Kalyn Brantley McNeal, MA, SPHR
Director, National Testing Lab, American Red Cross
Teaching focus: Human Resources, General Management

Where I come from

I have over 20 years' experience in professional and managerial training, and development at Blue Cross Blue Shield, Citicorp, and American Red Cross among others. At the Citicorp Development Center I worked with and learned from other trainers who were phenomenal facilitators. Our mission was training and coaching executive-level staff in the area of people skills. We supported 120 business units.

When Citicorp downsized and closed the development center, I went out on my own and was eventually hired in training at another organization. An opportunity to move into Human Resources became available. Because I had done an effective job training everything from interviewing, coaching skills, performance management to counseling and mediation, it was actually a seamless transition. I backed it up with a Master's of Human Resource Management degree and my certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). I had found my calling and have stayed in Human Resources for the past 18 years. Currently I hold a director-level position with the National Testing Lab of the American Red Cross as a lead HR manager.

Turning points

When I look back over my career, some significant points stand out - transferring to the HR side, teaching at Keller, and being downsized. The way business works now, you are not a real professional until you have been downsized at least once. It is like a rite of passage and something many people will experience at least once in their career. It teaches you to build a portfolio and be loyal to your profession - your chosen focus in life as opposed to a job with a particular organization.

After being downsized I worked as an outplacement consultant, helping people who had lost their jobs to figure out where to go from there. Helping them understand that being downsized is not a shameful thing; it is just in the nature of business today. You have to stay sharp, keep yourself marketable, and not let your sense of identity be tied to a particular organization. You have to be ready to change and able to move if you need to.

No nonsense, no fluff

These events helped mold my mindset and my approach to teaching. I always wanted to be a teacher. I get a rush out of seeing people experience that "aha!" moment. Keller's career-oriented education is a perfect fit for me. I like to teach people with work experience. They have a clear picture of what they want to accomplish. No nonsense, no fluff. They are the real students, the people who can apply what you teach them. Our study of leadership and organizational development applies to personal as well as professional life. I make the subject practical, so that students gain insight into themselves.

My favorite class exercise is the "lost at sea" activity which I used at Citicorp for executive training. This is a scenario where you are on a team that's crashed and you have only so many resources. You have to rank these items in order of importance, both individually and as a team. You can learn a lot about yourself and group dynamics through this activity. When debriefing, participants have to step back and examine what influenced them, what intimidated them, how they went about making decisions, who took the lead, why did they let them take the lead, etc. Students always comment on what an eye-opener it is. They get the "aha" and then apply it to situations at work. Since its a required course for all students, the teams represent and draw on every discipline. I love it. You can see people really grow.

Experience transcends classroom, grows online

I have been fortunate to be able to teach at Keller Graduate School of Management since the mid-1990s, teaching both onsite and online courses. I do some informal career coaching with students who reach out to me. Onsite, there are usually 12-15 students per class, which is a manageable, intimate group. I have been surprised and delighted to discover that online classes also create an environment where it is easy to talk and share. We engage each other. Besides, people in different time zones can take a class online. They can travel on the job and still get their coursework done and their questions answered. It's convenient and flexible.

The professional development and state-of-the-art technology that Keller provides for instructors is impressive and I am glad to be part of it. Keller has a system in place to make sure that it implements the best practices in education. Curriculum development experts are always modifying and improving the courses. I have not found that in other places. I don't look at my teaching at Keller as a job. Teaching is my release, I enjoy it, I give a lot to the students but you know, I get a lot from them too.

Why Keller?

My graduate school had many courses taught by working professionals, but the courses themselves were more traditional. As in many traditional universities, the curriculum was set by the lifetime professors. They taught their book; students regurgitated it. Keller has a newer approach to education: take the best practices and the leading thinking in your field and apply it to the real world.

Keller offers very well-regarded degree programs. It has a fine reputation, but people don't come here for the same reasons that people go to big-name schools. The students attracted to Keller come for career education; they want to learn from working professionals in their fields. It is a wonderful opportunity and available at reasonable cost.