Leading Technology Change: Alum Applies Her Learning in Real-Time

March 13, 2024

Written by Kari Borne

When the time came for Lindsay Plummer to identify a project for her capstone course, she nearly missed an opportunity sitting right in front of her.  In her final semester as a graduate student in the Instructional Design and Learning Technology (IDLT) program, Lindsay was challenged with finding a project that related to the Leadership certificate portion, and almost decided to create something from scratch.  Instead, she recognized a technology change her company was about to implement. She seized the real-life opportunity to apply her knowledge while in the program, which continues to evolve after she has graduated.

As a Customer Service Supervisor and Product Owner at Kohler Co., Lindsay was able to provide leadership though the implementation of a new customer relationship management (CRM) tool for the customer service teams. Her project focused on the project management, organizational change, and leadership aspects of the CRM rollout.  She encourages others to look at their current work to apply IDLT concepts. “So often, we think of what extra things we have to do, or items on top of our daily duties,” Lindsay says. “The beauty with this project was that it challenged me to think through how to apply my learning to something right in front of me.” In her case, the work was implementing a new technology, but the concepts could be applied in situations like onboarding a new team member or rolling out a new system or workflow.  

 What Lindsay appreciated most about the IDLT program was the practical application of ideas and the exceptional guidance and feedback from instructors. In addition, the IDLT field has several approaches and models, and successful application depends on several variables.  “One size does not fit all, and I appreciate how many perspectives we were presented with throughout the program,” Lindsay shares. She also says that the IDLT program “isn’t just about memorizing models, it is how to put those concepts into real world experiences that matters.”

 Now that she has graduated, Lindsay plans to continue her work at Kohler Co. She is not currently in an-IDLT specific role, but is passionate about training and development. “I absolutely love being a people leader and the coaching, mentoring, and developing others that comes with that role,” she says. “I was so thrilled to find this program with UWW, which has only intensified that passion.” Lindsay notes that professionals don’t have to look far to see the applicability of IDLT concepts, nor do they have to be in an IDLT-specific position. She also encourages others not to shy away from leadership opportunities. “The skills you learn when you lead something like a technology change will really elevate your abilities. You can then keep refining those skills and take them with you in all future projects and career endeavors as well.”