Client Comments about Our Executive Coaching
It’s made a huge impact
Thank you so very much for all of your help, especially in teaching me to understand the “pain of winning”—it’s made a huge impact on my way of being, and I am a much better person and leader because of it.—SVP, Life Science Organization
You gave me concrete things to do
In your coaching, you were quick to listen and be able to get to the meat of what I’m dealing with and needing help with. You gave me concrete things to do in a nice way. I have learned that keeping and maintaining my time are critical to maintaining my balance. I am really looking at the choices I make now and am making sure those are the ones I want to make.—CEO, Health Care System, Phoenix
Reinforced the need to maintain a balanced perspective
I cannot thank you enough for the professional and personal impact of your coaching on my ability to be a more effective leader, manager and human being. This experience has helped me integrate the intellectual and emotional sides of leadership, closing the gap between my intentions and expressions, and the perspectives, styles and needs of others in order to be successful. I’ve been delighted in the integrated approach you’ve brought to the process, which has reinforced for me the need to maintain a balanced perspective that incorporates a deeper understanding of intent, motivation and outcomes in my ongoing development as a leader.—Doug Warner, SR., Director, Strategic Business Development, Hewlett-Packard
I’ve become much more aware of the patterns
What’s been most helpful for me in our coaching work was taking the time to reflect in ways I haven’t before and never expected. It’s been very helpful to have an objective person reflect back the things that you were hearing in ways my own blind spots didn’t allow me to hear. I have learned that I can work more actively in being a better leader. It’s something I intellectually knew, but I think it hadn’t really sunk in before our coaching in terms of my own behavior. I’ve become much more aware of the patterns in my thinking that keep me from moving forward, have learned to break them down and change them.—Paul Sokaloff, Director of OD, Carondelet Health, Kansas City
I’ve continued to use the skills you taught me on a daily basis
Your guidance was extremely helpful to me in my career and personal development. Specifically, you helped me achieve a better sense of self-awareness, an involved work-life balance, and instilled in me the importance of somatic health and overall balance in my life. I’ve continued to use the skills you taught me on a daily basis. I highly recommend your services for individuals that feel stressed, over-extended, or who aren’t getting what they want out of life.”—Todd Stewart, Sr. Director of Information Technology, Amylin Pharmaceuticals
What you offered wasn’t “fluff” or “touchy-feely.”
Your coaching was great because I got to focus on what the real issues were and to do so from a different perspective. What you offered wasn’t “fluff” or “touchy-feely.” It was something I could take away and do. The most important thing I learned is that being a leader is something you have to do consciously-to try and be positive in every aspect of everything you’re doing. This has encouraged me to really focus on that in my work.—Director of Marketing, Sharp HeathCare, San Diego
I’ve come away with a much greater sense of inner peace
This work has led to a lot of reflection. I’ve come away with a much greater sense of inner peace and relaxation. I want to use this inner peace and self-trust I’ve found to step back from being a “doer” and be more of a mentor. I want to leave behind some of what I’ve learned in a way that will help the organization when I’m gone.—Physician Executive, Healthcare
Quickly focused on the core issues
Your coaching quickly focused on the core issues I was having dealing with difficult situations. The coaching program you designed has helped me take the first steps towards an approach to people and business situations in a way that balances both the rational/analytical perspective and the emotional aspects of leadership. Through your coaching I have become more confident and more successful leading my team and working with peers and senior executives. Thanks again for all you’ve done the past year. I’ve grown tremendously.—Rich Zippel, Former Director, Cambridge Research Labs, Hewlett-Packard
Facilitating a continuous improvement process
Through sincere listening, you have personalized and individualized and helped me recognize areas I need to work on. You have helped me feel excited about them rather than bad about them. I had a fear of coaching since I’d worked with another executive coach who had a “set in stone” agenda and I felt my sessions with him were more for my coach than for me. With you, I feel I’m the priority and you are facilitating a continuous improvement process.—Vice President, Customer Service, St. Mary’s Healthcare System
I want to leave behind some of what I’ve learned
This work has led to a lot of reflection. I’ve come away with a much greater sense of inner peace and relaxation. I want to use this inner peace and self-trust I’ve found to step back from being a “doer” and be more of a mentor. I want to leave behind some of what I’ve learned in a way that will help the organization when I’m gone.—Physician Executive, Healthcare
You have given me a great model for how to be a coach
Thank you for your support. I have learned so much from you. I spent most of yesterday coaching attorneys and thought of you often. You have given me a great model for how to be a coach.—Martha Sullivan, President, Thornton Marketing
Comments from Clients about Our Integral Intelligence Development Programs
The teachings you provided the Amylin leadership team were instrumental
The teachings you provided the Amylin leadership team were instrumental in making yesterday possible.—Dan Bradbury, CEO, Amylin Pharmaceuticals (Upon FDA approval of a first-in-class pharmaceutical following a one-year delay.)
