The primary goal of Aleen’s practice is to help organizations achieve the highest level of engagement and accountability through the development of talent and alignment with organizational goals. She accomplishes this by developing customized programs in the following areas.
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Business Change Management
Aleen was insightful and creative in thinking about which tools would be most helpful in addressing our changes. She demonstrated a great sense of humor and commitment, and lived and breathed our transformation in a practical way but with a very human dimension. Many people walked into the situation with skepticism. She had a sweeping success in getting people to see that change was something positive.
Kathy Spielgelman,
Vice President and Chief of Campus Planning and Development at Northeastern University (Boston)
Worked with Aleen on a long-term business change management initiative
We were able to come out with a revised set of values, leadership behavior and a common language for navigating change.
Ann Kirwan,
Vice President of Strategy and Partnership at Ounce of Prevention Fund
Worked with Aleen following a leadership transitionMost organizational change management consultants target behavior, but sustainable change change and organizational transformation requires new ways of thinking. Getting at mental models, judgments and conclusions is the essential starting point to transformational work. You need to know where you are before you carve the path to where you want to be.
Recognized for her astute understanding of Emotional Intelligence, Aleen balances candor and empathy in helping clients find the blind spots that impair transformation. Her talent for personal benchmarking reveals critical insight and illuminates potential roadblocks, whether the client is a single individual, a leadership team or a work group.
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Sustainability Practice
Making a meaningful commitment to social and environmental stewardship has become a critical factor in corporate leadership. Achieving corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals, however, requires more than just intention. Leadership vision and intentions, even supported by metrics and regulations, are important, but they can only go so far. Organizations need to develop relationships with stakeholders, cultivate leadership and engage employees.
Applying her experience in change management, leadership development, cultural assessment and communications, Aleen helps advance a company’s CSR initiatives by identifying what is needed to maximize the human dimension. She guides clients through the transition from intention to action as they attain the buy-in and stewardship needed to make CSR successful on the ground.
Aleen holds a Certificate in Leadership in Sustainability from the University of Chicago and as an adjunct professor taught Getting to Green: Making the Business Case for Sustainability to undergraduates and as part of the school’s executive education certification program.
Learn more about the proprietary tools Aleen has developed specifically to help companies achieve their sustainability goals here.
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Thought Partnering
She has the unique ability to quickly integrate with clients and stand in their shoes. She becomes a part of your team, not just a consultant anymore. When she’s with us, she’s like a partner.
Mike Tracy,
Founding Principal at Project Management Advisors, Inc.Reflection is a well-documented leadership practice. For many clients, having off the record time with a “been there, done that” resource is the missing link to facilitating the integration of leadership, values and executional excellence.
Thought partnering strikes a balance between the personal development aspects of coaching and the broader organizational influence of leadership and staff development. Being a thought partner requires commitment and more. It calls for the insight to walk in step with a client through transformations and beyond.
While revered for client service, Aleen is not a ‘yes woman.’ In the thought partner role, she brings new ideas to clients, and respectfully calls the question and gently points out potential derailers and blind spots.
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Leadership and Staff Development
Aleen had a major impact. She had an ability to recognize where the issues really were and the perspectives of the people involved. She had the raw intelligence to perceive people’s strengths and weaknesses, and help people build on their strengths to work better together.
David Schulman,
Vice Chairman at The HAVI Group
Worked with Aleen during a significant organizational transitionUnleashing the creativity and passion of employees is one of the greatest opportunities an organization has to reach that sweet spot where institutional culture, team dynamics and individual talent work together to achieve the highest level of performance. Getting there requires motivation, collaboration and effective communication. Groups are at their best when they possess an understanding and respect for the organization’s culture, and strong (and diverse) interpersonal skills.
Magic happens when Aleen facilitates staff training and development sessions. She not only leverages the group’s core competencies, but also models accountability and individual commitment. These programs spawn healthier team dynamics, improved communication, and greater personal contributions and satisfaction.
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Leadership Coaching
Aleen doesn’t give you the answer. She gives you the tools to find the answer yourself, to get where you need to go. I’m hitting my goals now, and I don’t think I could have done it without Aleen. I benefitted from working with her as an individual 100 percent.
Cathy Bronkema,
Executive Vice President at Cohen Financial
Worked with Aleen as part of a leadership team development program and individuallyClients count on Aleen to help strengthen skills among existing staff, chiefly at the senior and executive level through one-on-one coaching and a range of team effectiveness modules.
Coaching is often a component of an overall program that also includes organizational change management, leadership and staff development, and culture and values work. Aleen’s approach to coaching is described by clients as both direct and supportive. She doesn’t shy from the tough conversations and leads people to their own solutions, which clients often find to be one of the most beneficial aspects of the experience.
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Organizational Culture and Values Alignment
Aleen always has impact. I’ve seen first-hand her influence on a client’s trajectory, the direction they are taking.
Kary Miller,
Principal at Whetstone, Inc.
Regularly engages Aleen to work with Whetstone clientsAn organization’s culture and values are essential to its structure and functioning. Change of any kind — growth, leadership, transitions, or even just the passing of time — can pose a threat to the alignment of values and trajectory.
Organizational culture and values work can be viewed as a project in itself, but what Aleen finds most often is that it is integral in every kind of organizational leadership engagement, from large-scale organizational change management initiatives to individual coaching. Business transformation doesn’t happen in a vacuum — organizational culture and values are integral in the process. Whether through an extensive cultural audit or less formal employee focus groups, identifying cultural traits and then developing appropriate interventions and tools to align inner purpose with external performance is a core part of Aleen’s practice.
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Facilitation
Aleen was engaging and so right out of the gate. She ran workshops with staff and handled individual coaching with team members. She ran follow-up sessions,. helped frame next steps and continues to be a valued resource and partner.
Nancy May,
Vice President of Facilities at Northeastern University (Boston)
Worked with Aleen on a long-term change management initiativeAleen is an engaging and energizing facilitator who believes that the best advice is what can be put into action.
She understands the complexities associated with effectively transitioning from theory to practice. Her ability to translate strategic vision and objectives into leadership direction and operational realities is one of the many reasons clients turn to her for practical counsel.
Find out more about some of Aleen’s most requested seminars and training sessions here.