Joining Tameka Harris

Joining me today is Tameka Harris, a Senior Instructional Systems Designer at Blue Cross Blue Shield. She is also a part-time lecturer at the University of San Diego and an all-around passionate expert in the field of Instructional Design.

We uncover and explore things I believe are the essence of what makes us unique as learning professionals.

And you absolutely have to hear Tameka's answer to the question, "why do you do what you do?"

So please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Tameka Harris.

Key Takeaways from the Conversation

I learned so much from talking to Tameka. Some of the things you’ll learn from this conversation:

  • Why creating any kind of learning always has to evolve.
  • How important it is to not be afraid of failing.
  • The value and importance of curiosity.
  • How pulled knowledge is superior to pushed knowledge.
  • How going back to the basics is an important trait of successful people.
  • We also explore why Tameka does what she does – her answer to this question alone is worth listening to this conversation.

Full Episode

Show Notes

  • Tameka shares her early childhood experiences – her values, culture, and how she came to do what she loves. (00:03:18-00:05:53)
  • How important is oral communication and broadcasting in Instructional Design? (00:05:54-00:07:40)
  • Setting up a successful week. Tameka talks about her typical work week, and the best parts of what she does. (00:07:42-00:19:41)
  • What should we be learning? Tameka discusses her team’s learning priority for this year. (00:09:42-00:12:11)
  • Why creating any kind of learning has to evolve. (00:12:12-00:15:09)
  • The importance of facing challenges and not being afraid of failing. (00:15:13-00:18:36)
  • What is a company’s learning culture? (00:18:40-00:21:53)
  • The value and importance of curiosity. (00:22:07-00:26:26)
  • Tameka’s perspective on how curiosity can be accessible to everyone. (00:27:08-00:31:25)
  • Your passion will take you to unexpected places. Tameka shares the challenges and opportunities that brought her to Instructional Design. (00:31:28-00:33:43)
  • Challenges and lessons learned. (00:33:46-00:35:33)
  • Tameka shares how she nurtured an embedded learning culture for herself. (00:35:40-00:41:29)
  • Tameka tells us why she does what she does. (00:41:30-00:46:54)
  • What’s coming up for Tameka and where you can find her. (00:47:44-00:48:51)