During our strategic planning process, we realized that we needed professional assistance to communicate and guide the process. After attending other strategic planning sessions facilitated by Gwen, we turned to her. It was definitely one of the best decisions we made. She took the time to understand our business and our plan. Gwen developed an educational program specifically to fit our needs. She helped us roll out the plan to our staff with inspiration and enthusiasm. Her guidance establishing implementation steps and a monitoring process has been instrumental in the success of our plan. Gwen provided the expertise and vision we needed to bring our strategic plan to life.

"Gwen, thank you so much for your guidance over the past 2 years. I truly believe that our paths crossed for a reason. The leadership training and support you have provided have been my rock especially over the last year in times of turmoil. I feel that I am a better person, more focused and self assured both in my personal as well as my professional life. I was able to prove to myself that I have the ability to develop and lead a team to victory and provide a good role model for others. I look forward to passing on the valuable information and support I have received from you, to other strong, competent women. Gwen, for myself and others, please continue on your mission to inspire others to reach their full potential."

"Contracting with Gwen has been a truly positive and beneficial experience. We brought Gwen in to help us revitalize our customer service orientation and training for approximately 800 employees including senior management and department heads. Gwen is a polished professional who is very much at home in the board room but who can also relate to employees at all levels without making them feel intimidated. She just seems to fit right in and her enthusiasm is infectious! Gwen empowered us to refocus our efforts and our patient satisfaction survey results speak for themselves!

We continue to call upon Gwen for special projects and she is always accessible to discuss new challenges and situations that require a strong and compassionate voice of reason."

Following an Employee Opinion Survey last year, we engaged Gwen to lead a series with our Leadership Council to explore issues around "recognition and respect" and to equip managers with tools for leading organizational change. Among our goals were developing a common understanding of what "respect" looks like in the workplace, and clarifying the expectation that respect and recognition will be generated by the actions of all managers - not just those at the senior level.

Topics covered in the sessions included: The Role of the Council, Trust in the Workplace, Decision-Making Modes, Courageous Leadership and Communication, and application of concepts and tools to everyday work.

As valuable as the content was, it is Gwen's practical approach and vitality that set this series apart. Quickly sizing up the situation, she tailored her proposal to our needs, and delivered what she promised by engaging the participants through lively "lecturettes" and interactive discussion. Staff loved her dynamic personality, real-life examples, ability to zero in on the real issues, and flexibility in accommodating their needs during the sessions. Over time, the success of this effort has become clear, as we frequently reference our learnings, using them as touchstones to keep us on track with our journey to a strong culture of "recognition and respect" at PPRSR.

We consolidated two food services departments into one and at the same time engaged a contract manager to supervise our newly combined department. Needless to say there were many challenges to our effort to gain acceptance of these changes, both by our department staff, and all of our employees.

Gwen facilitated a leadership team building and change management process with our food services management staff that took them through the essentials of team building and the key elements to successfully manage change. The result was a huge success! Our new team of our contracted managers and our hospital team melded together to form a unified team focused on clear objectives. Their leadership through the implementation of our objectives far exceeded my expectations. We successfully occupied a new facility, introduced new menus in both our patient and retail services, and satisfied our customers with excellent service. Without Gwen's help I know we would have undoubtedly had a much greater struggle to gain acceptance and begin to reach our goals.

We have engaged Gwen for other assignments in our organization, and her positive impact on our staff has been truly amazing. Gwen is gifted with the ability to connect with people at all levels, and people seem to absorb more knowledge than I typically have seen from other consultants. Her business savvy is evident in how she guides people through successfully dealing with real life situations and dilemmas. I've been fortunate to work with Gwen on three projects, and I can't say enough about her capability. She is comfortable in the trenches and in the boardroom.