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What People Say
SEMINARS, WEBINARS, CLASSES
Ellen, thank you. I attended the sections you taught during the Skills for New Supervisors course. I learned so much in just two days. You brought the curriculum to life for me and then added so many tips, resources and techniques. You just pulled them from your own experience and shared them so freely. I’m going to use all of them. Now, I feel so much more confident as a supervisor but also as a leader. Thank you.
Supervisor (US Govt)
I want to commend Vergil. He was the facilitator for our Leadership skills course. It was a tough course for me and, at first, I didn’t agree with him, some of the material, or the activities. I thought it all made assumptions and that he pushed too much. But I was wrong. So wrong. He told us to ‘go with the process’ and by the afternoon of day two I realized he was right. I feel bad for putting him on the spot. He was so professional and was willing to be humble, calm and understanding as I challenged him. Now I realize, from the activities and his explanations, that I am a leader but there are traits and behaviors that I need to change to be a better leader. Vergil is a true professional.
Susan H.Business Emerging Leader
Kapila is awesome. His sense of humor was delightful. I thought Kapila was a great instructor and particularly handled conversations and breakout sessions well. He is very friendly, engaging and, of course, knowledgeable. He was great to work with and explained everything we needed to do and all concepts and ideas clearly. I had a fabulous experience. Kapila, Thank You!
Lynn D.
This is hands-down the best online class, possible the best overall class, I’ve ever taken in the federal government; and I’ve been working for 22 years. I don’t think any of us came in thinking this would be anything special. In fact, I think we were all planning on multi-tasking. But this class, the materials, the way it was laid out, the way you got us to work together constantly and help each other, the top-notch coaching and advice you gave us…all of it was simply extraordinary. It didn’t know courses like this existed in government. I will recommend this to everyone I know.
Thanks to Patricia, I now really understand the difference between delegation and work distribution, and how to share some decision-making. Coming into the Experienced Supervisor course I was afraid to delegate and share decisions with employees. I wasn’t so trusting of them…maybe of myself…but Patricia really helped me see how to do it all in a step-by-step process. This will be a huge help for me and my team will really appreciate this change. Thank you, Patricia.
Bill T. Senior Manager
I can’t thank you enough for your instruction over the past 3 days. It vastly exceeded my expectations. I appreciate the workbooks, the practical tools and guides, and even more so the deep discussions and having a chance to interact with such an amazing group of DOI colleagues. There are numerous ideas I am taking back to my teams and am excited to try them out.
Keep up the great work!
Ecologist U.S. Govt.
Overall, I thought the course was excellent. I would give it 5 stars out of 5. It significantly exceeded my expectations, especially for a mandatory class. One of the best trainings I’ve done within the government on any topic. Rob Schout, the facilitator, did a fantastic job at taking the class very deeply into the subject matter. I would highly recommend another course with him. He also conducted what was possibly the best virtual facilitation I have seen in any context, including from facilitators who had more online assistance (i.e., from supporting staff).
New Supervisor (US Govt)
Robert, your series last year on Burnout turned my life around. It turns out that most of my problems centered around compassion fatigue, and your webinar was like a lightbulb turning on in the pitch black. Once I addressed the compassion fatigue, I was able to alter my work behaviors to prevent the looming burnout that was riding the crest of the compassion fatigue wave. I am rediscovering joy through your forgiveness series since I needed to start by forgiving myself for missing, or misreading, symptoms from family members (compassion fatigue). Through your recommended reflection exercises, I also realized that I've been ruminating on some past hurts. Some of those I've now let go, and the others are, at least, transforming into less hurtful mental thorns. I still start to ruminate sometimes, but now I catch myself, jot down a note, and put it aside to REFLECT on later - during my reflection time. It has taken awhile, but the AHA! moments and PRACTICE of more mind-full habits have led me to a more heart-full space. Thank you.
Tara
COACHING AND EXECUTIVE ADVISING
Robert, I was very doubtful about whether you could help me, let alone all of our senior VP’s across the country. You didn’t work in our industry, and you looked…well…too young. I was wrong. You have a tremendous ability to quickly grasp entire systems, leadership struggles, and personality challenges. As a CEO of a multi-national company, I have experienced my share of consultants and coaches, and you, Bob, are one of the best! I mean that sincerely. I have heard only very positive remarks from every single one of the 25+ SVP’s, VP’s and Project Managers in our company that you have coached over the past 2 years. They all say that they appreciated your insights and recommendations, and our business is better for it, as is the functioning of our leadership team. Cheers.
CEO (Multi-National Corporation)
Rob, I don’t have time to write but you deserve some of my time. You’ve helped me tremendously. Last year, as a new COO, I was in a bit over my head. People think that because executives have titles and expertise in one area, that they should have answers and know about everything in all areas. That’s obviously not reality and you helped me see that, when I was holding myself to unrealistic expectations. I also didn’t know the difference between coaching and advising. Now I need coaching but at first, I needed advising and you helped me see that. I couldn’t see the entire system and all of the dynamics in play, and all of the roles, motives and options that were in play. Your advice really guided me and I appreciated it more than I ever said. All is well now, and things are going smoothly. I’ll follow up when I need coaching. But I’m really good for now. Your advising really helped. Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Mary Pat D.