Deep, life-affirming changes
I hired Positive Impact to facilitate a leadership development program for my $2B company, to groom high potential leaders hand-picked from departments across the U.S., Europe, India, and Asia Pacific. They participated in a six-month program focusing on both personal leadership development as well as a group strategy project. These individuals went through deep, life-affirming changes. We watched as they engaged with each other with authenticity, courage, and a level of openness not present at the start of the program. Our goal was resiliency—for those leaders to remain adaptive, creative, positive, and productive during periods of significant company uncertainty. Since the Integral Intelligence program ended, we’ve observed how these leaders have continued to engage with the rest of the organization using new tools and a fearlessness and willingness to lead that has been inspiring.—Lori Kendall, Vice President, Business Operations & Programs, UCC, Polycom
Drew the participants into a place of deep reflection and thinking
For the past several years, this 6 month program has created a safe experience in which close to 100 Comcast leaders explored not only themselves in multiple dimensions but also the value of learning from others. Confucius said, “Learning without thought is labor lost,” and this program drew the participants into a place of deep reflection and thinking which allowed them to grow exponentially. This experience has been an integral part of developing our high potential leaders, and executives are continually commenting on the impact this program had on the business.—Regina Hutchinson, VP Learning and Development, Comcast
Helped us shift our focus from what a leader does to a leadership way of being
A primary goal of our leadership development efforts is to develop self-correcting, self-generating leaders who are prepared to successfully navigate the rapid rate of change occurring within our organization and our industry. Taking our top 100 leaders through the Integral Intelligence program over the past three years has helped us shift our focus from what a leader does to the development of a leadership way of being. This has helped us build a bench of leaders able to tap their “integral intelligence” to drive change & innovation as evidenced by the number of program attendees promoted to senior leadership ranks.—Debbie Rocco, Chief Learning Officer, Amylin Pharmaceuticals
The Integral Intelligence program is a must for all leaders
The Integral Intelligence program is a must for all leaders who want to develop personally and professionally. This program opened my eyes to the importance of knowing yourself and understanding others in a holistic way. When utilizing all of the teachings and developing all of the different aspects of intelligence, as leaders, we were able to use the tools we learned to transform ourselves AND our organization.—Adriana Cabré, Vice President, Human Resources, Amylin Pharmaceuticals
Comments from Integral Intelligence Program Participants
The program has created a tool box and a network
When the program started, I was very skeptical. I thought, “It’s just another management training program.” The biggest value of the program was to target the areas that were my blind spots. From my past experience, I’d always been rewarded for multi-tasking, but some of the things I was doing interfered. It’s hard to get feedback about those things except in this kind of program. What’s made it so valuable is the immediacy of feedback from my peers who are also in the program. There is no fear factor or hesitancy to provide that feedback. The program has created a tool box and a network for me and the peer group experience has been extremely valuable because it’s a group that gives feedback instantaneously in a business setting.—Vice President
My time is freed up because I’m spending less time problem-solving
As a leader, you think a lot about what you don’t do well. This experience reminded me there are a lot of things I do right. I work well one-on-one, but this program gave me the tools to be more aware of how I show up in a group, to center myself before I go in, to notice the effect I’m having on others, to come in more relaxed and receptive and to become a better listener in team and group situations. I came into this with a lot of technical knowledge, but now I’m mentoring my direct reports to solve the problems themselves, which is helping them become more competent. The mentoring/coaching we learned in the program was very powerful. Now my time is freed up because I’m spending less time problem-solving and fire-fighting and more time strategizing.—Senior Director
One of the most useful leadership/management courses I have ever attended
This was one of the most useful leadership/management courses I have ever attended. You were able to create a space that allowed us to be different and to take in information differently.—Director, Sales
I feel the most confident I’ve ever felt
This program is a way to unlock those things people had no idea how to get to. I feel the most confident I’ve ever felt in my life.—Vice President, Operations
It’s made me a better person, not only at work but at home
I’ve gained a new set of knowledge about myself, about leadership, about my colleagues that really transcends [the company]. It’s made me a better person, not only at work but at home.—Vice President, Research & Development
Meetings are more efficient, decisions are better and they happen more quickly
