The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that our aim is too low and we reach it."
Artist
Michelangelo
Client Results: Coaching
"Lorri Manasse has coached me over the years as my career has progressed through three different organizations, from front-line trainer through Chief Learning Officer to my role today of Chief Human Resources Officer, MasterCard Worldwide. I can count on Lorri to listen to me, to hear what I'm saying and what I'm not saying, to push me, encourage me, challenge me, and affirm that I can do anything I set my mind to. I can also count on her to tell me the stuff I don't want to hear (but need to know), or that I already know but don't want to face. Lorri's coaching has been instrumental in my gaining the confidence to take a risk, the emotional intelligence to build relationships and empower my team, and the skills to be a leader in the global marketplace."
— Ron Garrow, Chief Human Resources Officer, MasterCard Worldwide
"As my executive coach, Lorri has helped me make and execute difficult personnel decisions, including terminating of two long-term senior employees. She helped me think through the restructuring of the company following our graduation from 8(a) status, and with talent assessment and succession planning as we moved forward. Lorri personally coached me on my communication style and has helped me improve communication within my management team. I recommend her enthusiastically."
— former CEO, Akima Corporation (professional services/engineering corporation)
"Lorri’s quiet openness and appreciation for differences gave me courage to be me in spite of what others might think or say. I feel that I’ve been on a voyage around the world on a sailboat. The trip has allowed me to see great, unique and sometimes ugly things about myself. I feel so refreshed and alive. It was a great voyage. Lorri is a wonderful navigator and guide."
— Senior Executive, US Environmental Protection Agency
"Lorri encouraged me to really think about my future plans and provided feedback, challenging questions and encouragement. She helped me realize that I was at a different time in my life and there were other options for me, options that would make me happier. Ultimately, I became completely comfortable with my decision to resign and to seek work more on my terms. I recommend her highly to anyone who has had it, hit the wall, and needs to reorient themselves for their next phase of work/life."
— Former Director of Sales, Professional Publication
"As my business coach, Lorri asked me provocative and powerful questions about my business that enabled me to get clear on my company's mission and focus. With her skillful coaching, I developed a roadmap for moving my business forward and gained greater clarity around the client services I most want to offer. Lorri's coaching style and approach encouraged me to want and see more for myself and then set concrete goals for moving myself and my business forward."
— Small Business Entrepreneur
"Lorri Manasse has been a superb coach and adviser to one of the country's largest financial institutions. In her most recent assignment, Lorri has proven very effective in coaching the leader of a newly formed government relations team in developing a vision, creating processes for effective intramural communications, and developing tools and approaches to foster collaboration amongst peers. Lorri has helped me, as the team leader, set expectations, short- and long-term goals, and develop techniques to ensure that the team is integrated with senior management’s overall priorities."
— Executive Vice President and Director, Government Relations, Top 3 bank
Client Results: Facilitation
"Lorri, I want to truly thank you for the most impactful offsite I think I have ever experienced. It was impactful for me personally and for my team. That is due largely to your facilitation and the care in planning. You made sure every detail was accounted for and the linkages to each activity were made. You actually put yourself 'out there' in many ways, too. You made sure everyone knew the reasons we were having a 'bash.' And you gave us the time and the structure needed to have it. You were also flexible enough within your plans to allow us to go to the places we needed to go ... Our team moved light years ahead. Our team now knows that we are leading in this company.
"I also know that the personal dialogue you had within the group was a tough dialogue. I know it because I sat right beside you when you challenged. I was thankful at that moment because I knew the work we were doing was creating an environment where that would be possible. I was thankful that you were comfortable enough to be the brave soul to help us challenge what was in the room-, therefore allowing others to do the same.
"Please know that I appreciate that you:
made sure the music set the tone
made sure the agenda items were meaningful and had the right message
made people feel valued
made time for the work that needed to be done
made sure you stepped back and forced me to lead when I needed to ... even though I was so tired, I really just wanted to participate and not lead ... thank you for helping me be a better leader to this group."
— Executive Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank
"At the Federal Executive Institute I had the good fortune of having Dr. Manasse as my Leadership Development Team facilitator. With consummate professionalism, Dr. Manasse created and maintained an environment in which I felt safe in sharing issues that have impacted my life and career. I truly appreciate the skill with which Dr. Manasse managed eight highly intelligent and complex personalities. She helped our team to realize the priceless value of investment in one another. ... Without question, I consider my experience at FEI as perhaps the single most profound experience of my professional career, no doubt largely due to Dr. Manasse' s expertise as a personal coach and group facilitator."
— Federal Administrative Judge
Client comments regarding Lorri’s small group facilitation skills:
"Lorri is a great facilitator. She cares and wants to see us grow and expand ourselves. She won't settle for anything less from us. She is a great listener, very observant and respectful of our differences and 'handles' them well."
