Education
Master of Arts in Human Resource Development
Certificate in Organization Development
University of St. Thomas, 2002
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Minor in Economics
Mankato State University, 1980
Certifications
ARP
The ARP maps an individual's level of personal authority and degree of personal
responsibility. Authority is defined as the exacting of self-knowledge,
awareness and understanding. Authority is part of one's knowledge, wisdom,
skills and understanding.
Responsibility is commitment, will, determination and obligation. It is being willing and able to act in a life-enhancing manner and being accountable for one's behavior. Power comes from acting with authority in a responsible way. Increasing one's levels of authority and responsibility naturally increases one's power when interacting with others.
The ARP is based on the assumptions that everyone has authority, are purposeful beings that strive for being responsible and that personal power is created when authority is used in responsible ways.
The APR can be a life-transforming assessment. Use it for:
- Self-development
- Understanding others
- Developing leadership capabilities
- Effective interactions
- Creating transforming power
The ARP can also be used with organizations to identify the potential of the organization and areas for improvement.
Golden Personality Type Profiler
The Golden Personality Type Profiler is an asset to teambuilding, understanding oneself
and career coaching.
Based on well-known psychological theory, the Golden Personality Type Profiler uses some
of the same terminology as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator but incorporates
other accepted theories to provide a more comprehensive profile of someone’s
personality.
The Golden Personality Type Profiler uses familiar terminology such as Introversion/Extraversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling and Judging/Perceiving and delineates these types via personality traits. Basically there are four traits, or subsets, of each type and these traits present a more complete picture of one’s personality.
There are two other significant differences. The Golden Personality Type Profiler has a fifth scale, Tense/Calm, which has two traits associated with it. Also, there are four temperaments that help describe a personality.
Always on the leading edge, Al participated in the first Golden Personality Type Profiler certification class ever held in the United States.
Creatrix
We've all heard about the need for innovation. But what does that really
mean?
Innovation = creativity x risk-taking!
The Creatrix assesses an individual or group's innovative capacity based on creativity and risk-taking.
People fall into one of eight orientations, each of which has strengths and hindrances:
- Sustainers
- Modifiers
- Challengers
- Practicalizers
- Innovators
- Synthesizers
- Dreamers
- Planners
There are also seven continuums of creativity and risk-taking:
- Ambiguity
- Independent
- Inner-Directed
- Uniqueness
- Authentic
- Resilient
- Self-Accepting
Use the Creatrix to tap into an individual's, a team's and a company's creativity and risk-taking capacity to accelerate innovation.
Having a nice balance of orientations on a team can lead to innovation and positive results. Having too many people of the same orientation or not enough of other orientations can lead to poor results, frustration, delays, etc.
Again, Al has shown forward-thinking by becoming one of the first Creatrix Coaches in America. As a Creatrix Coach, he is certified to use the instrument, interpret its results and work with individuals and organizations to understand and increase innovative capabilities.
Click here to see Al's presentation on the Creatrix!
OnDemand Personal Navigator
OnDemand Personal Navigator is a synchronized e-learning content platform for producing high quality, enterprise-wide training and
documentation. As a certified OnDemand developer and combined with his training
and instructional design expertise, Al can help organizations learn and grow
regardless of physical location. (Note: Due to licensing
restrictions, clients must already have this platform available.)
Continuing Education
Al is a firm believer in life-long learning. He is continuously seeking new knowledge and skills. Listed below are a few of the courses and seminars Al has taken in just the past few years. As you read these descriptions, think about how valuable this expertise is to organizational effectiveness and look at how these courses and seminars compliment one another.
Adobe Captivate 3
Adobe Captivate 3 is the leading e-learning software package. It
provides the learner with superior interactive training and has incredible
flexibility for customizing the training to the situation. This e-learning can
be done on virtually any PC, is multi-lingual and does not require internet
connectivity.
Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative Inquiry is both a philosophy and a methodology of taking what works in an organization
and building upon it. This is a very positive experience for organizations: it
always engaging and enjoyable. Not only does the organization realize what it is
doing well, Appreciative Inquiry sessions end with an action plan to make good
things better! Al was trained by Jane Magruder Watkins, co-author of
Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination (Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer).
