Our wonderful senior program specialist, Sarah Haskell, recently shared a bit about herself for our first Employee Spotlight! Since joining Shift six months ago, Sarah has made a tremendous impact on everyone at Shift and continues to be inspired by the work we’re accomplishing together – even while working far apart.
What is your name, title, and what departments do you work in?
My name is Sarah Haskell, and I’m a Senior Program Specialist at Shift. This means that I am responsible for supporting many of the ongoing functions of Shift, like knowledge and data management, marketing and communications, and new employee onboarding. I spend most of my time working in operations and communications, but there are other projects, like the College Advising Reach and Effectiveness project with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, that I also support.
What’s different about the way Shift works?
I joined Shift in a completely remote environment, so I didn’t have the chance to meet everyone in person. Yet, we’re very intentional about building a culture of connection. I really appreciate Shift’s commitment to continual evaluation of how to improve the remote working environment and know that my role is helping the organization evolve to have clear structures in place so that everyone can do their best work.
Do you apply improvement methods to your life? If so, how?
I still have a lot to learn about improvement science, but those basic principles have definitely started to impact my thinking. I look forward to understanding improvement methods better and better over time!
Which Shift principle resonates the most with you?
I really appreciate See the Whole Person; I think that is something that can easily get lost in a work environment, and it is so helpful to have a consistent reminder to consider the fullness of what each team member is bringing to the table on any given day.
How do your past experiences positively impact your work at Shift?
Prior to joining the Shift team, I worked at the global health organization PATH as well as in higher ed at Cornish College of the Arts. Many of our projects at Shift involve these two fields, so I have a strong foundation when working on various projects for Shift. Additionally, I have a lot of experience in building and refining systems. As Shift continues to grow, the organization will continue to lean on my expertise to manage the capacity of more staff members, more collaborators, and more partners!
What is your hidden talent?
I try not to hide my talents, but my coworkers probably don’t know how much I like to sing. It’s only a matter of time before I find an opportunity to share that with them…
What type of music is on your current playlist?
For better or worse, I listen to a lot of 70s soft rock (Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, America, etc). As much as I love all kinds of music, that tends to be the default. The heart wants what the heart wants.
What’s your favorite sport/sports team?
I’m not a big sports fan — I tend to judge teams based on their color combinations!
What was the last book you read?
I recently finished The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer and am now in the middle of Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
To speak as many languages as possible!