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What am I passionate about?
I love this work - a calling that I have stumbled upon rather than sought out. Like so much good strategy in these times, this business is not so much the product of long-horizon linear thought, but of agile and opportunistic use of core talents, adapted relentlessly to the constantly evolving needs of the marketplace. It's been a strategy of 'showing up' and delivering superbly well today to earn the right to serve tomorrow and my client relationships have lasted years and attest to long-term creation of value.
xxxThe focus of all my work is growth: intentional, personal, business growth. I just love to grow things. It used to be fish, it is always gardens and now it is mostly the dreams and capacities of my clients. Years ago, I became convinced that my best consulting work was not easily leveraged through others and that I was called not to build a business institution of my own, but to serve others in their aspirations and visions to grow. As one client said, "Chris, you get hooked on our vision," and so I do, when it is compelling and worthy.
xxAnd I have put my money where my dreams are and built a special place for my clients, a place to think and work and grow. It is called Nassagaweya - the Retreat.
What is my personal focus?
As I look back over more than ten years in this business, I see a pattern in three successful types of services to my clients:
1) The design and facilitation of dialogue between people who have some business problem to solve or opportunity to exploit.
Typically, this takes the form of workshops and retreats often for one to three days. Into these events, which must also be part of some continuum, I weave two main strands of thinking and relating: the former to challenge and by creative thinking to define a plan; the latter to build trusting relationships sufficient to support cohesion within the group required for successful implementation.
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2) Individual meetings with leaders to encourage their hearts and challenge their minds. I believe both elements are important. Each leader must grow personally if the organization is to grow. But each leader is a unique person and must be served as such.
3) Acting as a catalyst of significant change on behalf of leader clients. One senior executive said just recently, "Chris, I am comfortable with you loose in my organization." Such trust does not come lightly but time after time I find that I am sent to help initiate some change or create a shift in attitudes and actions, consistent with the growth of the whole enterprise, often at key leverage points. These deployments require that I build trusting relationships throughout the organization and then wisely cajole and advise toward the client's goal.
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