A Whirlwind of an Internship - My Time in OPI
By Quentin Boose, Process Improvement Intern
May 8, 2019
On the rapidly approaching conclusion of my internship in the Office of Process Improvement (OPI), it proves challenging to reflect on the previous seven months in total as time seems to fly by. For me, each hurdle has provided the chance to learn and develop tangible skills which can be utilized every day, collectively fostering development as a young professional. From conducting data analysis of various Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) surveys, to meeting with state lawyers and drafting new procedural documents, this internship has granted me the opportunity to work on a variety of projects and push the boundaries of my abilities.
I began this internship with a vague goal: to absorb all the information possible and take it with me to Panama for the Peace Corps this upcoming June. Coming from a quantitative background in chemical engineering, I wasn’t sure what I was going to discover while working in government. Everything I had learned about process improvement from college was focused solely on manufacturing and efficiently in delivering consumer products. Once I began however, there were seemingly endless lessons to grasp and countless applications of process improvement principles: the 8 deadly wastes, plan-do-check-act, and visual management are just some of the tools I was exposed to while working in OPI. Frankly, it was a bit difficult to keep them all straight at some points! Process improvement and Lean is an entire field in and of itself and I’m grateful for the wonderful OPI team to guide me through the tools and how each helps keep Colorado’s roadways safe and efficient.
Photo of Quentin Boose
Right off the bat, I was working alongside fellow interns to produce the inaugural Colorado Public Sector Change Management Peer Exchange, an event where over 15 different state agencies attended to learn how Change Management practices could benefit their agencies’ ability to navigate through organizational changes. Once completed, I was tasked with writing monthly communications to the fledgling community of practices, which then branched into drafting OPI-centric newsletter content for all regional CDOT newsletters. Communications was definitely not something I imagined myself creating while applying for this job, but it has turned out to be wonderful project where I was able to stretch myself to become a (slightly) better writer. Each post allowed me to develop creativity and volubility which will have compounding benefit the further I advance into my career.
Separate from communications, I helped coach fellow CDOTers through the beginning stages of the Federal Highways Administration’s (FHWA) Every Day Counts (EDC) program, accelerating the implementation of proven innovations across the United States. Successful adoption of these innovations will help push CDOT to become a safer and more efficient DOT long after the completion of my internship. It has been an absolute pleasure working alongside these determined CDOTers to realize technological innovations over these last few months.
My internship would not have been complete without the amazing tricks and helpful hints passed off from other interns during our “Brain Waves”. Presentation shortcuts (by Meagan Brown) and laughable improv sessions (by Niles Koenigsberg) were littered throughout the weekly activities and allowed us interns to teach each other transferable skills and practice our instruction in informal and often hilarious ways. Rarely did I walk away from those without a new skill to attempt and a huge smile on my face.
Over the course of my internship, I had the unique opportunity to participate in the reorganization and restructuring of CDOT’s Divisions of Highway Maintenance and Mobility Operations, with the chance to talk with many different employees from all across the state. Various CDOTers talked about their products and services to internal customers and the traveling public, showing how much work goes on behind the scenes each time you drive up that on ramp. Every CDOT employee is working to make Colorado roads safer, efficient, and keep goods and ideas flowing; it is an absolute privilege working alongside these motivated public servants.
My time in the Office of Process Improvement has been a whirlwind of seven months. Each and every day in OPI has been unique, challenging, and unequivocally rewarding. Now, I’m off to Panama for two years doing water, health, and sanitation work, but not without all the lessons learned and friends made while working for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Thanks, OPI!