Welcome to StitchTLC by Stitch Brand & Culture. StitchTLC grew out of a passion for entrepreneurial business and the simple realization that every growing business hits a ceiling, a point when success outstrips the ability to manage it.
If you’re like many entrepreneurs you’re a “doer,” someone who jumps in and solves problems, gets things done and makes it happen. Hitting the ceiling can frustrate the “doer” in you because your success requires a shift in thinking, from working “in” your business to working “on” your business. From “doing” to “leading.” From a focus on “self” to a focus on “others.” These are not the same skills that supported your success. You need new skills, new thinking and a new approach to break through.
You need Traction® – more accountability, a shared vision and great team health.
You need Leadership – more influence and persuasion over your followers.
You need Climate – an environment that supports collaboration, innovation and creativity.
“I wasn’t getting enough out of my people.
We weren’t on the same page,
working together to win.”
“I was stuck. My business had flat-lined and I couldn’t figure out how to
keep us growing.”
“We felt like everything we did was brute force.
We were working hard but couldn’t seem to break through the ceiling.”
In three words: Real. Simple. Results.
EOS®, the Entrepreneurial Operating System®, is a comprehensive business system, integrating a holistic business model with a complete set of simple business tools and a proven business process to align and synchronize all the pieces of your business to produce the results you want.
EOS will help you do three things we call vision, traction and healthy:
Vision: First getting the leaders of your business 100% on the same page with the vision for your organization: who you are, what you do, where you are going and how you will get there.
Traction: Helping your leaders to become more disciplined and accountable, executing consistently to do things well and achieve every piece of your vision.
Healthy: Helping your leaders to become a healthy, functional, cohesive leadership team, because leaders often don’t function well together as a team.
From there, as goes your leadership team so goes the rest of your organization. You get to the point where your entire organization is focused, engaged, sharing a common vision, disciplined, accountable, executing well and advancing as a healthy, functional, cohesive team.
EOS is unique because it is easy to understand and use, holistically addressing all issues rather than applying spot-treatments to your business. It works in any entrepreneurial company and across all business models because the system is founded on time-tested methods and principles, not business management theories or “flavor of the month” fads.
EOS is comprised of three elements; the EOS Model™, the EOS Toolbox™ and the EOS Process™. The EOS Model helps to simplify the way you see your business and sets the context for becoming a great company. The EOS Toolbox contains a complete set of simple tools you can use to strengthen each component of your business. The EOS Process is our proven way of helping you apply the right tools at the right time to get you the results you want.
A typical traction engagement lasts between 12 and 24 months. The day-long session is 7 to 10 hours and involves the members of the Leadership Team. Five to seven sessions are completed during an annual cycle. In some cases the Team may decide to keep the EOS Implementer on engaged for longer than 24 months to facilitate a more objective meeting.
Most EOS clients experience 15 to 30 percent top-line growth after implementation. In addition, clients have expressed an improved atmosphere of accountability, greater quality of life and an enhanced level of efficiency within the organization.
There is no risk to implementation other than the time you will spend during your first session and the minor expense of the room. Every EOS session is 100% financially guaranteed. If for some reason you feel as though you did not receive value you do not pay. There are no long-term commitments or contracts. We strive to deliver great value in every session.
John Kotter at Harvard once said, “Leadership is about convincing people to follow you into an uncertain future.” Leadership is about having followers. Without them you are not a leader. Leadership requires a different set of skills than just being a great entrepreneur or businessperson. People choose to follow. The best leaders embrace behaviors that build followership.
StitchTLC is a certified practitioner in the Leadership Practices Inventor (LPI). A unique assessment that evaluates leadership behavior in five areas of practice known to improve influence and persuasion. The assessment is used to identify areas of less frequency in behavior and a tailored coaching program is then designed around increasing frequency, thus increasing performance.
The typical coaching program involves an online assessment that takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. The assessment is evaluated and the results are presented the individual leader. Three to four, two-hour coaching sessions per year are then scheduled to address areas of lesser frequency identified within the results. All results are strictly confidential.
