What I Stand For

• I believe we too often make things more complex than they really are. I help my clients simplify the complex, and develop and implement common sense solutions to their problems and issues.
• I believe in human potential. I assist my client organizations and the individuals in them to use applied common sense to achieve their full potential.
• My clients pay a premium for my services. Therefore, I provide them with extraordinary value-added services in order to justify their faith in me.
• My clients trust me. They openly discuss their hopes, fears, problems and opportunities with me. This trust is sacred. I will not violate it.
• All of my customers are unique. I honor this uniqueness. I don’t sell one-size-fits-all consulting, coaching or speaking services. I am diligent about gaining a complete understanding of each client’s unique needs before I suggest a course of action.

Personal Characteristics

Some words to describe me:

Common Sense: Ralph Waldo Emerson once “nothing so astonishes men as common sense and plain dealing.” I agree. The best answer to many complex problems is often the common sense answer. But, as Thomas Edison said “many people miss opportunity because it comes dressed up in overalls and looks like work”. The same is true for common sense. It usually takes a lot of hard work to make it work. I help my clients figure out the common sense solution to their problems and then do the work it takes to apply their common sense.

Cancer Survivor: I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer in 1998. The surgery and subsequent radiation treatments were successful. I am now cancer free. The cancer diagnosis helped me realize how precious life is. I feel that I have been given a second chance to do what I do best – help people and organizations grow and flourish.

Pittsburgh Guy: Growing up in a company town, Ambridge, PA (so named because the American Bridge Division of US Steel was headquartered there) taught me about hard work. I saw my dad, and my friend’s fathers, head off to do hard, physically demanding jobs everyday. I saw them go when they were sick. I saw them go when it was below zero and above 100. They did this, because that’s what Pittsburgh guys did. I’m proud to be the son of a steelworker, and I appreciate and understand the dignity of work.

In his wonderful book, Downtown, My Manhattan, Pete Hamill sums up what the “rules” were in the Brooklyn neighborhood where he grew up:

Where I came from the rules were relatively simple. Work. Put food on the
table. Always pay your debts. Don’t look for trouble, but don’t back off it
either. Make certain that the old and the weak are never in danger.

The rules in my neighborhood were pretty much the same. Pete and I are old school enough to keep up the old neighborhood traditions.

Sports Fan: As a kid, my favorite teams were the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Pirates. My favorite World Series memory was seeing Bill Mazeroski’s home run to win the seventh game of the 1960 World Series for the Pirates. My sports hero as a young man was Roberto Clemente – The Great One. He was a great baseball player, but an even greater man. He died on New Year’s Day 1973, piloting a plane full of relief supplies for victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua. The plane crashed. His body was never found. Today, I follow the Steelers, Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche and New York Knicks. My current sports hero is Lance Armstrong – partly because of his six Tour De France victories, mostly because of the work he does supporting children with cancer.

Optimist: As a young man, I participated in and won a speech contest sponsored by the local chapter of Optimist International. The topic that year was “Optimism, Youth’s Greatest Asset”. I believe that optimism is essential for anyone to grow and flourish. My optimism led me to do a year of service as a VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) after I graduated from Penn State. It is the cornerstone of my work. I believe in the “genius of the and” — that organizations can be profitable and provide their shareholders with good returns; and provide productive, healthy work environments for their employees; and take an active role in making the communities in which they do business better places to live and work.

Books and Movies: It goes without saying — the book is always better than the movie. As good as Gregory Peck was in “To Kill A Mockingbird,” Harper Lee’s words gave us an insight into the minds of Jem and Scout that the film couldn’t and didn’t. “From Here to Eternity” is another one of my favorite books that was made into a movie. Pruitt is a truly tragic character. Barbara Kingsolver is one of favorite contemporary authors. “The Poisonwood Bible” is my favorite of her works. I also enjoy reading early Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, and the detective novels of J. A. Jance, Lawrence Block and Robert Parker. A college course in Utopian and Anti Utopian Literature left me with a deep regard for the strength of the human spirit and the importance of individuality.

Rugby and Bicycling: I started playing rugby in 1968 as a college freshman. I was still playing in the 21 century. Rugby is a wonderful game. It is highly competitive, but teaches the value of teamwork, sportsmanship and fellowship. I’m a better person because of the many friends I’ve met through the game. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate the joys of bicycling. I have often said that my bike is my best friend. I miss biking when the weather turns bad.

The Power of 1: I believe that one person can make a difference. My heroes are the kinds of people who have stood up for the things in which they believed. They were individuals who stood up for what they thought was right and good, and did something about it. Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Lech Walesa are but a few of the people who exemplify the power of 1. I’m sure you know more.

Alexandra Scott personifies the power of 1. Alex was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of childhood cancer the day before her first birthday. In 2000, when she was four years old, she set up a lemonade stand in her front yard old to raise money for pediatric cancer research. Alex and her lemonade stand raised over $200,000 by 2003. She set a goal of raising $1,000,000 in 2004. Brave little eight years old Alex passed away in August, 2004. By November, 2004, her lemonade stand charity had raised over $1,500,000 for pediatric cancer research. You can learn more about Alex and her lemonade stand at www.Alexslemonade.com.

Professional Facts

• I am Harvard educated at the graduate school level—Ed.D., Doctor of Education, Adult Education and Organization Behavior and Intervention. I earned my BS at Penn State in Journalism and Broadcasting and my MA at the University of Colorado in Organizational and Interpersonal Communication.
• I have 30 years of experience in Organization Effectiveness. I have trained and coached thousands of managers, supervisors and salespeople. My training programs, including Corporate University programs, are in use in over 40 countries worldwide.
• I have delivered keynotes and done consulting work in the US, Canada, Europe, Latin America and Asia.
• My professional associations include: National Speakers Association, American Society for Training and Development, International Coach Federation, Association of Business Communicators, Association for Quality and Participation, National Storytelling Association.