Jeff Doolittle’s responsibilities include overseeing four programs and working with corporate partners to provide educational solutions ranging from noncredit-bearing professional development courses to degree programs. Jeff and his wife, Kelly (Morse) ’91, live in Byron Center, Michigan. They have three children: Cole ’19, current Olivet sophomore Morgan and MacKenzie.
OLIVETONLINE An interview with Jeff Doolittle, Associate Dean for the Institute of Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship, ONU Global. Read the full interview at Olivet.edu/news You have earned two degrees from Olivet. Were there any faculty members who had a significant impact on your time as a student? In my undergraduate program, my mentor was Dr. Randy Johnson. His first year at Olivet was my freshman year. I had moved from South Carolina and didn’t know many people in the area. Dr. Johnson opened up his life and family, accepting me as a quasi-member of his family. His guidance and leading transformed me both academically and spiritually. A few years later while working on my MBA, I had an organizational communication class with Dr. Jay Martinson ’86. He introduced me to organizational structure, a combination of organization communication and human relationships — how people work and interact. It was the combination of the passion that Dr. Martinson brought to the class with the topic of organizational communication that interested me and eventually led to one of my most IMAGE GROUP to change my career and significant decisions move into human resource development.
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With more than 20 years in human resources, what were the most pressing issues or challenges that you encountered with the leadership teams of Fortune 100 and Forbes 25 private companies?
3. Creating and sustaining a healthy business culture, where employees are valued and work relationships are significant. Organizational culture is often misunderstood and minimized by employees and leaders, resulting in organizational dysfunction. What brought you back to Olivet?
While I was at Gordon Food Service, I was reading Francis Chan’s Crazy Love. In the book, Chan quoted evangelist D.L. Moody: “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn't really I’ve worked a lot in talent management and matter.” That hit home. At a global leadership talent acquisition. After briefly working in a lab, conference I attended, the focus of the speakers completing my MBA, then working for Pfizer was(BP) on finding your purpose and driving force. I INTERVIEW WITH JEFF DOOLITTLE — which at the time wasn’t a huge company had been successful in my career but wondered — l had various operational responsibilities if I was where God wanted me to be. After for companies including Meijer, Sears Holding praying and planning with my wife, I decided Company, Spectrum Health and Gordon to leave Gordon Foods in January 2018 with Food Service. And I believe there are three no work prospects but planning to begin significant challenges across all contemporary my own consulting firm. Over the next few organizations: months, I networked with different individuals, 1. Attracting and retaining top-tier talent one of whom was [then] dean of the School is a common challenge. There is a highly of Graduate and Continuing Studies, Rob competitive market — a “war for talent.” Simpson. After more prayer and consideration, 2. Identifying high-potential employees that I took the job hoping to reach and teach are able to take on future leadership roles students the knowledge I’d accumulated from and live out the values and culture of the my corporate career thus far. company. Leaders struggle to measure employees’ potential for taking on broader responsibility and stepping into new positions.