The LPI is a “360 degree” tool, meaning that it provides a perspective of leadership behavior from above, adjacent and below the leader being evaluated. It’s recommended that the typical assessment includes 14 observers, but participation is unlimited.
What Does the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) Measure?
Applying the proven principles of Kouzes and Posner’s acclaimed Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® model, the LPI enables individuals and organizations to measure their leadership competencies and act on their discoveries. Leaders will gain deep insight into how they see themselves as leaders, how others view them, and what actions they can take to improve their effectiveness. The LPI is available in six languages – English, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Mongolian.
Who is LPI for?
Anyone interested in becoming a more effective leader and learning to apply Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner’s acclaimed Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® model to real-life challenges and opportunities will benefit from the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI). This comprehensive suite of LPI tools includes 360-degree leadership assessment instruments for both working adults and students with little or no work experience.
The Theory and Evidence Behind the Five Practices of Exemplary Leaders
There is considerable empirical support for the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership framework. Download the report for an overview of the development and validation of the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI).
http://www.leadershipchallenge.com/UserFiles/lc_jb_appendix.pdf
How Was LPI Verified and Tested?
Comparisons of LPI scores along a number of critical dimensions are summarized, as well as brief insights into findings by other researchers utilizing this leadership framework and instrument. Readers and scholars interested in more academic discussions of the LPI can find several more technical reports as well as other research descriptions.
http://www.leadershipchallenge.com/research.aspx
Climate is different than culture. Where culture typically represents the history, story and values of the organization, climate represents the thoughts, feelings, attitudes and behaviors of the organization. Climate happens each workday, culture is deeply embedded and harder to change. As much as 80 percent of the climate of the organization is influenced by its leadership. When the climate is unhealthy the organization doesn’t grow. Employees are less engage, less collaborative and less productive. New ideas are stifled and innovation declines.
We take a systemic approach to climate change rooted in years of research and field application. Our approach – referred to as the Collaborative Creative Climate Model – begins with an assessment of climate using a proven instrument call the Situational Outlook Questionnaire (SOQ). The SOQ evaluates nine discrete dimensions of climate that have been demonstrated to impact productivity, creativity, innovation and problem solving. The SOQ allows us to identify areas of weakness that might be addressed to improve the climate of the organization. The SOQ is a unique and powerful instrument for understanding factors that influence organizational climate.
Next we evaluate the distribution of thinking style preference within the employees of the organization. This helps us understand problem solving style preferences across the organizational functions.
Lastly, we develop a tailored training program rooted in creative problem solving and put cross-functional teams to work developing strategies and tactics to address weaknesses in the climate.
The individual elements within the Collaborative Creative Climate Model have been correlated with a range of individual and organizational benefits, including:
•Improved job satisfaction
•Increased creative productivity
•Better implementation of new systems
•Successful transformation efforts
•Efficient use of resources
•Employee health and well-being
•High performing teams and divisions
•Positive work attitudes
•Values that promote organizational learning
•Leadership behaviors promoting change
•Improved understanding of organization culture
•Identifying differences in sub-climates (divisions)
•Successful development of new products
•Effective rewards and recognition programs
•Improved acceptance and management of diversity
•Decreasing work stress
(Isaksen & Akkermans, 2007, p. 16)
Deployment of the program will vary based on the size and scope of the organization. The assessment phase typically takes between 12 and 16 weeks, with training and collaboration requiring between 2 and 4 months. To impact climate at a deeper level may take as much as 12 months.
EOS™ is unique because it is easy to understand and use, holistically addressing all issues rather than applying spot-treatments to your business. Watch this video to learn how EOS works, and why it is so effective across so many industries.
Jim Wardlaw has artfully lured us out of our comfort zone. When we decided we had to do something about our lack of marketing, Jim quickly helped us identify what differentiates us from our competition and showed us why that difference is our greatest asset. Before working with Jim our vision of who we are was murky; Jim brought us focus, clarity and energy. He is now helping us to use that information to craft a great marketing strategy. We never could have done this without him!
Never in the nearly 25 years of being associated with my company, have we ever enjoyed the level of communication, collaboration and focus as we do now thanks to the EOS process and our Implementer, Jim Wardlaw. We have followed the program to the letter and with Jim’s level of expertise and creativity, we are proactively and systematically driving growth and profitability.
