Dr. Elmore is one of these people that you immediately smile when you meet them. Genuine, smart and just a lot of fun to be around. And yes - he's also a great offsite facilitator. We have the pleasure to partner with him and to offer his services to our clients.
Tell us a little bit about the business / yourself
I’m an expert in social and organizational psychology. I’ve built my business to leverage my background and help leaders and managers make their teams more effective. Getting a PhD in the social sciences has made me curious about human interaction, and I translate that curiosity to ask thought-provoking questions. I’d say my ability to ask questions is what my business centers on. My clients are the experts in what they do, but my outside inquisitiveness helps them to see what they do, differently. Right now, my focus is on facilitating offsites for remote and hybrid teams. I see offsites as a vehicle for organizational change, a check-in point for folks to reconnect, recommit, redesign, and make updates on what is already working.
How did you decide to start this business?
I’ve always been entrepreneurial. Since I was young, I’ve sought to build new things and turn a profit. My current venture is exciting because I get to bring science to life by helping teams focus on the things that matter. I also love seeing between organizations and building a perspective that helps my clients. I believe that we are in a transformational moment in the world of work. Where leaders and their people need to redefine the arrangements that work best for them. This could be about where, when, or how folks work. I see a need for support on that journey, and I am fortunate to have the training to provide it.
What's the coolest / most interesting thing that happened during an event you hosted?
A while back, I designed a career development workshop. My aim was to help folks that were at a crossroads in their career. I had participants share their current situation and leveraged coaching techniques to listen, ask questions, and get people in a reflective mode. Following this, I had participants engage in a career reflection activity about how they pursue goals. I gave them a worksheet that asked them to reflect on a particular goal they worked toward in the past, a goal they were currently working toward, and a goal they planned on working toward in the future. With regard to these goals, I asked questions like, What helped you succeed?, What were some challenges you faced?, etc. When we came back together to discuss what they had written, I was delighted to see that participants had picked up on patterns they fall into when pursuing their goals. Given these insights, it was great to hear folks discuss what they might do differently in the future. I love seeing people experience AHA moments; that is when I know I am doing my job.
What's unique about your service?
I help leaders and managers get to the roots of their challenges and chart new paths forward. My approach is founded on a century's worth of evidence-based practices. I leverage what science has learned about effective people, teams, and organizations and use it to provide AHA moments. I’m a thought partner for clients on their journey toward achieving their goals. This is the orientation I bring to offsite facilitation. I'm with clients every step of the way to produce a high-value engagement. Prior to the offsite, I work with leaders and their teams to identify the right attendees, determine discussion topics, craft a comprehensive agenda, and ensure alignment among all participants before the event. During the offsite, I bring the team together, set the stage for impactful conversations, cultivate an engaging atmosphere, structure discussions for productivity, summarize contributions and pose questions for the group, and capture insights generated by the group. Finally, after the offsite, I follow up with the leader and their team to discuss how to carry the learning forward, turn insights into action, integrate offsite tools into everyday practices, and keep the efforts going. For me, offsites are a lever for change management, and I design my programming accordingly.
Where do you see the business in 5 years?
I currently operate as a solo practitioner. I have a large network of colleagues whom I can engage as partners in consulting projects. I like the freedom of being on my own and the flexibility of being able to stand up a consulting team when needed. In 5 years, I see myself working with leaders of small to medium sized organizations and leaders of business units within large to enterprise-level organizations. I plan to continue to build my business as a trusted partner in matters of people, team, and organizational effectiveness and change management. I think offsites are a key element to success. In this new work paradigm, it’s critical for teams to get together and consider how they plan to navigate the future and maintain alignment – I see my ability to facilitate these