Helping organizations achieve their strategic goals through the best use of their people at all levels of the organization is the focus of Linda’s practice. She works extensively in the areas of:
- Executive, management, and employee coaching
- Coaching intervention
- Leadership development, talent management, 360˚ feedback, and succession planning
- Individual assessment: Selection interviewing and testing
- Family-owned businesses: Succession planning, next generation(s) development
- Team development and coaching
- Organizational assessment and strategy development
- Organizational structure, strategy, and change
- Employee opinion surveys, survey development, and action planning
- Selection testing and test validation
- Equine-centered experiential learning for teams and/or individuals
Executive, management, and employee assessment and coaching assignments carefully consider the setting and culture in which the work occurs. It is important to recognize that the leader or employee must fit the organization, its expectations, and competency requirements. Linda works closely with the client organization, as well as the coachee to ensure this fit and to help the coachee experiment with new behaviors that lead to successful performance outcomes.
Coaching intervention is a specialized area of coaching that addresses a leader or key employee whose behavior has derailed or will potentially derail them from a successful career. This sensitive area of coaching requires careful attention, not only to the individual being coached, but also to the clear expectations of the organization and its executives. Linda and her clients have been successful in turning around dire situations and helping leaders realize alternative approaches to their work and relationships.
Her approach to leadership development and performance management (including talent management, organization and individual assessment, 360˚ feedback, and succession planning) focuses on learning and applying effective behaviors that have a direct effect on business results and increasing leadership success that match or exceed the expectations of the client organization.
Cost effective individual assessment and testing recognizes the need for good person-organization fit, whether the focus is a job candidate, an incumbent, or a team of leaders. Individual assessment includes an in-depth customized semi-structured behavioral interview as well as a psychological test battery that fits the needs of the position. All tests have been developed for use in work settings so the results are exceptionally relevant to the business.
Work with family-owned businesses requires sensitivity and knowledge of family dynamics, values, and goals. Linda works with family-owned businesses, both large and small, and understands the added complexity that comes with combining business with personal familial relationships. Work includes succession planning, managing generational differences, career planning, and workforce considerations, along with supporting the Founder’s or senior leadership’s goals and direction.
Her individually crafted approach to team assessment and development considers organizational dynamics, individual style differences, the work of the team, and skills needed to get that work done. Linda uses real-life work situations in workshops and team coaching to build effective team and individual skills such as conflict resolution, giving feedback, meeting management, establishing role clarity for team members, and building trust. A unique and powerful option uses equine-centered learning that serves as a catalyst for organizational and personal development. The unique and powerful farm-based workshops and retreats build leadership, team, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Organizational assessment, change, and strategy assignments take into account present capabilities as well as the desired future state of the concern. This is ensured by understanding the firm’s vision, capabilities, resources and environment; linking each function and overlaying process in the organization to the overall strategy and steps required to realize the desired future state.
Employee engagement surveys measure employee attitudes and opinions to help leaders understand the impact these can have on turnover, productivity, teamwork, and quality of work. Linda offers custom or proven surveys that measure what your employees are thinking. The survey process, including survey follow up, action planning, and employee feedback; all parts of a successful survey effort. We also include a union avoidance scale that predicts employees’ predisposition to show an interest in unionization. Linda works with leadership to plan for improving employee satisfaction that results in increased communication, teamwork, and awareness of organizational strengths and challenges.
For all selection and assessment testing, Linda uses only the highest quality structured interviews, instruments, and tests that have been rigorously researched. Psychological testing has been shown to be exceptionally helpful to predict future behavior of job candidates as well as to determine areas for development for existing employees and high potential candidates. Linda makes it easy to administer, understand, and use testing for your organization.
Linda’s work is based on her business experience, academic training, and her post-doctoral training at the ICF certified Gestalt Institute. Her approach meets each client at their point of need, and helps them meet their goals in the critical areas of leadership and professional development. Prior to earning her Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Linda spent over 20 years in a variety of business leadership positions in Human Resources. She worked for Bendix Warner & Swasey, Nestlé, and Kenworth Truck Company among others. Linda has consulting experience with manufacturing, scientific research, distribution, construction, aerospace, oil and gas, healthcare, education, public sector, local government, financial services, not-for-profit organizations, as and family and privately held organizations.
