Katie Howell

What's your Decision Lens origin story?

A close friend of mine worked at Decision Lens and told me that there was an opening on the Decision Lens Education team. I had previously held roles at a hospitality technology company in implementation & training and marketing. I couldn’t believe how great of a fit the Decision Lens position was and I was excited for the opportunity. The perfect combination of the things I am passionate about: working with people, helping them learn to use new software, and being creative in communication through writing and speaking. 

How has your role evolved over time since you’ve been here?

10 years ago we offered our product training to customers in-person and product training required 2 full days of time. We called one of the courses “Everything You Need to Know.” It was a great experience to get to know our customers; however, they had to travel to us and their commitment to learning required lots of time, energy, and resources. We did not offer additional learning opportunities and we did not have a website with learning content or any way to virtually train. 

10 years later, our learning resources have multiplied and are much more accessible. Most users don’t need to know everything and if they do we have the resources to support their learning in a multitude of different ways depending on the preferred learning style and what problems they are solving.  

What are you most proud of in your career so far?

I am most proud of the lasting impact that adult learning and learning resources can have on someone’s life. Creating structure and materials to ultimately improve someone’s comfort and confidence in using a new technology or in mastering a new skill is a beautiful thing. 

What is the most interesting project you've worked on here?

I’ve worked on many different projects for customer, partner, and employee education and learning. The combination of all of these makes my job so enjoyable and interesting because each person and group I work with is different. I enjoy those different facets and delivering different solutions. 

What is one thing that you wish people knew about your job?

There are so many custom learning opportunities that our education team provides beyond the product training that most people are aware of. We can create custom multi-media learning paths based on how you are implementing Decision Lens and then we can certify those who complete and pass it, we can create a community page to house previous meeting or webinar recordings, we can create custom videos, and more! 

What do you enjoy most about working at Decision Lens?

Our company and mission is very unique and fulfilling. My colleagues work very hard and are very smart. It makes work rewarding when you learn from each other and grow together. I also enjoy supporting the federal government and each of our customer’s individual missions.

What about the Decision Lens mission appeals most to you?

Helping our customers adapt to change and see the long-standing benefits that can come from implementing a new software or business process is exciting. 

What are you currently binge-watching or reading or listening to?

I am all caught up on Abbott Elementary. I enjoy shows that are comical and lighthearted and that is a good one…also fitting with my career and in my personal life of having an elementary schooler. 

What is the best place you’ve ever visited?

Positano, Italy. The views are spectacular. I think there is something magical when you visit a place where mountains and water meet. Italian food is my favorite and the fresh seafood, lemon sorbet, and pesto pasta were the best!