Meet the BuildHERs: Michelle Barnhart
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By day, Michelle Barnhart is a human resources and operations leader at The Timken Company. On the weekend, you may find her somewhere completely different: “riding in the muddy woods through trails and dirt.”
“I’m very active in the four-wheeling, side-by-side world,” she says. It’s a hobby that often surprises people, especially because Michelle uses a wheelchair. But that’s part of the fun: “It breaks the mold.”
Breaking the mold has been a theme throughout Michelle’s career. After a four-wheeling accident left her paralyzed at 26, she was told she couldn’t return to the manufacturing job she loved. “That broke my heart because I loved manufacturing,” she says. Instead of accepting that her career in the industry was over, she asked a different question: “But what role can I get back to manufacturing?”
That question sparked Michelle’s “solve for yes” mindset, and eventually led her into HR. Today, she develops talent, mentors emerging manufacturing leaders and champions greater inclusion for people with disabilities, neurodivergent employees and caregivers.
She brings the same mindset to negotiation. Forget being the loudest or most aggressive person in the room. Michelle believes the best solutions begin with understanding what matters to both sides: “If negotiating feels like someone’s losing, you’re not doing it right.”
At BuildHER, Michelle will encourage women to look beyond a “no,” get curious about what’s behind it and keep the conversation moving. Her advice when you hit a wall? “Go back and ask why.” Then, ask the question that can change everything: “But what if the answer was yes? What would that look like?”
Join Michelle at BuildHER on Nov. 13 for Solve for Yes and learn how to look beyond a “no,” ask better questions and negotiate toward solutions that work for everyone.
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Keep getting to know the women of BuildHER through the stories, experiences and unexpected details that make each of them unique.