Jewel is amazing. Engaging with her as a coach felt like I was talking to my older sister and being guided and supported through, what seemed to me to be, a challenging time and set of circumstances at work. Jewel really helped me refocus, see the team issues clearly, and understand my role as a supervisory leader more clearly. She didn’t push me, but she did challenge me and provoke me to think in new ways and challenge my old, limited ways of leading. Now I have an entirely new plan, new motivation, and a new team strategy. She is wonderful.
Chief of Operations
Bob, you are extraordinary. I mean that. I don’t think I have ever met anyone who has your abilities to sit down, listen to someone talk for 15-20 minutes about what seems like an untangle-able knot of a situation – where people are at each other’s throats and resistant to change, senior management is absent and cowering to political pressure, employees are colluding against their own company with partners, we as managers have little support, skills and strategy – and within minutes sort it all out, educate us about why it’s all happening, and advise us on strategies, tactics and practices that will practically work to resolve all issues if we implement them. I’ve never seen a mind work like yours. And, what’s more, all of your advice WORKED. It was hard to implement it all, but it all worked. I cannot thank you enough. You are extraordinary.
Mark D.US Govt.
Bob, thank you so much for helping me in ways that you may never know. When I heard you speak at a conference, I took a risk to ask you for individual coaching support and the risk paid off. You helped me articulate and clarify my actual goals and dreams. You helped me see things in myself (thoughts, perspectives, habits) that were holding me back but also helped me choose to change those things and now I’m quickly moving forward. But what really is making my heart fill with gratitude is your willingness to help me work on both personal and professional life goals simultaneously, your absolute caring during every call, and your genuine humility (sharing stories, insights, etc.). I will truly never forget you and hope that I can model your type of coaching with my own employees. Thank you.
Individual Coaching Client
Rob, thank for spending a few days coaching me and a few members of my administrative team. With your psychology background you were able to start the healing process for two people that were stuck and so hurt by each other over the years. You also helped us reset boundaries, roles and relationship communication. I hope that I can continue the work that you started. As for progress, it’s been three months, and all agreements are still holding. Thanks for help us out.
Manager U.S HUD
MOTIVATIONAL PUBLIC SPEAKING, CONFERENCES
Rob, you’re like a walking Ted Talk. I’ve never met or read anyone like you. Everything you say, I serious take to heart. You’re so real with how you speak and what you write. I listen to it all, I read it and apply it. It’s all so relevant. How you have accumulated so much knowledge, about so many things, and can distill such important lessons in simple ways that all of us can use, is AMAZING!
Patricia B.
I collect Bob-isms. Seriously! I have an entire list sitting next to my computer and up on my wall. Every time I read one of your articles, chapters, cards, or just listen to you speak at one of the HR conference sessions or Chapter events, I get my pen and paper out or fingers ready to type, because it’ll come. Another Bob-ism. You just offer something so wise, so pivotal to me, and for me, that it will just change my life.
Mary Pat D.
Robert, I attended your session on Forgiveness at Work at the HR conference. Thank you for presenting this topic. When I saw it on the conference list, I was a bit leery, not sure of what someone would say at a business conference about forgiveness. You helped me hear some very deep personal lessons for life. You have very special gifts. You were motivational, yet compassionate. Loud and educational, applying lessons to work, yet constantly offering examples applicable to personal life. Bless you.
Trainer
MEETINGS, EVENTS, RETREATS
Rob, a BIG SHOUT OUT to you and your team, Kapila and Ellen, for the amazing work that you did, running our all-staff 3-day planning retreat meeting. It was a handful, and we changed a lot of things on the fly and your team adapted on the spot. It was fantastic to see it all flow so effortlessly. I know we put a lot on you to motivate everyone, engage everyone, help us deliver a lot of results from last year and plan for this year, and deal with some tough challenges, but your team was extraordinary. The best in the business. It’s why we keep turning to PowerSkills every few years when we have funds to do all-agency events. Thank you again for a phenomenally successful event.
Bob, it was a pleasure to work with you and your team during our team’s annual retreat. Thank you for planning such a fun, rejuvenating two and a half-day event for our team. We really needed to reconnect with each other, relax and have fun while still dealing with some challenges and resetting our goals. A lot has changed and challenged us. Your team is so creative and dynamic. Our staff LOVED THEM. They are still talking about the yarn-toss activity to get to know each other, the zap field blind fold activity, the scavenger hunt and all the activities. Most importantly for us managers, they are all revved up and already meeting in committees, generating new plans and ideas for moving forward. Thank you for everything.
Bob, I simply cannot thank you enough. I am amazed and awed by you. I want you to be my mentor. I know I hired you, but I want you to mentor me. When I hired you our international project, with 6 country partners, was struggling. The last consultants and trainers dropped the ball. Trust and time was running out. We gave you 4-weeks to wrap your mind around a 2-year project in 6-countries and hit the ground running overseas, pulling together from scratch a leadership development program, mentorship training program, and strategic planning session with international partners. Truth told: behind the scenes we said, ‘let’s hope he can just do one or two of the pieces. We’ll be happy with that.’ But you pulled off ALL OF IT with fantastic SUCCESS. It was extraordinary to see you in action in Indonesia and the Philippines: teaching, organizing, consulting, coaching, and facilitating planning between international partners. PLEASE mentor me.
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