As organizational development trainer for the City, Darron Grussendorf strives to bring out the best in those he trains.
To deliver on their possible expectations of himself, he strives to be his best.
“Do your homework, prepare well, and be ready to engage with learners,” he said. “You want to create learning experiences that positively impact both the employee as well as the City.”
“Whatever industry you’re working in, never feel as if you’ve arrived. You can always get better at what you do. Also, people can tell if you have that passion. If you don’t have a passion for what you’re teaching, you really can’t expect them to be excited about learning it.”
Grussendorf arrived with the City six years ago, after spending 20 years in another organization, as well as a stint as a Navy meteorologist and as a member of a local rock band, playing music venues in Austin in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
That might be enough of a lifetime of experiences for many, but Grussendorf found his greatest inspiration in serving the City’s 1,151 full-time employees.
“Once I got here, I knew I had landed in the right place,” he said. “To be around this many smart, talented people, it fuels my motivation. I always want to be at my best as I feel I am surrounded by the best here at the City.
“At some point you might take your foot off the pedal and coast. That’s never really happened to me. I’m hard on myself. I’m never one to be looking back at past successes.”
Grussendorf performs the roles of instructional designer and training facilitator, both creating learning content as well as delivering it. He also administers the City’s performance management system, which is currently undergoing a major transition to a new system later this year.
Though most of his classes run two to four hours, he’s designed and facilitated six-month leadership development programs, and even a “Rock N’ Roll Leadership” presentation where he drew on his background as a musician and leadership instructor, using musical performance and drawing parallels to instruct on leadership skills such as emotional intelligence, empathy, authenticity and more.
“One of the things that surprises me the most about this role is how much I’m learning in the classroom,” he said. “If I’m doing a good job and facilitating this learning, we’re going to learn much from each other. When you have someone for five to six months, you really get to understand what they need … how you can help them.”
Grussendorf has worked with just about every City department in some capacity: either entire departments or groups of individuals. He also works with college interns during summer months.
For them, he noted it’s important they recognize their talents as well as what fuels their passion.
“Follow your strengths,” he said. “Where are your talents? Sometimes we can be chasing a dream that’s not quite right for us, that doesn’t align with our real strengths or passions.”
Grussendorf signed up for the Round Rock Citizens Police Academy in 2024, a move he says has helped him in his role as a trainer.
“I thought I was familiar with the work the police department does to serve our community until I went through the program,” he said. “The more you understand your audience, the better you can teach them.”
One of his goals in 2026 is to visit with different departments, learn more about their operations and about how his work can better serve their needs.