The Traction process has made a major impact on our business, in no small part due to Jim’s skills as a facilitator. Jim brings a wealth of knowledge, experience & perspective to the role and I would recommend him to anyone looking to push the organization forward.––
Jim has been a great resource is helping us implement the Traction process, which has become a vital part in the way we run our company.
Jim is an award-winning entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in brand management, strategic marketing, creativity, facilitation, sales and business management. He holds a BFA from Michigan State University and MS in Creativity and Change Leadership from SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo, New York.
From 1995 to 2007, Jim was CEO and Owner of Publicom Inc., a full-service marketing communications firm based in East Lansing, Michigan specializing in service brand management for companies throughout the Midwest. Jim has been a frequent guest speaker at Michigan State University, authored numerous articles in local/regional business press and currently produces a regular podcast on michiganbusinessnetwork.com dealing with change leadership entitled, Pocket Change. He has been active in wide range professional, non-profit and civic organizations, including the Entrepreneur’s Organization, where he was an active member for seven years.
Following the company’s sale in 2007, Jim held executive positions with McLaren Health Care Corporation, Flint, Michigan and Lifestyle Lift, Troy, Michigan. He is currently Chief Change Agent and Owner of Stitch Brand & Culture, a firm that specializes in developing executive teams for improved strategic execution, entrepreneurial leadership and the cultivation of innovative, collaborative cultures.
Jim is a CEL Reactor and presenter, local speaker, 43North Judge and member of the International Coaching Federation.
Professional Certifications & Capabilities
Certified Professional EOS Implementer: The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), developed by Gino Wickman (author of Traction and founder of EOS Worldwide), provides leadership teams with a shared vision, greater accountability and a healthier dynamic. It is particularly powerful when entrepreneurial organizations have hit a growth ceiling and are looking to break through.
Certified Situational Outlook Questionnaire (SOQ) Practitioner: The SOQ is an insightful assessment of creative climate backed by 50 years of research. The SOQ is frequently used to assist leadership in cultivating a more innovative and creative environment within their organizations.
Certified VIEW Practitioner: A measure of creative problem solving style preference. Great for improving team performance.
Certified FourSight Administrator: A measure of creative problem solving style preference tied to creative problem solving process. Very effective in team problem solving.
Certified Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) Practitioner: The product of 30 years of research in leadership behavior and the offshoot of the best seller, The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner, the LPI is widely used and respected among leadership development professionals for its ability to identify, teach and refine productive leadership behaviors.
Creative Problem Solving (CPS): Professional trained as a creative problem solving facilitator and creativity/innovation coach.
Speaking Topics
Other topics upon request.
Gerard J. Puccio is Department Chair and Professor at the International Center for Studies in Creativity, Buffalo State; a unique academic department that offers the world’s only Master of Science degree in creativity. Gerard has written more than 50 articles, chapters and books. His most recent book titled The Innovative Team, co-authored with Chris Grivas, is a fable about a team that was able to apply proven creative-thinking tools to turn around a dysfunctional and unproductive situation. In 2011 he and his colleagues published the second edition of their book Creative Leadership: Skills that Drive Change. In recognition of his outstanding work as a scholar, Dr. Puccio received the State University of New York Chancellor’s Recognition Award for Research Excellence, as well as the President’s Medal for Scholarship and Creativity.
Dr. Puccio is an accomplished speaker and consultant; he has worked with major corporations, universities, and numerous school districts. Some of his recent clients include the BBC, Fisher-Price Brands, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Kraft Foods, Rich Products, BNP Paribas, Rubbermaid, Coca-Cola, and the Fashion Institute of Technology. He has delivered creativity workshops and presentations across the United States and in more than 20 different countries.
In 2012 Dr. Puccio was selected by the Teaching Company as one of America’s Great Lecturers and as such was invited to design and deliver a course comprised of twenty-four 30-minute video sessions. This “Great Course,” titled The Creative Thinker’s Tool Box, will be released nationally and internationally in January 2014. Dr. Puccio was also a featured speaker at a TEDx event held in New York City in December of 2012. Among many other responsibilities, Dr. Puccio also serves on the selecting committee for the Toy Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.
