HBI has a special interest and capability in the development of Technical Leaders and high performing technical organizations. We focus on a number of areas:

Technical Leadership Development

Having come from a technical business background, one of our strengths is helping technical managers, directors, CIO's and CTO's to enhance skills, competencies and strategies for effective leadership of people and technology organizations.

Technical leaders are often experts in their field and yet sometimes struggle to communicate in ways which fully enable them to contribute their talents and experience toward the strategic intent of the organization.

Our services assist technical leaders in the following areas:

• Thinking in new ways about corporate strategy and the translation to technology
• Effective Communication of technology concepts to company Executives
• Engaging Staff by increasing levels of self-motivation
• Building an environment for action, learning and goal setting
• Increasing Customer Service and Quality levels
• Building better relations between cross functional organizations

Building a Technical Organization and Choosing Technical Leadership

CEO's face the inevitable challenge of ensuring effective leadership for their technical divisions which respond and contribute to the organizational vision.

First level technical leaders are most often chosen from the ranks of the IT or Engineering division of the company having proven their specific expertise or capacity for leadership. While they may have demonstrate a capacity to lead their groups, they may still find themselves stuggling to bridge the gap between the business units and the supporting technical division.

CIO's are most often proven leaders of Technical organizations and yet selection of these individuals is critical to the success and blending of the technical strategy with that of the organization.

We assist the Executive in development of technical organizations through the following services:

• Selection Assessments for new leaders
• Development Assessments for current leaders
• Creating a development plan
• Training workshops, group and individual coaching to address specific needs
• Introduction of methodologies (e.g. CMM, Agile)
• Updates on new ideas and technologies to create responsive and responsible technology services

Communications

Technical leaders encounter friction at times when striving to clarify their concerns in a way that other business leaders can understand and they may also feel challenged to communicate the technical analysis which their employees have provided. What's worse is that in the rise through the ranks, technology leaders sometimes loose the support, understanding and engagement of their own teams.

We focus on developing new ways of understanding which appeal to the technologist while allowing them to hone communications. Our services enhance communications by training leaders in the following concepts:

• Increasing underlying Positivity
• Impact of Divergent and Convergent thinking
• Enhancing at the Creative Process
• Effective listening, questioning and understanding
• Two way communication
• The hearer's emotional and intellectual perspective
• Tayloring the message to the hearer
• Understanding Resonance and Dissonance in communication

Background

As a Leadership Performance Coach, with 20 years of hands on project, business and organizational leadership experience in Technology and Engineering companies I've gained the experience and knowledge that technology leaders need and want. Through coaching methods, I've learned to transfer those skills and qualities to technology leaders and others.

As someone who understands the special challenges of technology, I've helped aspiring and talented technologist to develop leadership skills, from communications to customer service and relationships. As an organizational leader experienced at bridging the Technology / Customer / Business gap, I've use my experience along with coaching techniques and philosophies to personally train and coach technology leaders.

As a senior business leader I've coached other business leaders and owners to develop advanced leadership skills.

HBI can assist any size organization through it's own experience and its partnerships and affiliations with other quality leadership performance and coaching organizations. Whatever your need, we can help!

Garth Schmalenberg
Leadership / Relationship Coach

416-919-6598