personal side, I enjoy spending time with family, especially my husband and two children, my mom, my sister, and my niece and nephew.  I love traveling and experiencing new things, and am always planning the family’s next vacation. I’m also an avid reader and enjoy anything that helps me experience life from a different perspective; I was a literature major in college, and used to immerse myself in the various novels, plays, and short stories I was assigned.  I appreciate art and beauty; I’m a very visual person, and very intuitive.  My MBTI [Myers-Briggs] Profile Type is ENFP (“Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving”). 

What does a day in your shoes typically look like?
My day usually consists of many things, and that’s one of the things I love about my job.  It provides me with an opportunity to do many things and wear many hats, from performance consultant to coach to facilitator and more.

A typical day can include leading an internal team meeting; discussing how our talent processes/programs/tools can help to address a business challenge with an HR colleague or business leader; meeting with an external organization or networking group to share best practices and leverage experiences that can be applied in our organizations; managing project timelines and budgets; preparing a presentation to our CEO, Executive Team, and/or Board of Directors; mentoring and coaching an internal employee; facilitating an internal training session, and more!

What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning, and the last three things you do before you go to bed?
The first three things I do every day and every night is check my smart phone, check my smart phone…and then check my smart phone.  I will admit that I have a bit of an addiction!

My other addiction would be coffee, and it is an extremely important part of my mornings.  Coffee and music make my morning complete.  I’m usually singing and dancing (kind of!) in the car on my way to work.  I love music, and it can really get me motivated and set the tone for my day.

During the week, I prefer to exercise at the end of the day.  My favorite time of the day is dinner with my family, where we catch up on each other’s day and usually spend a great deal of time laughing. Laughter is a large part of our family dynamic. We know not to take ourselves too seriously, and I love that my kids can see the humor in almost any situation, no matter how gloomy.

What is your breakfast of choice?
I love egg whites and egg white omelettes.  I try to eat a high-protein breakfast.  And, of course, coffee, lots of coffee!

What keeps you energized and motivated at work?
The opportunity to make a difference and effect change. That is what energizes me and keeps me motivated despite any challenge I may face.  It’s having that sense of purpose and alignment to what we’re trying to achieve that keeps me energized.

What is the favorite part of your job?
When I’m coaching and facilitating others; I love seeing the connections that they make, watching them gain new insights, and seeing how they apply those insights in ways that will make a difference for them and for the organization. This often happens during our leadership development program, where I get the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time with a group that is learning together.  Learning through and with others can be very powerful, and is often life-changing. 

What and who inspires your work?
My family: my husband, Jim, and our children, Brendan, age sixteen, and Emily, age eleven, inspire and motivate me to do more and be more every day.  I think it’s extremely important to be a role model for my children, and for them to see what a healthy blended work/life looks like.  My husband and I share parenting and household responsibilities 50/50, and it’s important that their family experience and concept of marriage is one that’s based on mutual respect and honor for each person’s passions, interests, education, and work.

How does your culture/background influence your work?
I grew up in a middle class family where education was very important, and hard work was valued.  My mother firmly believed that there were valuable lessons to be learned from trying new things and making mistakes.  She was a strong role model for me growing up.  She continuously advanced in her career, and sought out new opportunities.  It was never even a question in my mind that I would have a career and pursue my interests.  That was a given.

What is your favorite leisure activity after a stressful work week?
When I’m not lifting weights at the gym, or running, I enjoy going into Manhattan to see a musical or a play, or to visit a museum.  I also enjoy movies, and love to watch them at home with my family.

What has been your biggest obstacle in your career and how did you overcome it?
My biggest obstacle was myself, honestly.  And what I mean by that is I needed to learn not to care so much about what other people think, and just be true to who I am.  I think that can be a problem for many women, especially early in their career.  But once I realized that I needed to stop being a people-pleaser, things seemed to fall into place.

How many times have you changed your career direction?
When I first started college, my plan was to become an attorney.  I changed my mind in my junior year to secondary school teacher.  Once I started working in the financial services industry, I changed my career plan yet again to HR.

Since then, I’ve worked in a variety of roles in HR/Learning & Development, including the curriculum development, eLearning project manager, training manager, leadership development,  diversity, and employee engagement categories.  Moving into areas that were new and different allowed me the opportunity to learn, develop new skills, and round out my experiences, which ultimately led to promotions and broader roles in HR.

Favorite job you’ve ever had?
Honestly, I would have to say this is my favorite job.  It has provided me with the opportunity to really shape how we approach talent development, to work with so many very creative and innovative people, and to implement some pretty exciting things.  I work with a very talented team that knows how to have fun and works well together.  It doesn’t get much better than that!

Three questions you like to ask during an interview to know if the candidate (or job) is the right fit?

• • • “Help me understand how you accomplished a goal/task.”
    • “What would you do differently if you had to do it again?”
    • “What did you learn from that experience?” 

What are the most important qualities of a good leader?
Authenticity, self-awareness, honesty, integrity, a willingness to take risks and to learn from mistakes, courage, and recognizing that you’re never the smartest person in the room. Bythat I mean that good leaders surround themselves with smarter people, and do everything they can to make them successful.  I try to “role model” these qualities each and every day.  Some days I do better than others!

What advantages do you see as a woman in the workplace?
I think this is an amazing and exciting time for women in the workplace.  We can do anything and be anything, and the only one holding us back is ourselves.

What advice would you give to women starting their career?
Be true to yourself.  Be who you are, and don’t try to be anything else; don’t try to be what you think others expect.  Your uniqueness is what makes you who you are, and you’ll come to realize it’s what will make you successful.  So, embrace it.

What book would you recommend for women just starting their career?
Wow, that’s a tough one.  There are so many good books out there, and you can learn something from each one of them.  I would probably suggest two — Crucial Conversations and Leadership and Self-Deception.  Both of those books can help anyone, not just women, who are just starting in their career to learn about the importance of self-awareness and how to have a difficult conversation.  Most challenges in business come down to three things: (1) a lack of self-awareness, (2) not having the right conversation, and (3) not doing it well. 

Favorite Quote: “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new” – Albert Einstein