I am thrilled to announce that the Getting to Know series is sponsored by TEC Services Group. TEC Services Group is the leading technology and professional services firm in the credit collections industry offering both leading industry solutions along with unrivaled, unbiased, and experienced support. TEC is now extending its services by offering proven, industry-leading technology solutions alongside of our Professional Services to help Clients feel confident in their technology decisions. Learn more at ww.tecsg.com.
Regardless of where you are working and what you aspire to, this industry has an opportunity for you. DavidLee Richardson makes sure that people see that on a daily basis. Seeing things that nobody else can see, and asking the question nobody else has thought of are his super power. Read on to learn more about DavidLee, what he likes most at the end of the day to help him unwind, and the advice that has propelled his career.
Name: DavidLee Richardson
Job Title: Head of Organizational Leadership Development
Company: Harris & Harris
Length of time at current company: 5 Years
Length of time in industry: 30 Years
How did you get your start in the industry?
I was given the opportunity to join a BPO company as a third-party collections trainer with the responsibility of training collections call handling including FDCPA, FCRA, HIPAA, and PCI compliance courses. I’ve trained thousands over the years.
What is your career highlight so far?
I’m most proud of several AI Delivered Multimodal training builds which won our company “Agency of the year” awards for two years running. The practical work we’ve done to advance training utilizing Ai technology stands out as a major win.
When or how are you most productive?
When working in office, I am most productive before the call center buzz gets going. I start my day at 6:00 a.m. That time until around 8:00 am are my most productive hours at work. When I work from home I get far more done in comparison due to less distractions, and working from home is what I enjoy the most.
Which industry professional do you admire most?
Steve Solomon is the quintessential Michael Jordan of C-Suite Executives. I really admire how he brings people together to solve problems and meet goals. His approach just flat out works to the extent that he pushes those around him to find their motivation for being truly great. In a sense he’s kind of also like Magic Johnson, who was phenomenal at assisting good players achieve great success.
What is one thing you do better than everyone else?
I believe I’m terrific at asking the kinds of questions no one else thinks of. The kind that really challenge you to think beyond the status quo. Questions like “What would it take to?”, or “Have we considered asking…?”
What do you like most about this industry?
This industry is laden with growth opportunities from call centers to learning and development, to partnerships with analytics firms and so on; the list is vast. This industry has the ability to support career growth on multiple fronts for anyone seeking long-term employment success.
What is one thing you wish you could change about this industry?
Our industry has not had the best reputation from a consumer perspective. This is due to some unscrupulous collections business practices from days gone by. We are a very different entity today. We have and continue to evolve as we are governed by ethics and regulations that make for great partnerships with local governments, clients who secure our services and not to mention the consumers we work with over the phones, who in many instances just need a little extra time to do the right thing by the merchant with whom they once did business.
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
Honestly this industry can support career growth on so many different trajectories, I would remain here. If however that were not an option, I would be working in the telecommunications industry. I have a strong portfolio of experience, working for several of the clients we now serve in the collections industry.
Describe a typical work day.
My day is a combination of several standing meetings. Nestled between those meetings are time spent utilizing ADDIE to stand up training builds/curriculum for our Professional Skills Leadership Development Training Program; and tracking performance using Kirkpatrick’s 4 Levels of training evaluation. This consists of a lot of time researching data and speaking with stakeholders to maintain alignment to their business needs.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Oreo cookies and milk. The milk has to be ice cold. I should also add that I enjoy these most at the end of a long, demanding day while laying in bed.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
My boss once told me, “I can’t do your job for you. You need to figure out how to do your job.” That was the motivation I needed to get certified and learn the industry standards surrounding my role. That changed everything for me as I have outgrown that previous role. I will add that I am surrounded by a group of amazing leaders who support my continued growth and provide me with the resources I need to be successful.
What are you currently reading?
I frequently read from Harvard Business School Online. No hard feelings to ChatGPT, but I simply trust Harvard’s research. I believe it’s important to get your information from trusted sources so Training Industry is one of my other Go-To’s. My most recent article was found on Harvard Business School Online “Data Governance: A Primer for Managers”, written by Tim Stobierski. It’s offering me insights into other ways of qualifying the value/ROI of the training program I am currently deploying.
What is one fact you’d like everyone in the industry to know about you?
I’m fortunate in that I have a broad base of experience that gives me a very different perspective on how we approach our business. I have a #1 Best Seller on Amazon which is sold in seven different countries. I’ve spoken as a Keynote speaker at several conferences nationally and abroad. When you invite me to the table, you are leveraging all that success, worldview and experience.
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Matthew Mallen
