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Blog • • 3 minute read

Adapting and Thriving

Joining the TOCE program in April 2024, I leveraged my project management skills to adapt to technical support roles. Despite initial challenges, I utilized my existing abilities to navigate complex tasks, emphasizing the importance of adapting known skills to new environments. This experience underscores the value of leveraging existing capabilities for success.

I joined the Technical Operactions Center of Excellence (TOCE) Program in April 2024 to support the rapidly growing West division. While new to the industry, my six years in project and program management had equipped me with essential skills. These included managing project lifecycles, team creation, scoping, budgeting, and leading teams. Though industry-specific knowledge was lacking, my background proved adaptable to the TOCE's needs.

At first glance, my skillset did not seem to be quite in line with the TOCE's responsibilities; technical support of our in the field Consulting Systems Engineers. I did not have background knowledge of many OEMs, connections in the field, or knowledge of WWT's internal systems and organization.

Although my skills initially seemed misaligned with TOCE's technical support for CSEs, I soon realized their potential. During my first week, my team lead, Jim, introduced me to RBIs (Rack Build Instructions) and directed me to key contacts. I dove straight in, wanting to both prove myself in my new career and make an impact at WWT. 

I was immediately spat back out onto dry land, overwhelmed by the extensive instructional videos, coordination with various teams, and the complexity of customer preferences. Despite my enthusiasm, I quickly understood that mastering RBIs would require significant learning and adaptation.

 

 

Ongoing development, as a focal point, aligns perfectly with WWT's core value of a passion for learning. The objective is to support the bridge between the Associate Academy and independance in the field. I was able to lead an ongoing development session from a TOCE perspective aligning the Client Development Associates (CDAs) and the TOCE Engineers.  During the session, "Quote it Right", I was able to clarify the lifecycle of a Bill of Materials (BOMs) in efforts to make the request process more efficient and meet the needs of our sales counterparts. Other TOCE engineers and I,  facilitated in a scenario-based breakout session resulting in strenghtening the relationships from the two orgnaizations (CDA and TOCE), streamlining communication, and enhancing collaboration to achieve better alignment and efficiency.

Reflecting on the process, I am pleased with the amount I have learned. Despite the initial challenges, my ability to adapt my existing skills, along with the unwavering support from my team and subject matter experts, made the experience manageable and successful. Although the initial task seemed overwhelming, my ability to adapt my existing skills was crucial. My team and subject matter experts were always willing to help, guiding me through challenges. Their support made the requests manageable through intentional adaptation and unwavering assistance.

No matter your responsibilities, take stock of your skills. You might find that your existing capabilities can be adapted to solve current problems. Often, solutions lie within our existing skillset rather than requiring new inventions. Reflect and adapt what you already know to improve your approach.