Member Spotlight, Ellen Roney

Ellen Roney

Delivery Director, Percipio Consulting Group

Fun Fact

Art Class was always something I struggled with. I wanted to create but was never happy with the results. Fast forward to 2015, when a friend suggested I start “Zentangling,” a form of meditative drawing. I was hooked. From here, I took a sketching class and then in 2017, I completed my first 100-Day Project, an annual event where you commit to doing a project for 100 Days. I have since completed six 100-Day Projects, all focusing on drawing something daily. Over time, my drawing style has evolved. My skills have improved. And, I often find myself reaching for a pen and paper to help me reflect, relax, and create. You can see my drawings and past 100 Day Projects here www.instagram.com/roneydesigns.

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Background

I grew up outside of Philadelphia, PA, and earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Hamilton College in upstate New York. I then traveled west, landing in Portland, OR, where I completed my MBA from Portland State University.

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Path to Change Management

My experience in Change Management started early in my career. For many of the companies I worked for, having Change Management roles was seen as a luxury that they couldn’t afford, so I found myself being my own project manager and change manager as I led systems implementations and rolled out new programs. It was a great way to learn about the interdependencies of each role and why change management isn’t a luxury, but a critical part of program success. What could our team do with this knowledge? That question marked the beginning of my journey. I started doing change management before I knew it was an actual job.

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Biggest Obstacle Getting Established in Change Management

Probably my biggest obstacle was trusting myself early on in my career. Without formal training in Change Management, I was concerned that I might be missing key skills or knowledge to be effective. Leveraging my instincts and past experiences, along with building trusted partnerships, I was able to understand the scope and nature of the changes being faced. Those trusted relationships gave me greater insight into the team culture and thus enabled me to deliver the solutions my clients needed. I’ve since supplemented my on-the-job experience with formal training, as I firmly believe in continual learning and growing your skills.

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Biggest Reward from this Career

As a consultant, I see my role as that of a partner, helping teams achieve their goals. I recently helped a leadership team that was going through a significant organizational transition. I was able to help them clarify their goals, identify and mitigate potential risks, and successfully deliver their new vision to their team. It was so rewarding watching the care with which the leadership team approached their decisions and seeing their team’s enthusiastic response to the new organization.

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Bucket List Yet to Accomplish

While I don’t really have a Bucket List, I am about to fulfill one dream. I’m taking my (adult) kids to Japan. We will be traveling there during peak cherry blossom season and are excited to experience everything the country offers.