Professional Services

I spend some of my time working with individuals and organizations on challenges related to communication, leadership, and influence. I do this because I deeply believe people can learn to be more effective at those skills. And learning those skills can make people, and the organizations they work at, more successful.

Over the last decade I have worked with hundreds of organizations in fields such as financial services, technology, energy, hospitality, health care, consumer products, transportation, professional services, and government. Each year I do some very limited advisory work and deliver a number of presentations and training sessions to audiences around the world.

What distinguishes my work is how I incorporate recent and significant academic research into my consulting and training efforts. I am, first and foremost, a professor. Luckily, there is a terrific symbiotic relationship between being a professor and my work with organizations. I bring the newest academic thinking to organizations and simultaneously bring the practical experiences of people working in those organizations into my classroom teaching.

Recently, I've delivered brief sessions for companies like Southwest Airlines, Hines Securities, Texas Hospital Association, and Google on topics such as Bolstering Your Interpersonal Effectiveness, Relationship Management, and Advocacy and Influencing Skills. I’ve conducted half-day programs on Influencing, Communication, and Leadership Skills for Sandia Labs, Applied Materials, and the Sports Management Institute; Entire day programs for TRS on Teamwork,Boeing and Amazon on Influencing Skills, Baylor, Scott & White on Leadership in Health Care, and USAA on Leading Dispersed Teams, as well as a two-day session for Southwest Research Institute on Advocacy and a four-day learning event on Influencing Skills for Shell.

Advisory Work

For many years, I consulted with organizations on topics related to communication, leadership, customer loyalty, crisis management, and change. I also coached senior executives on important leadership issues they faced. While I still work with a few firms and leaders in advisory roles, I have limited this practice to prioritize other commitments.

Presentations & Training

I regularly deliver presentations and training programs for a wide variety of organizations around the world. These sessions - ranging from short keynotes to multiple-day training events - help people become more effective in their professional lives and enhance the success of their organizations.