Like my new photo? It was kind of scary getting photos taken back in February after many months of winter, but I had a great photographer and I think she is a photoshop wizard. I can’t see February in my face at all! Thank you, Brie Morrissey of BLM Photography! One of the programs I offer is called Clarity on Call. It’s my favorite because it makes such a big difference in people’s lives. It’s geared for successful leaders and high potential, aspiring leaders. Once my book comes out, it’s likely that any openings in Clarity on Call will be snatched up immediately. I don’t want my most faithful readers to be left out so I thought I would mention it.
I recently had a delightful conversation with an executive whom I’ve never met. She bought copies of The Clarity Papers for her entire Board and leadership team and just completed a two-day offsite during which they used many of my techniques and frames from the book. I wish I had recorded her comments. I didn’t, of course, but I can share what I remember. I hope her comments give you some great ideas and inspire you to embrace the power of clarity. So here we go, in no particular order:
Through our live webcast training series, Ann over-delivered to our systemwide audience with her impactful presentation full of real-life scenarios and specific ways we can transform our less-effective patterns — the way we think, plan, work, and interact — to become “Ultra Productive.” Her unique and skillful way of breaking through ambiguity and confusion to create Radical Clarity was one of the big highlights of our training program this year. She has a special ability to craft and deliver presentations that facilitate awareness within each attendee about where they may have a gap in clarity, and then follows through with specific, easy to understand ways to bridge that gap, giving them tools and confidence to shine. The outstanding feedback we received from our participants has us asking Ann to come back again to deliver more of her powerful ideas! I would recommend Ann wholeheartedly for presentations and to work closely with teams to help them be more effective. Thank you, Ann, we look forward to working with you again soon. The surprising simplicity of Radical Clarity is of the utmost importance for empowering us to excel in our professional, and personal, lives. – Jennifer Wicks, Executive Producer, Systemwide Professional Development, California State University
The California State University system is very lean in comparison to other university systems. Our staff is tasked with multiple responsibilities and cannot waste a second in order to deliver our mission to our 500,000 students. Ann Latham provides an opportunity to our employees through her three breakthrough dimensions of productivity and met our needs to help reduce wasted time. Ann is a fantastic presenter and ‘walks the walk” by facilitating her content to our audience in the one hour restriction we had available for our broadcast. We received great feedback after her presentation and many request to view the recording which proved her value. Thank you, Ann, for your succinct collaboration. – David Kervella, Sr. Director, Systemwide Professional Development, California State University
Since taking Ann’s workshop, the quality and effectiveness of my group meetings have increased significantly. Not only do we have more meaningful discussions on the most relevant topics, but we are able to consistently adhere to the allotted time. Because the entire group participated in the same workshop, we are all aligned on expectations, such as what level of preparation is expected prior to the meeting, basic accountability and responsibility expectations, and proper meeting protocol. This makes for more effective meetings and a high functioning team. The benefits of the workshop go far beyond meeting effectiveness; they provide a framework for managers and leaders to deliver specific, constructive feedback, coaching, and mentoring of employees. For example, after attending a few meetings with my group I noticed that one of my technical leads was challenged at making decisions based on her experience and expertise. Under normal circumstances, this would have been masked by all the noise. This weakness became evident once expectations, roles, and responsibilities were established. With this revelation, I was able to provide the proper coaching and career development training that my employee needed to build confidence in this area. I’ve seen significant improvements in her decision quality over the past several months as a result. Ann’s approach is different because it focuses on the specific team instead of repeating general concepts. The team members get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses as they relate to team group dynamics. With this approach the team continues to improve efficiency long after the training is over. I would definitely recommend Ann’s workshop for any team that is about to embark on a short or long term project. Her main focus is on creating specificity and clarity; clarity in expectations, roles, responsibilities, and communication. This level of clarity is critical to forming a high functioning… read more →
Ann’s style is empathetic, open, and non-judgmental. She somehow seemed to know the room right from the start. She was able to engage everyone, elicit honest feedback, and stimulate creative thinking. This was especially impressive since our group differs significantly in terms of professional expertise and history with the organization. We all felt that our ideas were honored and appreciated. Ann is especially adept at making good choices about further discourse and exposition, pursuing the most fruitful issues and avoiding time wasted on others. She created a productive environment with a level, inviting, and open playing field. I was very pleased with the results. Jon Abbott, CEO, President, and member, WGBH
By working with Ann Latham, Zoo New England developed a strong and focused strategy. Its strength has been confirmed by everyone we have talked with – the entire board, the staff, donors, and people in the community. It enables us to tell a compelling and convincing story instead of reciting a litany of disparate and competing values directed in too many directions and at too many constituencies. Almost as important, is our new level of consensus and confidence as a board. Ann has given us the ability to make decisions and not wring our hands over too many choices. We have clarity – one plan, cohesiveness, and can use a shared vocabulary to forecast the future and communicate consistently with donors, members, partners, and the public. We are delighted to have achieved such strong alignment as well as an ambitious, credible strategy. In addition, we now have a more complete understanding of the organization’s strengths and weaknesses and how they relate to our vision and focus. All the consultants we considered had good references and good experience, but we chose Ann because we believed she would hold us accountable for what we wanted, and needed, to achieve, even if it made us uncomfortable. We were right. She forced us to have honest conversations, make tough choices, and reach agreement about what is most important. I think what makes Ann most unusual is her level of commitment to us. She was in it with us, willing to take fire. She was completely dedicated to getting results, not just to following her process. Someone less committed to clear outcomes probably would have let us off the hook when we most needed to be pushed. Ann is not just a facilitator. We got advice, ideas, recommendations, and food for thought. She was a resource for us in… read more →
I had the pleasure of working closely with Ann in my capacity as a volunteer board member of a non-profit organization. We hired Ann to help the entire board and staff look at our vision and strategy writ large, and grapple with all sorts of complex and challenging questions. She was a tremendous resource, helping to crystallize and focus this extremely broad process, fostering more dialogue and communication between and among all of the participants, and empowering us to consider decisions and the concrete actions needed to move forward. She is sharp, efficient, candid, and has a very effective style and approach that facilitates action and empowers an organization’s leaders. Dave Friedman, Senior Vice President / Special Counsel & Government Affairs, Boston Red Sox
Ann Latham was hired by the Board of Zoo New England to facilitate strategic planning. What she actually did was so much more. Ann made it OK to discuss hard subjects. She transformed conversations that the Board had been struggling with for years into cohesive and thoughtful decisions. We emerged with a powerful and strongly supported strategy that has created tremendous new excitement about the organization’s future. In addition, Ann’s persistence and open style provided a forum that allowed new leaders to emerge, energized and enthusiastic about the tasks ahead. Furthermore, Board performance in the aftermath of Ann is greatly improved. We are more focused, more decision oriented, and more prepared to face a newly defined future. David Passafaro, Senior Vice President for External Affairs, New England Baptist Hospital
I’ve worked with Ann on three projects at this point, varying from several months to half a day. I’m happy to recommend her because I think so highly of her. I’ve done a lot of strategic planning, board retreats, and other facilitated activities, and I’ve never worked with anyone else who comes close to bringing the same value to the table. Troy Siebels, President & CEO, The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts