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WORLDWIDE WEEK OF PARTNERSHIP TESTIMONIALS

Megan Olds, Associate Director, Grand Traverse Land Conservacy
The Organization Workshop was fun and powerful. It also did a great job of highlighting ways we can empower ourselves and each other and work together collaboratively and with more empathy toward each others' roles and contexts or lenses.
Andy Falender, Executive Director, The Appalachian Mountain Club
The Organization Workshop brought together staff from various levels of our organization. As I watched my staff open up to each other through conversation and dialogue on issues of hierarchy that rarely get discussed, I began to see a sense of teamwork and shared understanding develop among the group. The experience was personally engaging and undoubtedly left us with a greater sense of community, while giving us tools with which to address and work with issues surrounding hierarchy in our organization. I expect this training to have a lasting effect on our work!
Kevin Purcell, Organization Development Consultant
The 'When Cultures Meet' simulation is one of the most powerful learning experiences Microsoft provided its leaders. It was very useful in helping people get clear on the responsibility they each own when Microsoft acquired a new company, or during the many reorganizations they experienced. In the 20 years I have been doing leadership development work, there has been no more effective learning tool to achieve these results
Lily Bowen, 2VP, Travelers
I am reminded time and time again how powerful The Organization Workshop is when we bring the workshop to our leaders. It has been thriving here for over 7 years! It helps leaders gain insight and provides them with alternatives to the way things are now. It’s a path to greater effectiveness for leaders and to greater partnership across the organization.
Tricia Steege, CEO, Transformation Strategies
This program is a must attend for anyone who is involved in work with other cultures. The interactive learning experience in addition to the presented research theory provides solid grounding on which to build one’s self awareness and ongoing learning.
Grady McGonagill, McGonagill Consulting

Two powerful ideas stood out for my client. First, the possibility of developing a single culture more robust than its separate parts, and second, the importance of members of a dominant culture being curious about the “Others.” These sparked a number of thoughts about how to find possible concerns from people who had become part of the company through the four acquisition/mergers through which it has grown in the past five years.

“The title of this workshop conveys Barry Oshry’s distinctive touch. Unlike other approaches to this topic, he makes no grand claims (like ‘learn the three key success factors in merging cultures’). Instead, he enables participants to experience predictable interpersonal and organizational dynamics, see how they personally react to those simulated but very “real” events, and reflect with others on the implications for themselves and their organizations with the help of simple but elegant conceptual tools.

Susan N.L. Alikhan, Consulting Manager, Technology and Solutions, BMO Financial Group
The simulation was highly engaging and directly relevant to demonstrating human nature, the implications of our behaviour in formulating cultures, the resulting barriers, and the significance of our behaviour to our everyday lives personally, at the workplace, socially, and on a global level. This was a very deeply moving learning for me.
Deborah Torchia, Organizational Performance Consulting
The staff has the amazing ability to create an environment where the learning is deep and personally significant. This is because you actually experience what you are learning, not just gaining an intellectual understanding of the material
Ken Giglio, Assistant Vice President, Prebon Yamane (USA), Inc.
I’ve seen the destructive results of individuals and entire departments going their own way on projects rather than seeking common ground. WHEN CULTURES MEET addressed in a creative and thought-provoking way just how these silos and divisions are born and perpetuate, and how they can be overcome. It brought me to a new level of understanding of how other people view their work situations and what it takes to work together as a team.
Donna Kaye, Associate Director, Human Resource Development Department, UNC Health Care
Thank you for a great workshop. I have to say that it was one of the best I have attended (and I have attended many) in its clarity of model, instructional design, and usefulness.
Mary Robinson, Sr.Manager, Lockheed Martin
I have to admit that I approached the program and this simulation with the attitude of "done that, got the T-shirt". But I have to confess that I truly learned and participated, and received messages I'll never forget.
Mary Robinson, Sr. Manager, Lockheed Martin
I have to admit that I approached the program and this simulation with the attitude of "done that, got the T-shirt". But I have to confess that I truly learned and participated, and received messages I'll never forget.
Andrea Lewis, Former Manager, Leadership Development, Freddie Mac
The workshop was fabulous! The participants tremendously enjoyed the interactive nature of it and felt very validated through their experiences. It opened up a whole realm of awareness and gave them creative ideas for action. I am sure you get this feedback from most of your sessions - it is a very powerful workshop.
Stephanie McGovern, High Performance Systems, Inc.

I did The Organization Workshop for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency last year. I didn't really expect to hear from them again this year because of all the budget cuts. But they called last week and said, "As you probably guess, we are in "budget hell" and all training has been cut EXCEPT The Organization Workshop because people said it was so valuable." Just wanted you to know you have created a recession proof course!

Richard Phillips, Consultant and Coach
I would strongly recommend Power + Systems workshops. They provide an insight into human organizational behavior that can be found no where else.
Vonda Melton, Former Manager, Leadership Development, Ashland, Inc.
It is a wonderful leadership simulation! Definitely worth considering for any level of leadership development
John Colburn, Former Manager, Management & Leadership Development, Microsoft

I know that after 10 years of utilizing The Organization Workshop that the language of this systems model is part of Microsoft’s common management and leadership language, and as such has helped strengthen the community of leaders at Microsoft.

Gyasi Chisley, CEO, Methodist North Hospital

It was fantastic! It helped us further understand various perspectives from different points of view. The OW (Organization Workshop) established tones, and even dissected our cultures sacred cows. Bill did an amazing job facilitating and letting our management team learn and navigate through the exercise. Great job.

Janice Smallcombe, Former President, Maritrans, Inc.

Over ten years ago I attended The Organization Workshop. I never forgot what I learned. When it came time in our organization’s culture change for managers to do a “paradigm shift,” I wanted everyone to hear Barry explain things from his unique point of view. Once our managers learned that they have a choice of how to behave and interact, walls came down, territories merged, and people liked their jobs a whole lot better. We never want to slip back to our old ways of doing things.

Lynn Cavall, Former Director, Organizational Development/Human Resources, Florida Education Association

The Organization Workshop that Bill Wilson facilitated for us last month was terrific. The simulation was fun and engaging while the discussion was invigorating. And as one of our participants said, 'The time to reflect was brilliant.'

For any group of people who work together, the insights about tops, middles, and bottoms...can only enhance empathy, camaraderie, and effectiveness in the organization. Thank you for an enlightening stopover on our journey to becoming a learning organization.

Jan M. Wilmott, Former Director, Curriculum & Programs, Boeing Leadership Center

We have immersed over 3000 Boeing leaders in your incredible Organization Workshop.

Fred W. Graf, Director, Strategic Planning, U.S. International Boundary Water Commission

I just wanted to let you know that The Organization Workshop facilitated by Phil Novick was outstanding. I was quite impressed with Phil’s intense preparation for the class and flawless facilitation during the actual training. I continue to receive quite positive comments from attendees. The Power + Systems theoretical approach and its no-nonsense application of it are right on target.

Max Donley, Senior Director, Human Resources, MedImmune, Inc.

The experience made an immediate positive impact and has provided lift to our integrative efforts. You (Marcia) made a very important contribution to the potential future success of this team -- thank you.

Peter Fullerton, Associate, Macqquarie Graduate School of Management, Melbourne area, Australia

Elegant, powerful, accessible, usable. Applicable in just about any setting that involves human interaction.

The Reverend Gregory M. Wilson, Episcopal Priest

This was a wonderful presentation. The topic was very relevant for our two merging congregations. Bill handled the complexity with poise and grace. I saw our parishioners come away energized and hopeful. Thank you!

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