TED Community » Mel DePaoli
About Me
Melanie DePaoli, or Mel, as she is known by her clients and friends, has spent the last decade working with companies, schools, government clients and individuals. Her experience includes organizational culture, branding, operations and self-publishing.
She has in-depth knowledge of how culture, branding and operations intersect and impact a company's bottom line. She provides anecdotal and research-based information, unique to each client, which enables them to understand how subtle changes can be implemented to ensure long-term business success.
- Location:
- United States, Bothell, WA
- Current organization:
- Omicle
- Past organizations:
- Brand or Culture
- Current role:
- Culture Coordinator
- Gender:
- Female
- Areas of expertise:
- diversity, Diversity and Inclusion Management, Culture & Change, Culture Advising, Organizational Alignment, Business Cultural Development, Brand Advisor, brand building, Speaker-Diversity, Culture, Branding, and Customer Experience, Author - Speaker
- I am:
- Business adviser, Change Agent, Connector, Consultant, Idea generator, Marketer, Promoter, Writer/Editor
- Associations:
- Associated Builders and Contractors, Institute of Management Consultants USA
- My website links:
- Mel DePaoli, Omicle, Contractors Doing it Right
- Universities:
- Central Pennsylvania College, Californa University of PA
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A comment on Conversation: How do we know what we know, and how should we? My ultimate question, and hopefully the right forum for answers.
1- On one hand I am surprised that Hertz isnt getting good reviews--I thought she was great. But on the other hand, I am not surprised because I see this all the time: People want to be told what to do so if things go wrong they can point the blame at someone else. So her saying that experts can be wrong too, no one wants to hear that. It's true and its the same message I use when I work with companies. The other thing to consider along this line is that an expert should NEVER be a self-proclaimed title, nor should people give this title to just anyone.
If I hear people call themselves that, it is an immedate red flag that they really have no clue of what they are doing. Now if I hear someone reference someone else an expert on a topic or situation, I ask why they consider them to be such and continue to drill down. Using this technique, its interesting that for the most part expert no longer has any meaning.
2- An 'expert' or someone with expereince brought into a situation to advise should do just that. Help the person or team understand the facts, the feels, the current situation, and potential outcomes. This person can then share how situations in the past were handled, but it should not be with the intention of taking over the responsibility of the overriding decision. Obviously every situation is different and people are brought in for various reasons, but there is a difference between shutting down, and learning, just like Hertz talks about.
3- As for what you know verses what you dont know. That's always the question and its usually the wrong one. Simpley because, no one ever knows everything about anything. So all an 'expert' or advisor or consultant or anyone else for that matter can do is simply advise you or the company until you have exhausted possible options and there is a thorough knowledge of the subject to make a decision and deal w/ the consequenses--good or bad.