I have changed and I see a difference in our leaders as a result of this program. We are more present, more aware of what’s going on, we have more cognitive agility and are more resilient in difficult situations. By having more authentic conversations where assumptions are revealed and you can actually get to the meat of the matter, meetings are more efficient, decisions are better and they happen more quickly.—Executive Director, Organization Effectiveness
My peer coach and I continue to meet regularly
Three years after the program, my peer coach and I continue to meet regularly and try to keep each others’ feet on the ground!—Senior Director, Commercial Operations
Helped me be more productive and more impactful
This is not a process where you interrogate your weaknesses, but where you develop self- awareness without judgment. The act of presence is foundational for everything else. It gets you outside yourself and helps you suspend judgment. Another important realization I’m internalizing is being more intentional about things, about how I show up in my career. This has helped me be more productive and more impactful. My intention is to continue to look for ways I can do that in my leadership.—Vice President & General Manager
I’ve come away with concrete things I can do to be a better leader
I’ve come away with concrete things I can do to be a better leader. It’s become clear to me that I’m a person that’s extremely task focused and when I do that, I really miss out on opportunities to celebrate the accomplishments of my employees. Everyone enjoys feeling recognized. I’m taking steps to appreciate my people and am already getting feedback they feel I’m supporting them. The other “ah-ha” I had was that I have a tendency to over-direct. I’m trying to make sure I’m working with inquiry to help my people learn and develop. The sharper my people are, the quicker we build bench strength.—Director, Information Technology
Read more comments on results from our Executive Coaching and Leadership work…
Comments from Appreciative Inquiry Clients About Our Work
We were able to move away from the crisis reaction model
Today at the roundtable we described the story of how we were able to move away from the crisis reaction model to one that was more proactive, positive and partnership oriented. We unanimously agreed that the turning point that made this possible was our experience in the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) work with Donna Stoneham. Until we did that, we were all locking horns even on stuff that had nothing to do with the mega issues. AI allowed us to develop a way to work on the day-to-day operational problem solving work without those issues getting in the way. It showed us the way to mutual self-interest and to an understanding that a lot of the quality of life issues couldn’t be solved by one entity or another…it could only be done together. Sometimes you don’t realize the return on your investment until many years later, as in this case.—Participant from the UC Berkeley/UC Berkeley AI Project
It’s one of the first times I’ve seen our staff so enthusiastic and committed
Thank you for today’s wonderful retreat! Your expertise in facilitating and allowing the day to unfold is such a gift. It was one of the first times I’ve seen our staff so enthusiastic and committed to positive change in my eleven years. We’ve been through so many changes in the past ten years that celebrating staff at Gunderson was awesome. Thank you again for a day well spent.—Trish Lynch, Teacher, Gunderson High School
We want more
Donna, there has been a lot of feedback from the Board of Trustees on the interactions we had using the AI process. All have been very positive and want more!—Dr. John Nelson, President, American Medical Association
The team continues to manage the challenges with the help of the training received
I would like to express our appreciation of your expert guidance at the recent Change Management workshop introducing our team to “Appreciative Inquiry” as a method to generate positive change. We are embarking on a major expansion project that will have significant effects on our employees and management team. Ten weeks after the session, I am pleased to report that the team continues to manage the challenges well with the help of the training received. The workshop is well worth the effort for any organization looking toward positive change in their organization.—RJ Correia, Pharm.D, Vice President, Mail Service Operations, Prescription Solutions
Now the work gets done better, faster and cheaper
I feel I now have the ability to go into more challenging situations and come out with a positive outcome. I’ve learned to empower my managers to go back to our clients in an appreciative way and then bring up the issues and provide solutions without being confrontational. Now the work gets done better, faster, and cheaper and we can ensure that we’re hitting the bull’s eye the first time.—Todd Miller, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sharp HealthCare
The AI approach has led to improved negotiations
We worked with Donna Stoneham on an innovative partnership project that the City established with the University of California at Berkeley, a pilot on improving relationship between their senior staff and ours. We developed and led three workshop retreats for over 100 people over the course of the project, no small task given the busy schedules of all involved. This successful effort in introducing the staff groups to the fundamentals of the Appreciative Inquiry approach has led to improved negotiations on a number of ancillary projects in the last few years.—Arrietta Chakos, former Chief of Staff, City of Berkeley