Accelerating Change
Accelerating Change deals with the effective implementation of change. Among
the topics covered are dealing with resistance to change, how to gain
sponsorship, the psychological process of change, assessing the climate for
change and much, much more.
Covert Process at Work
Whenever a transformational change occurs, covert processes are at work, many of
which are unknown even to those displaying the behaviors. Taught by Bob Marshak,
this workshop dealt with what covert processes really are and how to identify
and resolve them.
The Extraordinary Leader
Based on the book published by McGraw-Hill of the same title and taught by co-author Joe
Folkman, the data-driven information Al learned will help transform a good
leader into an extraordinary one.
How to Make Collaboration Work
This seminar was all about closing the "engagement gap," the
difference in understanding about what needs to change between those responsible
for the change and the rest of the organization. Dick Axelrod, a
nationally-recognized expert, taught Al how to close this gap using
trust-building and effective methods.
Interactive Strategies for Improving Performance
Led by the internationally-renowned Sivasailam "Thiagi"
Thiagarajan, this seminar covered the strategies and the uses of games as a
mechanism for learning.
Polarity Management
Polarity Management comes into play when there is more than one
"right" answer for interdependent issues. It increases organizational
effectiveness by addressing chronic problems and distinguishes between
"either/or" problems to solve and "both/and" polarities to
manage. Al was trained by Barry Johnson, the originator of Polarity Management
and author of the HRD Press-published book by the same name.
Unlocking the Mysteries of Organizational Life
Al enhanced his knowledge of how culture impacts our organizations in this
workshop taught by famed theorist Barry Oshry. The workshop explored how one's
position in the organization affects the behavior and attitude of the individual
and how organizations respond when new or different cultures come into contact
with it. This workshop is especially valuable for organizations entering or
going through a merger or acquisition.
Beyond Change Management
Linda Anderson-Ackerman taught this workshop based on the book with the same
title published by Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer. Al learned about the common mistakes of
leading a transformational change and the Change Leader's Roadmap, which in Al's
words is "project management for the organization development
practitioner."
Strategic Action Planning
This course was all about understanding the need and the concepts and
principles for a vision and a strategy. Al knows how to build a plan that can
bring alignment to organizations.
Group Facilitation Methods
This course taught Al multiple ways to facilitate discussions so that voices
are heard and decisions are reached. A key element of this course dealt with
planning, so the facilitator comes into the group setting prepared for success.
It is taught by the Institute for Cultural Affairs.
Design and Evaluation of Training
This course taught Al the basics of adult learning. Al incorporates what he
learned into all of his training by making sure his classes are fast-paced and
high on participant interaction. Lecture time is kept to a minimum while
learning is maximized.
How to Deal with Difficult People
We've all dealt with co-workers that have frustrated and angered us at one
time or another. This course taught Al techniques to handle the people that are
constantly keeping an organization from moving forward.
Information Mapping
Information Mapping is a documentation methodology for creating documents
that can be read faster and with greater retention. These documents are also
easier to maintain over time. Save time and money while producing written works
that are used. Al has written numerous documents using Information Mapping, for
which he constantly receives praise.
First Things First
As part of Stephen's Covey famous "7 Habits for Highly Effective
People," First Things First is a time management methodology that helps
people focus on what is truly important. Ever since Al read the books and
attended the training, he has used this knowledge to align his life with his
"true north."
Project Management
This University of Minnesota-taught seminar enhanced Al's expertise of project
management as it delved into critical areas like planning, setting objectives,
scheduling, budgeting, controlling and much, much more. It also fits Al's belief
that a combination of both "hard skills" and "soft skills"
are needed to produce effective results.
Applying Seven Principles of Management of Change
The following seven principles are part of a meta-model for change:
- Use of Self
- Systems Orientation
- Sound and Current Data
- Learn from Differences
- Infinite Power
- Empowerment
- Systems Support
Using these principles can make organization change more robust and effective. This seminar was taught by Charlie and Edie Seashore, two of the leading practitioners of organization development.