Gerard holds a Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Manchester, England.
Pablo is certified as a FourSight thinking profile trainer and facilitator. He designs and delivers workshops in creativity, innovation, and cultural awareness for the public sector, investors, designers, educators, and the business community.
Pablo has taught as a lecturer eight different engineering and innovation courses in three different universities in Mexico. He has performed the structural design of over 70 different construction projects like office buildings, houses, apartment complexes, and factories. He has also participated in more than 50 creativity, innovation, and strategy training and facilitation experiences with very diverse clients.
Pablo’s background is diverse. He has been an engineering department head in the largest scaffolding and shoring company in Mexico, a structural engineer for 17 years, and a university lecturer for more than 10 years. Pablo also does research and has published four papers and one book’s chapter.
Pablo owns a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a M. Eng. in Construction Management from the University of the Americas Puebla, México (UDLAP); a M.S. in Creativity and Innovation from SUNY-Buffalo State, and a PhD in Strategic Planning and Technology Management from the Popular Autonomous University of the State of Puebla (UPAEP), México. He is also certified professional structural engineer in Mexico City.
Laura holds a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University and a Masters of Science from the International Center for Studies in Creativity (ICSC) at Buffalo State College. She is interested in the applications of Creative Problem Solving to facilitate challenges within organizations and training on the topic of deliberate creativity.
Laura began her career as an engineer with United Technologies, working domestically and in Europe. She has an entrepreneurial spirit that has led her to start several companies. She is the president of LAMA Innovation (www.lamainnovation.com). Clients include Unifrax, Ashton Potter, Western New York Regional Economic Development, Hasek’s Heroes, Jiffy-Tite, and several others. In 2012, Laura was one of the lead facilitators for the Regional Economic Development council and was involved in the development of the Strategic plan for Western New York which was awarded $100.3 million by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Having worked extensively in Asia, Laura serves as the Director of Asian Programs, at ICSC, Buffalo State University. In 2012, she launched Creativity in Asia (www.creativityinasia.com) and Creativity in America (www.creativityinamerica.com), two programs endorsed by the ICSC serving organizations and teams from around the world who want to learn a common language and process for deliberate and sustainable innovation.
Laura is the mother of two children. In her spare time, she enjoys sailing, waterskiing, snow skiing, cooking, and international travel.
Dr. Roger L. Firestien is committed to making creativity simple, making it practical and helping people apply their creativity to produce results. Roger is the president of Innovation Resources, Inc., a company that delivers programs in creative thinking and problem solving. Roger’s keynote presentations and training programs are dynamic, interactive, great fun and provide methods that participants can use immediately to create innovative results.
In 1984, Roger joined the faculty of the International Center for Studies in Creativity at the State University of New York College at Buffalo, and he is the author of over 80 articles, books, audio and video programs. His research focuses on how to help groups develop creative solutions more productively.
Called “The Gold Standard” and the “Classic Cola” of creativity training by his clients, some of the organizations to benefit from his keynote presentations, training and facilitation include: AT&T, Disney, Los Angeles Times, Farmers Insurance, GE, General Mills, Merck, UBS, the American Hospital Association, Young Presidents Organization and the University of Illinois, as well as government groups from the Federal Executive Institute, the US Air Force, US Agency for International Development, NOAA, Department of the Treasury and NASA. Take a look at Roger’s client list.
Roger focuses his work on how to be personally creative and how to lead a team to produce creative results. His clients regularly report dramatic improvements in their innovation effectiveness and enhanced quality of work life. His books, Leading on the Creative Edge and his creative thinking fable, Why Didn’t I Think of That? are essential reading that leaders regularly order for their teams to kick-start innovation. He is currently working on a much anticipated sequel to his creativity fable.
Roger holds a Ph.D. in Communication and a M.S. in Creativity and Innovation, from the State University of New York. When he’s not traveling, he lives in Buffalo, NY, Cincinnati, OH, and regularly drives a tractor, although not too well, on the family farm near Greeley, CO.
Let StitchTLC help your business break through to next level growth. Contact us today for a free, no obligation workshop.