Praise for The Way We Can
Wherever Jody went, he seemed to create a deep change in how teams worked internally. People who were previously silent spoke up more. Solutions that were dismissed got a hearing. More work got done. And the surplus of health on individual teams meant that collaboration across teams got easier. We saw the time-to-market for new product ideas shrink. The business effect was visible across tens and later hundreds of product launches.
- HB Weinberg, VP of Technology at Vistaprint
Communication within all of our teams took a positive step change, and nearly everyone on the team had increased appreciation for each other on both professional and personal levels. The improved connections between individuals created a more effective team that produced positive results and functioned with very little drama. In our case, staff were often conflict avoidant, and would not address differences of opinion, which led to simmering resentments. The differentiating feedback exercises were quite effective in resolving this pattern.
- Kelly Beninga, CEO of SkyFuel
Leading up to a merger of two non-profits and engaged in a joint project to merge our two data services systems that had been developed independently over 35 years, the culture clash was palpable. Despite months and months of positive messaging about our vision and that we were developing a new culture, progress was very slow. We engaged Jody Gold to help us develop our culture and improve our communication skills. The more we learned, the more we wanted to know. The cooperation and communication between our staff members improved dramatically and a shared culture developed naturally. The merger is complete and the staff members are working much better together–trust continues to grow, discussions are more productive, and we are more accountable to one another–thanks to the time we spent learning and practicing the skills taught to us by Jody and The Way We Can.
- Jerry, Data & Product Services Coordinator at Earthscope
I have participated in a number of capacity-building sessions throughout my career but Jody’s was hands down the best. His approach was fresh, engaging, and very effective. I know that many of my colleagues who participated felt the same. Especially delightful was the fact that Jody found a way to get particular individuals, who typically resist team activities, to sincerely participate and genuinely open up in ways I haven’t observed before. The experience set the team up for collaborative success throughout the rest of the week. I hope we’ll be seeing Jody again in the future!
—Sarah, Managing Engineer at Earthscope
Working with Jody and The Way We Can has been transformational for Reach University. Jody is a world-class listener—an alchemist who helps teams build on what’s working and evolve what isn’t. He gave us a shared language and structure for deeper trust, better decisions, and bolder action. Conversations that once felt careful became creative and courageous, and collaboration now flows across departments and time zones. Jody helped us pair imagination with implementation in service of our mission to transform higher education through apprenticeship degrees.
Specifically, Jody worked intensively with our senior executive team and cabinet to build a sense of connectedness and deepened trust. He gave us a set of truly practical tools for decision-making and for providing high-stakes feedback. When Reach University set out to engage in a strategic partnership with another organization, Jody helped both teams to work together, make decisions hand-in-hand, and trust one another. Jody’s involvement was vital to the success of the collaboration.
It’s common for folks to be skeptical of facilitators coming in to work with a high-level team. Jody wins over even the most skeptical of team-members with the efficacy of his approach and the results he brings. I could not recommend Jody more highly.
—Joe Ross, President of Reach University
“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.”
- Steve Jobs