WHAT You Need ... WHAT I Help You Do

Listen to Yourself

Whether one-on-one or in a group, I convert what executives say into what they really mean. Such sessions are disruptive, revealing, and critical to effectively and realistically changing an organization.

Talk Like You Write

I'll show you how to talk comfortably and persuasively with an audience rather than letting your PowerPoints overwhelm them.

Write Like You Talk

Writing is intimidating. I can teach you how to think clearly, talk it out naturally, and then write what you really want to say in any form, from emails to speeches.

Share What You Know

You spend lots of money sending employees to conferences, university programs, and professional meetings. But are they sharing with others what they learned? And are you tapping your smart executive team to share their expertise organization-wide? Let me show you how to do that.

Choose the Best

Big consulting firms charge big fees to implement big projects based on a template. but do they really understand the details of how your people think? Small firms are responsive but do they grasp your long-term needs. I've worked with both, and I can guide you through the selection process.

Communicate Smart

A short-term promotional campaign may help increase awareness but won't necessarily change attitudes. I can help you answer the three questions of any communication program: What do you want your audiences to understand; why would they listen, and what do you want them to do?

WHO I Am ...

RICHARD SKAARE ... I consider myself a head-smart, street-wise communicator. I have two Masters degrees, one in communication. Both taught me how to look, listen, think, and learn. Equally important, I have a lifetime of experience in defining and resolving diverse, difficult business issues that impact corporate profitability, organizational efficiency, and communication. I understand people, processes, and possibilities.

WHAT People Say ...

"Richard is able to extract the essence of virtually any project or initiative … brings individuals and organizations to that rare state called ‘shared vision'."

William Saverance ... Global Executive Development Leader, SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation)

"… solid ethics, incredible depth of knowledge, organizational skills and all with a touch of humor."

FRANK NAVE' ... VP Museums & Environments, Lynch Exhibits

"… indispensable counsel in a high tension, very delicate situation … understood the predicament from all angles … dealt with the situation calmly, with the utmost integrity, and very competently."

TOM DICLEMENTE ... Managing Partner, Gran Sasso Ventures LP ; Former President/CEO – Europe, Middle East & Africa, AMP Incorporated (now TE Connectivity)

"Deeply insightful and intelligent … brings the best out of people and organizations."

MARK HARTMAN ... Former EVP Business Transformation, Cardinal Health

WHAT I Have Done ...

  • Convinced and showed SABIC (Saudi Arabia) senior management how to capture and convert internal expertise into content for the company's new learning portal.
  • Globalized employee thinking by creating a communication strategy that repositioned AMP Incorporated (now Tyco) from a U.S.-centric manufacturer to a global solutions provider.
  • Reshaped, through a comprehensive communication program, the profile of Allegheny International from a specialty steel producer to a multibillion-dollar conglomerate.
  • Reformulated the traditional management (Tollgrade) business plan into an accountability system that linked the plan to departmental/individual performance plans.
  • Imagined and helped create high-tech, interactive exhibits, including a locomotive simulator (Norfolk Southern), for trade shows and museums.
  • Persuaded and demonstrated to management at two companies (KnowledgePlanet and Lynch) how to build pride and credibility by using employees in advertising/marketing.
  • Crafted corporate messages and positions on various public issues through speeches written for CEOs and other executives (Alcoa, AMP Incorporated, SABIC).
  • Shifted management's defensive approach (AMP Incorporated) to environmental issues that established a corporate reputation for proactivity, credibility, and transparency.
  • Helped ease employees through traumatic change: workforce reductions, plant closings, hostile takeover, environmental contamination, health scares, workplace violence, etc..
  • Taught many executives/managers how to change media interviews from a Q&A to opportunities to communicate corporate messages.

What I think

Build an A-team from (presumably) B-players

Build an A-team from (presumably) B-players

Exceeding the expected used to be exceptional; now it seems commonplace. Do the job well and, at some companies, the annual performance review could rate the individual as “exceeds expectations.” Perhaps expectations are too low, or do you simply not have enough A-players in your department? They are not difficult to find, but do you […]

Mistakes are Just Mistakes

Mistakes are Just Mistakes

Mistakes at work are not what they used to be. They once were black and white, intimidating, and your fault. Now a mistake is more oops than ouch, encouraged as leadership development, touted as a growth opportunity, and not completely your fault. Errors do not have to be painful experiences, we’re told, but rather passages […]

Afraid to Decide

Afraid to Decide

When was the last time you waffled on making a decision and, by default or design, let someone else make it for you?  Maybe last night?  (“What restaurant do you want to go to,” she asked? “I don’t care, he replied. “Wherever you want to go.” “I don’t care either,” she responded. “You decide.”) Decisions […]

Conference Perk … Seminar Investment

Conference Perk … Seminar Investment

Who doesn’t enjoy getting out of the office for a couple of days at the company’s expense to a previously unvisited city -- usually in a warm climate -- for a conference where you’re promised big-name speakers and networking opportunities? Count me in. But also count the cost – travel, lost productivity, possible loss of […]

Coaching, communication planning, crisis management, speechwriting ... and more

Think Differently, Communicate Convincingly

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