Comments About Our Team Development Work
What’s made it so valuable is the immediacy of feedback from my peers
The biggest value of the program was to target the areas that were my blind spots. From my past experience, I’d always been rewarded for multi-tasking, but some of the things I was doing interfered. It’s hard to get feedback about those things except in this kind of program. What’s made it so valuable is the immediacy of feedback from my peers who are also in the program. There is no fear factor or hesitancy to provide that feedback. The program has created a tool box and a network for me and the peer group experience has been extremely valuable because it’s a group that gives feedback instantaneously in a business setting.—Vice President, Life Sciences
I notice the effect I’m having on others
I work well one-on-one, but this program gave me the tools to be more aware of how I show up in a group, to center myself before I go in, to notice the effect I’m having on others, to come in more relaxed and receptive and to become a better listener in team and group situations. I came into this with a lot of technical knowledge, but now I’m mentoring my direct reports to solve the problems themselves, which is helping them become more competent. The mentoring/coaching we learned in the program was very powerful. Now my time is freed up because I’m spending less time problem-solving and fire-fighting and more time strategizing.—Senior Director
They are developing productive and effective teams more quickly
I wanted to let you know how pleased I’ve been with the consulting and facilitation you have provided Customer Support Services during the past year. Your coaching, leadership development and team development efforts have enabled our managers and team leaders a critical awareness of how their management and leadership styles influence their ability to work effectively with their people. As a result, they are developing productive and effective teams more quickly. Not only have your services saved time and money, they have helped us develop a more open, supportive work environment. —Selma Vandagrift, former Vice President Customer Support Services, IKON Office Solutions
I’m entering the final quarter at better than 100% of fiscal plan
As I enter the final quarter of our fiscal year at better than 100% of Fiscal plan for my Sales Region and one of the most profitable regions in the District, I am hard pressed not be convinced that the work of Donna Stoneham has had something to do with our success! J.J. Martin President, former Regional Sales Manager, IKON Office Solutions
Comments About Our Organization Effectiveness, Assessment Feedback and Facilitation Work
Everyone was complimentary of your delivery and guidance
Many thanks for your guidance yesterday at our offsite. Everyone was very complimentary of your delivery and guidance; actually wanted more time with you so we will have to consider a follow up in the future. —Senior Director, Fortune 500 Pharmaceutical Company
I was pleased with the impact
Thanks so much for facilitating the Planning Committee meeting. I was very pleased with the impact. Even with such a short exposure, people seemed to feel the energy and potential. I heard words such as “powerful,” jazzed,” and “this is the tool we have been missing.” — Nelle Moffett, Dean, Planning & Institutional Effectiveness, Sacramento City College
You facilitated a great off-site!
You facilitated a great off-site! I was really pleased with how the day turned out. I received many compliments from the board after you left and am sure that several of the General Managers will be calling upon you to work with their teams!—Lisa Kershner, former Interim Executive Director, San Francisco Hotel Council
Offered intense, transforming learning
The Appreciative Leadership Summit was an excellent, high-level depth workshop in every way. It offered intense, transforming learning.—Connie Harmsen, former CEO, Banner Estrella Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ
We want to work with you again
Donna, I want to compliment you on your delivery, handling, and the results gained at our San Diego meeting. Members of the Global Advisory Board have agreed that you were just fantastic and we want to work with you again.— Colleen Higgins, former President, Digital Equipment Computer User’s Society Australia
The best piece of work of its kind I have ever seen
The organization assessment you did was the best piece of work of its kind that I have ever seen. You did a great job! –Mark Tuttle, Ph.D., Researcher, Cambridge Research Labs
The most thorough and helpful feedback I’ve ever received
This is the most thorough and helpful feedback I’ve ever received as a leader. It’s made such a difference to help me understand how people really see me and what I need to do to close the gaps. I refer to it often and it’s really proving to be an important compass in my development efforts. –Director, Fortune 500 Pharmaceutical Company
Articulate the essence behind a large volume of subjective feedback
In the kind of work that you have led, it is often very hard to identify, pick out, and articulate the essence behind a large volume of often very subjective feedback, and I have been repeatedly impressed by your ability to do so. You have used that talent to keep us all focused on the central issues. It has been a great learning experience for me to participate in this process. —R.S. Nikhil, Ph.D., former Lab Director, Cambridge Research Labs