Performance Improvement Consultant; Insperity
Turner analyzes and provides guidance to support the achievement of desired operational outcomes through development and assessment of business workflows and process evaluation metrics. He also designs and implements change initiatives for strategic organizational alignment utilizing collaboration and communication tools which build effective business partnerships. Also in Turner’s portfolio are responsibilities to identify and implement the infrastructure, systems and resources for continuous systemwide improvement. Previously, Turner worked with Coca-Cola for almost 10 years in North Texas and Atlanta.
How has your UT Dallas degree impacted your career?
My degree successfully prepared me to have a “seat at the table.” It equipped me with not only business theory but practical application as it relates to operations management and HR. With the tools the MBA provided, I was able to successfully operate my own landscaping company in Dallas. I believe the program and its structure helped me harness my inner extrovert and truly be able to trust my own knowledge. My education also opened doors for me to be able to teach undergraduate marketing and business courses.
What do you enjoy about your current position/profession?
I enjoy being part of the change continuum. I am often the catalyst for change in many of the groups I support. I help them analyze and look at a scenario differently to positively impact the performance of their departments at the local and enterprise level.
How do you see your profession changing in the next five or 10 years?
I see my profession evolving from more of a day-to-day strategy and operations focus to that of a knowledge share and mentorship.
What unexpected experience or event has shaped and/or influenced your current professional life?
In 2015, I received news that I was part of a reduction in force at Coca-Cola, the company I had worked at for 9.5 years. My life as I knew it was changing in less than 60 days. I even earned my MBA from UTD while working there, so there had been no need to seek other employment. Fast forward to 2019: I not only survived but have thrived and excelled in this new market. Life has afforded me a great amount of professional experience, awesome mentors, opportunities, and a top-notch education from UTD, which was not necessarily a given based on where I started from.
What is a professional highlight of your career, either where you currently work or in the past?
My professional and philanthropic efforts tend to blend well. I would say during my tenure in Dallas, being asked to present scholarships on behalf of an organization to Dallas high school students is definitely a highlight. My efforts in the community opened the door for me to be nominated for and be named a top 20 finalist in 2011 for One Man Dallas, which recognizes male volunteers.
What characteristics do you look for when hiring people into your workplace?
I look for organizational/cultural fit. By the time someone comes in for an interview, that person has been reviewed possibly once or twice for skills and qualifications so I look for the softer skills which are harder to hone. I usually ask two or three emotional intelligence questions mixed in with the job specific questions to see how a person may behave in a given scenario. This usually reveals a clearer picture of the candidate.
Why did you come to UT Dallas?
When researching graduate programs, I remembered the level of care and concern that was provided to me by UTD’s staff. There was never a question that I had which went unanswered. They were very helpful with guiding me through the admissions and application process. Also, UTD’s reputation was well known in many business environments. UTD was often ranked above many other universities in the Dallas area.
What is your favorite UT Dallas memory?
My favorite UT Dallas memory was our capstone trip to Brazil. The trip shaped my outlook on the world. My cohort really bonded over the trip. The structure of the hands-on meetings with many organizations in the country as well as events we experienced allowed us to create bonds that are still intact today.
Did a UT Dallas professor inspire you? Who was that and how was that person inspirational?
I will never forget Dr. Carolyn Reichert. She may not realize it, but she single-handedly saved my graduate education. Toward the end of my first semester, life was really getting complicated. I was assigned to oversee two manufacturing plants in different parts of town. I was enrolled in a statistics course, and was not fully grasping all of the information being presented. I became frustrated that I was not able to fully understand the material, however, in truth it was because I was working so much at the time. Dr. Reichert, in her own way, gave me space and opportunity to learn. She spoke with the instructor on my behalf and explained what I was experiencing and asked for grace. I received an “I” for the course, but she assured him, and me, that the work would be completed. The additional time allowed me the opportunity to reassess my work and refocus on the goal at hand and ultimately allowed me to complete my MBA. I will be forever indebted to her for her taking the time to first listen and then guide me through the course. After I completed all of the work, I passed with a C. It was my only C, but had it not been for the patience and understanding of all involved, this event could have ended my graduate education. Now that I am an adjunct marketing instructor for a college, I think back to the lesson of grace and understanding, and I use it to guide my interactions with my students.
Has something about your UT Dallas education surprised you since graduating?
Yes, how much alumni support and involvement there is. I love that I am still able to remain connected with the school even 11 years later.
What advice do you have for college students hoping to succeed professionally?
The key is do not give up. There are people rooting for your success every step of the way. Have the faith to walk the path to completion. There is more on the other side, I promise.
What makes an effective leader?
Leadership is a skill that is refined through experience. There are some natural leadership tendencies that I feel we are born with, but others have to be cultivated. I recently began strengthening my emotional intelligence understanding which will further enhance many of my leadership behaviors. Effective leaders are optimistic, flexible, empathetic, self-aware and driven. But most importantly, they are human first.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
International travel, volunteering and playing in the dirt. After my capstone trip to Brazil in 2008, I was bit by the international travel bug. Since then, I have visited almost 20 countries and continue to experience life abroad as much as possible. I currently serve as a Houston Advisory Board member for the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (www.pep.org). I find ways to give back as much and as often as possible. Before school started, I hosted a back-to-school drive with my friends which collected more than $1,000 in school supplies for educators in the 5th Ward area of Houston. My friends and family know when I say playing in the dirt, that’s my way of saying gardening and landscaping. As a former landscaper, this is a passion of mine. I recently replaced mulch and grew from seed some zinnias and marigolds.
