CONSULTING

Approach: The Essential Work of Building Alliances

I concentrate on the people side, the ‘soft stuff’ that makes the ‘hard stuff’ happen, on building sustainable personal and organizational competency and capacity.  Doing that work well requires building strong working alliances with those people in a client organization most desirous of the change and understanding the people they must collaborate with and lead.  My extensive experience working across organizational type and function as well as across organizational level allows me to build those essential strong, productive working alliances.

I’ve worked with shop floor union representatives, CEOs of international NGOs, board directors and chairs, and senior executives of for-profit and not for profit organizations.  I’ve worked on specific short-term projects and on long term organizational and executive development.  I’ve consulted on developing middle managers and physician leaders as well as on enhancing C-suite performance implementing strategy and improving CEO and board relations.  I’ve worked with board chairs and CEOs on succession planning as well as with trade union leaders and their membership. 

I’ve delivered educational sessions and workshops as well as conducted extensive “pulse check” meetings and strategic planning sessions as part of and as platforms for consulting to develop people, plans, and operations.  In short, I have a history of building strong working alliances as required to perform the work at hand. I actually know how organizations work, especially regarding change, and I can partner with leaders throughout the process, from conceptualization through implementation.

Process: A Flexible, Collaborative Engagement

As a consultant, I employ clear engagement objectives and equally clear operating rules, especially concerning confidentiality. I don’t live off the brands of my clients, hence I do not post them. If, however, you would like a recommendation relevant to the consultation that you seek, then I will ask a previous client to speak with you.

Many firms retain me not just to work with them but also to think and to worry about them.  I carry my ongoing clients with me as I scan the world and examine research.  I forward current relevant materials and insights to them as I stay in touch with their world.  In brief, I take their well-being seriously.

I collaborate with firms about how I conduct my work.  Restated, I don’t do ‘black box’ consulting.  Through collaborating with me, clients gain the capacity to do much of the work that I initially do for them. 

The length of my consulting engagements varies.  Specific projects such as conducting a team pulse check can entail as little as three days — one day to interview, one day to analyze, and one day to feedback and plan next steps. Longer-range projects such as implementing a change initiative might take 4-12 months, or planning and guiding a CEO transition 1-2 years.

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Explore different consulting options in the areas of Leadership Development, Building Organizations, Leading Change, and Enhancing Board Performance.

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How does kayaking on white water rivers relate to your business? in this video, i explain how this metaphor helps our understanding of organizational change and how to navigate it so that we prosper.