— Senior Executive (SES) Social Security Administration
"Lorri allows us to be who we are without letting any one individual overpower the group. This is an awesome dynamic."
— Senior Executive (SES) US Department of Transportation
"Lorri was outstanding with us as a team and getting us to work together while bringing in our more reluctant participants in a non-adversarial manner. She was thoroughly prepared for all the sessions. Her instructions were clear, and her active involvement made learning easy and performance results-oriented. She is very calming and has a fantastic memory for things said by team members. She quickly put me at ease. Very deliberate in setting out clear objectives/goals. Lorri is an outstanding coach."
— Senior Federal executives, members of Leadership Development Team 6, Federal Executive Institute, Class 374
Client Results: Team-Building/Development
Representative Project
County Government Leadership Team
Dr. Manasse worked with the leadership team of a department of county government over a period of six years to strengthen the team so that it took real leadership of the department, developing and implementing a strategic plan and creating a more positive organizational culture. Here is what the department director said at the end of the engagement:
"In the time we worked together, we made some significant headway, given that when we got started, the management team was a rather dysfunctional group (to say the least). While there are a number of specific 'things' we've accomplished and products we've produced in our work together, I think our real accomplishment is that we created a leadership team out of a group of very different individuals operating very different shops. They learned to talk with one another; they learned about what each of them does; they learned to respect the differences in their styles and their work. They engaged in meaningful conversations about what matters in the county, in their work, and to them personally." — Department Director, Arlington County, Virginia
Client Results: Change Management
Representative Project
A Roadmap for Change
A major international hospitality corporation was transforming its marketing structure, a process that involved changing roles, job descriptions, and, in some cases, work locations. Dr. Manasse was part of a small team of consultants who conducted focus groups all over the country to identify the degree of understanding of and commitment to the change and the issues that employees identified. Working in partnership with the client, the change management team developed a roadmap for key communications and milestones in rolling out the change, and designed innovative communication strategies to provide a steady flow of information at all levels. The change was implemented successfully and became a model in the industry.
Client Results: Leadership Development
Representative Projects
System-wide Change Management and Leadership Development
A major state university was about to implement new, system-wide software for all campuses of the university. Leaders of the various campuses had never worked together in a coordinated fashion and did not understand the issues on one another's campuses or at a systems level. The university had not provided basic leadership training for its non-academic managers and leaders. Goals of the project were to prepare the organizational leadership for managing a major system and cultural change effort, to provide coordinated, basic leadership training for system leaders, and to build relationships across the system for future coordinated efforts.
Consulting assistance involved an initial needs assessment to identify potential areas for training and consulting, design, development of a 10 day “Taking Charge of Change” leadership development/change management training program delivered to approximately 25 managers per cohort over a 3 month period. A 2-day module was designed and delivered to the most senior executives across the university system, helping them understand how the change would affect people and systems at all levels, and working with them, in particular, on how their communication would/could help the organization negotiate the change in a positive way. As a result of the program campus leadership provided support to their staffs to understand and adjust to change and the new software was implemented in stages, successfully, on all campuses. The program was so successful that, following the initial offerings to approximately 75 individuals, it was repeated 5 more times in order to reach all managers across the system.
Using a Competency Based Leadership Model
An international package goods corporation had developed a competency model for its employees and leaders and needed to use it in selection, promotion, and development decisions. Dr. Manasse designed a leadership development process using behavioral interviewing, coaching, and development planning; designed and produced and produced a competency assessment tool kit, and created and piloted a 2-day workshop to train leaders in the process. Following the pilot, the organization was able to deliver the workshop and continue to train leaders in the process.
Leadership Development for First Line Supervisors, Arlington County, VA
Dr. Manasse designed and coordinated a new First Line Supervisor training program for a local government, involving an assessment center, 15 days of training delivered by both internal staff and external consultants, and follow-up group coaching. The program, initially developed in 2005, continues annually and has become the most successful on-going training program in the County. Many of its early participants have now moved into senior leadership roles.
Client Results: Organizational Assessment
Representative Projects
Organizational Assessment/Strategic Planning for a Legal Organization
A division of a legal organization was experiencing interpersonal dissension, lack of focus, low productivity, considerable disparity in work load, and generally low morale. Dr. Manasse conducted an organizational assessment and identified underlying issues—lack of a clear and common vision, multiple agendas, weak mentoring systems, several process bottlenecks, and unclear accountability. Dr. Manasse designed and facilitated two one-day retreats, first to feedback the data and get commitment to several steps to improve processes and clarify roles, and the second, to develop a common vision and a strategic plan. The result was a dramatic improvement in morale and in productivity in the organization.