1. What is your business?
I’m a facilitator and my practice is called FLUENTc (http://fluentc.com/). The heart of what I do is to help teams and organizations improve the way they communicate, collaborate, solve problems and make decisions. I facilitate meetings, processes and projects with lots of moving parts and stakeholders. I’m also brought in when communication has or is on the verge of breaking down. My role is to help everyone involved work through and resolve the situation.
2. Why did you launch this business?
As a mediator and project manager, I observed that communication breakdowns, more than anything else, were at the root of so many failed endeavors. I also knew that what I liked most about my work was facilitating conversations and interactions so that everyone involved understood each other and could move forward. So I decided to carve out this niche and focus on the area of facilitation.
3. What gives you your greatest pleasure in your business?
When I see people change their thought processes from making assumptions to asking questions, that makes me happy. It’s as though a dense fog has lifted and the path forward is clear for true collaboration.
4. Where have you run into challenges in your business?
Explaining what I do in a way that instantly resonates with anyone and everyone is my biggest challenge. Because facilitation sounds abstract, I would get obsessed with creating the perfect pitch. But I’ve had to let that go and just let my work and track record speak for itself.
5. Why do right brains appreciate what you do?
Right brains appreciate me because I think that it’s because I help them communicate/sell their ideas in ways that analytical thinkers can understand. I equip them with tools and strategies that enable them to successfully partner with their colleagues, rather than give in to demands that dilute their work.
6. Why do left brains appreciate what you do?
Left brains appreciate me because I help them navigate more subjective interactions and clarify underlying needs, assumptions and expectations. Also, I teach them to deliver constructive feedback.
7. If you could give small businesses one piece of advice, what would it be?
Sketching out conversations on whiteboards allows you to quickly see differences/gaps in understanding. It is amazing how much time you can save when you can actually see that you are talking about the same thing.
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