Consultant's Portfolio

Mergers and Acquisitions – Realignment/Restructuring

Actions
Mapping operational and decisionmaking flow in midst of changing strategy and structure: negotiating and implementing changes.

Results
Exposing previously undetected synergy, risks, and challenges quickly to give comfort to those working in midst of uncertainty

What clients have learned
Entitlement to the status quo is a dangerous perception.

What I’ve learned
Timing and transparency are critical. The leadership often shifts substantially after the first 6 months to a year. Disregard rumors and steer clear of gossip. Help people stay direct, open and respectful. Make focus on the business purpose and function more compelling than internal maneuvering and drama.

Employee Assistance Program

Actions
Facilitating immediate and urgent response by the right professionals

Results
Safety, privacy, dignity and minimal disruption to the larger organization

What clients have learned
Each incident requires its own series of immediate steps – there is no easy cookie-cutter approach.

What I’ve learned
In companies with EAP benefits, I’ve gained a great appreciation for the many highly skilled and dedicated professionals who respond as a team, and just how little recognition they get as they do their work discreetly.

In companies without EAP benefits, I have reinforced my opinion in case after case that many costly disruptions and tragic situations could have been lessened or prevented altogether by a proactive relationship with an EAP

Experiential Learning

Actions
Leading adults through experiential learning exercises to develop a wide range of interpersonal effectiveness skills

Results
Feedback from adults that the awareness and techniques helped them in their professional and personal lives

What clients have learned
The value of investing in this type of training, as the skills impact sales, service, innovation and teamwork, without which businesses can’t thrive

What I’ve learned
It has been a great privilege to give these workshops over the past 15 years.

I have been challenged to serve as a role model and to try harder with each experience to practice what I’ve preached. I’ve also learned new ways to approach difficult and challenging situations while facilitating, through trial and error

Integrated, Blended Learning

Actions
Aligning programs and initiatives for consistency, efficiency, relevance, accountability and reinforcement

Results
Cost savings, clarity of organizational expectations, increased adult learning retention

What clients have learned
The long term benefits are worth the extra time up front to do more than just offer an annual seminar

What I’ve learned
Unique and unconventional places to look for integration, new ways to harness learning systems that already exist and execute a minimum of actions to enhance natural organizational learning

I’ve also realized through years of experience to expect typical objections to investing in corporation learning and how to respond to common objections

Sales and Customer Service

Actions
Assessing perceived sales and service levels compared with actual performance, making adjustments to bring up to desired level

Results
Increased profits

What clients have learned
Why sales and service are not a separate functional area, but a core practice that must be embraced by all members of the organization

What I’ve learned
How old paradigms still persist in the midst of new technology and seemingly progressive organizations, and how persistent we must be to deeply shift sales management, account management and customer service performance to optimum capacity

Strategic Planning

Actions
Playing the role of coach during the phases of planning, leading talented teams through exercises culminating in agreement.

Results
Clarity, new perspective and unity of purpose

What clients have learned
New ways to look at their endeavor, new possibilities, reinforcement of purpose

What I’ve learned
Through follow up and observation, what the likely rate of failure will be for realizing visions and honoring decisions, and how to diplomatically alert clients earlier in the process to risk in order to create more feasible, successful plans

360 Performance Appraisal Designer and Consultant

Actions
Design and administration of confidential, anonymous surveys

Results
Feedback about individual, team and whole system performance that is more accurate, fair and balanced

What clients have learned
The process is worthwhile if it is managed in a spirit of trust and respect

What I’ve learned
New ways to introduce this tool and train participants on how to use it effectively

I’ve also learned to persuade prospective clients NOT to introduce this tool if they aren’t prepared to invest in it properly – otherwise it can be very harmful and create the opposite consequences from those intended

Executive Coach

Actions
Creating a private, safe and respectful environment for executives to do individual work on themselves

Results
Clients who finish quickly and “go back to the ranch” with renewed confidence in their own abilities to self correct

What clients have learned
Some new ways of looking at themselves, their performance, and relating to challenging situations

What I’ve learned
I have learned a great deal from my executive coaching clients – my reaction on reviewing my clients’ profiles is often one of amazement that these accomplished and gifted people are turning to me. They have generously shared their experiences with me to help me see issues and trends in the workplace and in our society. I have gained valuable practice in choosing my own words and actions to bring out best results.

Human Resource Department Audits

Actions
Thorough review of documented records, policies, procedures

Results
Discovery of important issues, opportunities and risks

What clients have learned
How to detach from the inside of running the dept and see it with a critical eye as a service organization with potential to fuel an engaged, dedicated and valued community of employees

What I’ve learned
Unique approaches found in dozens of HR departments, common reasons for faulty systems, efficient solutions

Corporate Training

Actions
Delivering classroom and independent learning experiences that blend with organizational priorities and realities

Results
Shared accountability for applying learned concepts and behaviors on the job

What clients have learned
Ways to sustain new habits and approaches for months and years beyond the classroom experience

What I’ve learned
More creative methods for engaging client and minimizing disruption to the enterprise

Public Speaking

Actions
Sharing what I know

Results
Expansion of awareness beyond a single company or industry - benchmarking

What clients have learned
To reconsider their own practices, approaches and habits in light of new information

What I’ve learned
Interests of specific professional and civic groups – market trends

Outplacement

Actions
Helping to redeploy groups of talented people

Results
Accelerated return to work , resolution of career dilemmas, and relief for adults experiencing discomfort of loss and uncertainty

Protection of reputation for employers and support for survivors facing market challenges with a reduced workforce

What clients have learned
The decision to provide extra value for outgoing employees is always worthwhile, and there are many ways to add this value that are low cost, non traditional, creative and sincere

What I’ve learned
Which advice and approaches get the best results, time after time: How to share real stories with groups to reinforce the reliability of these approaches