Let’s Work Together

If you’re the owner and/or leader of a business, here are some options:

THE CULTURAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS

How to get an experienced and helpful outside perspective on how you work together and recommendations for improvement. We start by framing the reason why you believe a deeper understanding of your patterns of communication, interaction, and engagement would create better business results. Then, the project involves coming in and talking to the good people who work at your business, observing your setting and interactions, and reviewing your online and printed materials. A report is generated that covers my observations, a survey of perceptions about certain elements of your culture, and my specific recommendations. This generally leads to . . . .

A COLLABORATIVE COMMITMENT TO CHANGE

A six to twelve month process to improve business results, professional development, and company morale. This happens through direct interaction with leaders, teams, and individuals. By actually being present, I can observe the “disconnects” in the system, and break out the real breakdowns. By co-creating trust and blending compassionate coaching, best practices consultation, and real-time facilitation of conversations, new awareness and competencies emerge. Then these new patterns need to be implemented, integrated, and sustained. That’s why a single workshop or retreat is insufficient.

DEVELOPING EMERGING LEADERS

Building specific competencies for anyone who leads. You may have heard the term “leadership from any position.” While there may be a need for structured leadership, having a clear plan for building the skills of high-potential individuals not only contributes to positive employee retention, but builds the organizational resiliency and future potential. 

“IS IT A MATCH?”

Determining the cultural fit of a potential new hire in a significant position can have tremendous benefits if it goes well and significant costs if it doesn’t. Gone are the days (hopefully) where the hiring process consists solely of “see if resume fits job description, check references, and oh, would I want to have a beer with this person.” The cultural process involves looking at the assumptions and values of both the candidate and the business. This ensures that the new hire will be able to step in and engage well, with new positive energy, as opposed to finding out afterwards that their expectations about how your team works were not realistic.

TAKING YOUR RETREAT FORWARD

How to achieve lasting traction from an awesome off-site. In my professional opinion organizations waste time and money hoping for the magic of being in a nice place with good food and a few games thrown in. Getting everyone away from the incessant pressure of multitasking and the tyranny of technology can be a good thing, however an off-site should be viewed as part of an ongoing process, with careful planning but most importantly, significant follow-up. Unless the action items developed during your time together have traction, the “evaporation rate” will be astounding.

If you’re looking for a keynote or workshop:

THE ART OF SUPPORTIVE CONFRONTATION: An Essential Element of Creative Conflict

Most of us are highly skilled at conflict avoidance. By reframing the approach to one based on shared values, coupled with skill to manage emotional reactivity (ours and theirs!) and some useful language tools, we can reduce the dread of seemingly difficult conversations.

OPTIMAL WORKPLACE CULTURES: The Ideal Blend of Success, Satisfaction, and Spirit

How to define, change, and sustain the ways in which you make meaning, balance individual and business needs, and imbue purpose and passion at work.

HOW ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE HAPPENS (and Why it Usually Doesn’t!)

Far too often there is the belief that information alone will change behaviors, and/or that if the leaders simply articulate a clear vision that others will follow. This looks at how change can spike anxiety, how emotional intelligence contributes, and how to craft a realistic plan and timeline for true transformation.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE IS DEAD: How to Live Well Anyway

“Multitasking is doing twice as much as you should half as well as you could.” If we’re not truly careful we can all get swept along by the competing positive values and commitments of both business and life tasks. We’ll look at some practical ways to manage energy (vs. time), to set reasonable boundaries, and to make time to re-center. 

THE EFFECTIVE MEETING TOOLBOX: How to Make All of Us Better Than Any of Us

There are probably as many Dilbert © cartoons on meetings as anything else. “We’re all good people (mostly!) so why can’t we figure this out?” Effective meetings require advanced knowledge of group dynamics, verbal processing, decision-making models, and supportive confrontation. Otherwise, the meeting is dominated by power, personality, or passivity.

If you’re interested in a confidential sounding board, some empathic mentoring, or private coaching:

I do work with individuals around business relationships, workplace transitions, and professional development. Please contact me for more info.