About Russ Powell Consulting
Throughout my career, I have witnessed the impact that great managers have, not only on their company's daily functions, but on integrating the work I and others do to help these organizations thrive.
I have also come to see more clearly than ever that a smart, motivated, and effective management team doesn’t just fall out of the sky fully formed.
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Great management teams are instead the result of wise hiring decisions coupled with sustained, meticulous training and coaching.
Russ Powell
It has been my good fortune to learn from fine educators, mentors, colleagues and clients over the years. First through my degree programs (B.A. in psychology from Loyola University, New Orleans; M.S. in education from Georgia State University, Atlanta). Then certifications as a facilitator, coach, and interpreter from multiple accrediting organizations. And all of that exceeded only by the riches of 25+ years experience in business.
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Some highlights of my qualifications include:
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I hold multiple training facilitation certifications in professional foundation skills from Development Dimensions International (DDI), Blessing/White (now part of GP Strategies), Time Systems (now part of Franklin Covey) and American Management Association (AMA).
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I'm certified as a coach and facilitator of training by Middle Path Consulting. Middle Path workshops have been used by tech start-ups and other businesses (including Fortune 100 companies) in 15 countries to help leaders develop skills in systems thinking, collaborative problem-solving, coaching, and managing teams.
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I'm certified by Hogan Assessment Systems to administer and interpret their leadership assessments. Hogan assessments are widely used for selection and development. They are some of the most well-respected personality assessments available today.
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I and my teams have won multiple awards of excellence from The International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI), Association for Talent Development (ATD), and Brandon Hall Research. All of these have been in recognition of outstanding work on projects that improved workforce performance.
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I'm a certified and high-skilled facilitator of DiSC assessments by Team Resources.
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I was recently selected as a top-coach in the San Francisco Bay Area by Influence Digest.
One more thing: in a past life (okay, while I was in college), I learned to juggle. I was crazy about it—especially passing clubs—and developed enough skills, both physical and verbal, that I was hired to perform regularly. For a short time, I earned my living as a professional juggler. Funny thing was that during that time I picked up invaluable life, learning, and performance lessons that I continue to draw on today.
All of this helped me found my own company on three core observations that I believe characterize all high-performing work teams:
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Leaders who think systemically – They recognize that they are part of an interdependent, complex system, and they consider this system—the structural components, the individuals, and the relationships (e.g., degree of trust) between and among the individuals—in virtually all of their decisions and activities.
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Members who are disciplined – All team members value and practice discipline in thought, word, and deed. They think carefully before taking action. And when they act, they do so deliberately, skillfully, and with integrity—they "play to win with honor."
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Access to the right information and resources – This includes clarity on performance expectations, feedback, workplace agreements, and clear processes and procedures.
Russ Powell Consulting is Russ Powell—very much by design. I give my full energy, skill set and background to the clients I take on.
I started Russ Powell Consulting in 2010 after 18 years working as an internal consultant on organizational development (OD) and instructional systems design (ISD) projects.
Over the years, I have worked with an array of companies small and large, local and international. Names you might recognize include AbbVie, Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, Google, Sun Microsystems (now part of Oracle), and the United States Coast Guard. Smaller organizations, for example startups I've worked with, include Mighty Networks, Patreon, Medium, Perfect Day, Sungevity, and Ubiquitous Energy.
Juggling torches, Santa Rosa, CA | Photo: JR Abiera
Speaking at I4PL, Toronto | Photo: Haley Chan
Speaking at UC Berkeley | Photo: Adrian Mendoza
Juggling torches, Santa Rosa, CA | Photo: JR Abiera
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