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SUCCESS STORIES

Chief Financial Officer, Pharmaceutical Company

Challenge: Presentation Skills and Impression Management

I received a call from the president. "We've got a problem and I want it fixed immediately." The CEO of Finance had just moved back to the USA after a long term position in South America and he did not fit the image of the North American executives. According to the president he needed a complete revamping. I met with the executive the following day at his home and we began by discussing the reasons I would be working with him. He agreed that he might need to make a few changes however, he was quite shocked to realize that unless he made these changes in short order, he would no longer be employed. I assured him that the changes were necessary or he would be using the new knowledge that I was about to share with him when he was job hunting next month.

We focused on his image, his clothes (both business and business casual) and his accessories. He needed to lose 50 + pounds, get a new hair cut and glasses that suited his bone structure. The next area of focus: business, social and dining etiquette skills.

Then we worked on his presentation skills, the importance of looking at the audience and not at the Power Point presentation behind him and to break the habit of jingling the change in his pocket.

Next we went shopping for some new business clothes to jump-start the new look. As we entered the store I asked him the dollar amount he planned on investing that day. He responded with a much lower number than I had in mind. I let it slide for the moment.

As I selected the garments and had him try them on, his whole physiology changed. He threw his shoulders back and sucked in his stomach, immediately looking thinner. He knew he looked good and he wanted more! He was on a roll. Yes, he liked this suit and this sports jacket, these ties and these shirts. He was strutting and feeling empowered.

The moment of truth: we approached the cash register. I faced him head on and said, "Mark, your company is making a sizable investment in you today and I'm pleased to see that you are doing the same."

The cashier tallied the purchases and I thought he was going to faint. Seizing the moment, I said "Mark, you are on the fast track to looking like a successful executive."

Successful Outcome: Yes, he lost the 50+ pounds, changed his image and mastered his presentation skills and yes, he kept his job as the CFO.

IT Group at a Large Clothing Manufacturing Company

Challenge: Team Building and Communication

I was brought in to give a series of seminars on effective communication skills. The group of IT specialists were having problems communicating with the sales and marketing people. It was as though they were speaking a "different" language. In reality, they were.

The seminars focused on the four main styles of communication and I used the DiSC profiling instrument. We began with gaining an understanding of their communication style and then moved forward to discover and clearly understand the other communication styles of people they worked with.

The four main styles of communication are: Dominance, Influencing, Steadiness and Conscientiousness. The computerized reports of each individual participating in the series of seminars outlined in detail the way they processed information, strategies for creating positive relationships and relating to other people, their decision making styles and their problem solving styles.

Armed with this information and knowledge, we then moved on to discover ways to identify the communication and management styles of the sales and marketing people. With understanding comes knowledge and power. Teams are most effective when people from all four behavior styles are working together. Their strengths are maximized and their weaknesses minimized.

Successful Outcome: The IT people worked more effectively with the sales and marketing teams. Tensions were reduced, performance improved and people were validated for their strengths.

Complete details on the DiSC Behavior Profile
Complete details on the Team Building Profile

Board of Directors, Not-for-Profit Organization

Challenge: Leadership and Focus

Everyone was posturing and vying for position. We needed to create a unified team. The full day seminar began with identifying their strengths using the DiSC profiling instrument and then moved on to the Dimensions of Leadership. We looked at leadership from two perspectives: the leadership traits each one of them possessed and the leadership attributes needed in their role as a member of the Board.

The twelve Dimensions of Leadership include: Integrity, Enthusiasm, Self-Renewal, Fortitude, Perceiving, Judgment, Performance, Boldness, Team Building, Collaboration, Inspiring and Serving Others. We discussed: why people follow, who follows, when to lead and what to watch out for within each of the twelve areas of Leadership.

Successful Outcome: The day was a success. Members of the Board validated each other's strengths and the group presented a unified front. Areas of conflict were reduced and issued successfully voted on.

Complete details on the Dimensions of Leadership Profile

More Success Stories to come......

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Gloria Starr
Phone: 704-596-9866
expert@gloriastarr.com
Contact Gloria Starr

International Expert in Image, Etiquette, Communication
and Leadership Training and Coaching
Established 1983