Our Approach

We pride ourselves on building long-lasting relationships with clients; the majority of our business is based on referrals. This is, after all, the best compliment our clients can give!

Trusted Advisor

Trusted Advisor

Clients who work with us recognize us as their trusted advisor. We understand the delicate nature of change initiatives, that often the decisions are made long before all the planning is in place to be ready for organization-wide communications.

We pride ourselves on building long-lasting relationships with clients; the majority of our business is based on referrals. This is, after all, the best compliment our clients can give!

Our goal is to build capabilities within our clients and their staff – to “teach them” versus being dependent on a consultant.

Expert

Expert

We have advanced degrees and various certifications that taught us theories and models from all the Leadership and Change theorists and gurus. However, we realize that not all companies have the bandwidth or need for every step or process in the models. Through detailed analysis and organizational input, we are agile and adaptable in how we utilize these models / frameworks, yet flexible to do what’s right and best for the client. If we give you a solution that’s too complex or hard to maintain, it could cause more frustration than the original issues we are trying to solve. Often, we remain tool or resource agnostic. After all, the tools just help us perform the diagnosis, but it’s the people applying their key competencies that produces results. We use each individual’s competence and motivators to align the best solutions.

Mentor Coach

Mentor Coach

We partner with our clients and their team members to augment staff to provide structure and learning while completing the Organizational Development / Change projects or leadership training. For various training workshops, we offer a “Train the Trainer” certification workshop so your internal staff can continue the in-house training. Depending on the size of your organization, we can assist with project planning and partner with implementing the OD/Change or learning solutions. After the framework is in place, we can transition to the internal stakeholders and process owners for maintenance.

Trusted Advisor

Trusted Advisor

When supporting executives and leadership teams, we know it’s difficult for the top dogs to architect the organizational change strategy and lead the implementation; while managing all the current work to “keep the lights on” in the business. To move the organization forward, we provide strategic change management and program management; along with personally supporting executives and their teams to be their confidant and trusted advisor. After all, when you are at the top, who’s there to listen and provide you recommendations? We are!

Expert

Expert

We have advanced degrees and various certifications that taught us theories and models from the Leadership and Change theorists and gurus. However, we realize that not all companies have the bandwidth or need for every step or process in the models. Through detailed analysis and organizational input, we are agile and adaptable in how we utilize these models / frameworks, yet flexible to do what’s right and best for the client. After all, the tools just help us perform the diagnosis and planning. It’s the people applying their key competencies and talents that produces results.

Mentor Coach

Mentor Coach

We provide direction and support to our clients while completing our change and training deliverables. Our goal is to ensure clients have the tools and skills needed to sustain the work after we leave. Our goal is to build capabilities within our client’s staff – to “teach them” versus being dependent on a consultant. We offer “Train the Trainer” certification workshops for internal staff to deliver in-house training. Depending on the size of your organization, we partner with the internal teams to lead the change planning and implementation efforts. After the change initiatives and training has been implemented, we transition the ownership back to the internal stakeholders and process owners to maintain and sustain the new process.

“Torrey understands theories and models and is able to blend them together to address the real-life business situation. She has a great knowledge and ability to be flexible.”

VP, Learning and Organizational Development, Financial Services

“Your team helped to implement key training about communications, leadership and culture that significantly improved our relationships and our communication styles. Your team is excellent at training and understands all the other issues that impact culture and change management. This holistic approach is not typical of training groups that I’ve worked with in the past. Your work was truly outstanding, and I appreciate what you and your team did for us over the past two years.”

Chief Information Officer, Maxim Healthcare

“Strategic Development Associates has been a great partner to our professional development team.  Not only has Torrey worked with us to successfully develop and deliver training programs to support a new strategic initiative, but she acted as a mentor to our new trainer.

“Torrey partnered with me to help develop an inexperienced trainer who has taken her position and reputation to a whole new level.  Torrey brings to our team experience, talent and a great ability to develop relationships which has proven invaluable to the growth of the professional development team and its initiatives.”

Vice President of Human Resources, Allegis Group, Inc.

“Torrey has an excellent ability to ask questions and facilitate problem-solving techniques. She did a great job of showing me how to find answers to and solutions for many of the challenges I face on a day-to-day basis, both professionally and personally.”

Program Manager, Aerotek

“Julie is well spoken, attentive to questions and concerns of participants; and encouraged an open dialogue and active participation.”

Individual Contributor, Severn Savings Bank

“SDA’s individual coaching was key to helping me achieve what seemed to me to be unachievable and disparate goals. Through their help, I was able to break down what seemed at the time to be conflicting and urgent goals into manageable steps that kept me going in the right direction. I also gained an entirely new and objective insight into how to more accurately prioritize and find alternate methods of achieving my goals. It was a relief to have someone on “my team” with no outside agenda except helping me achieve what I wanted to achieve.

“My coaching sessions were definitely a success! Everything I set out to achieve this year has happened. I highly recommend working with SDA.”

Faculty Member, Lake County Community College

Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. Give him a fish, feed him for a day!
– Chinese Proverb