Build Better Workplaces,
Organizational Psychologist and Culture Expert Rita Ernst activates leaders & teams to co-create a workplace that inspires and motivates individuals to achieve their full potential, engage as valued team members, and contribute to shared organizational success.
|
Business Ownership & Leadership is HARD...
But make sure it is the right kind of hard.
One thing every client says is they wish we'd started our work together earlier in their journey.
Doing nothing is a choice to stay stuck in your current situation and it is costing you and your team
⚠️emotionally
⚠️physically
⚠️ financially
You don't have to go it alone. Get the right help and accelerate through the hard.
If you don't, the costs and damages are only going to grow.
⚠️emotionally
⚠️physically
⚠️ financially
You don't have to go it alone. Get the right help and accelerate through the hard.
If you don't, the costs and damages are only going to grow.
Working together looks like this
1Identify the issues contributing to your organization's decline. |
2Engage your team to realign mission, values, and commitment. |
3Improve communication and collaboration across the organization. |
4Pinpoint changes to improve performance and reduce stress. |
You'll see the PASSION, ENERGY, and COMMITMENT spark in you and your team within 30 days, guaranteed.
Then I'll show you how to sustainably boost workplace positivity & fulfillment over the life of your business.
Are you ready to implement your POSITIVITY STRATEGY and build a workplace your people LOVE?
Then I'll show you how to sustainably boost workplace positivity & fulfillment over the life of your business.
Are you ready to implement your POSITIVITY STRATEGY and build a workplace your people LOVE?
Clients are saying...
/
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
I started working with Rita during my first year of business - going into year two now together. I’m able to meet with her via Zoom which is super convenient for me especially during COVID-19. Rita has helped me work past some barriers to growing my business and worked with me on my mindset. I highly recommend her to anyone needing a business coach - especially if you think you don’t need a business coach.
Elizabeth Wimpsett
CEO / Social Boutique Marketing Agency
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
/
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
I decided to seek out a business coach at the beginning of 2019. I have been in business for over ten years and felt as if my approach was no longer as effective as it used to be. I also had some pretty lofty goals for the year and I needed someone to help talk me through how I planned on obtaining the goals. Rita was so great at asking the right questions to help lead me to the most productive steps to take to obtain my goals. I also had some really great "light bulb moments" which made me realize there were some obstacles that would keep me from obtaining my goals. As a result, Rita was able to then help me address those road blocks. Rita's coaching helped me increase my home care business sales by nearly 1,000 hours per week in one year!!! My staff and I are so excited about meeting our goals!!! If you have been on the fence about hiring a coach, please have an initial consultation with Rita. You won't be disappointed! She is amazing!!
Stephanie Riggle Henderson
CEO / Granny Nannies of Kentucky
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
/
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
I worked with Rita during my tenure as President and CEO of Emergint Technologies, Inc. Our mission was to enable and support federal healthcare research and related activities through Management Consulting and IT Consulting. We successfully grew Emergint to over 500 employees with offices in multiple cities and states. Rita provided leadership coaching as well as helped architect our framework for collaborative strategic planning. She facilitated our leadership team during strategy sessions and tactical planning. She supported me with critical thinking as well as a sounding board for navigating business challenges and opportunities. Her contributions were impactful and of high value; I’m grateful Rita was on our team."
Gil Delgado
CEO (emeritus) / Emergint Technologies (now CACI Int'l)
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 0
- 1
- 2
|
|
It's all about extraordinary outcomes!
Igniting a Show Up Positive Culture Guided a distressed team to reconnect to their shared purpose and passion, resulting in improved teamwork, quality, productivity, and profit margin per job. |
When I met this team, they were exhausted. Being an essential service provider, the demands for their work during the safe-at-home months of 2020 put them head-to-head with the challenges of navigating a COVID world. Their work took them on the road, where it was difficult to access food, restrooms, and hotels. Concern for their families and the risk of getting sick added to these hardships.
The vicious cycle of stress stole their happiness, energy, focus, and profits.
> Jobs took longer to complete, which drove the need for overtime.
> Tiredness from the extra-long days eroded work area organization, causing inefficiencies.
> Inefficiencies lead to added time and costs on jobs.
> Cost and time overruns add to the stress and discontent.
The business owner could see his team struggling. He saw his high-performing team forming bad habits that harmed the company's reputation and profits. He knew he had to get things back on track, but his own tiredness and overwhelm kept him stuck. As their happiness at work slipped away, so did their energy and focus.
One Friday, we gathered the team together for a half-day meeting. We invested in appreciating and acknowledging one another, remembering how to be a high-performance team, reconnecting to the company values, and committing to getting the company back on track.
On Monday, everyone showed up feeling more positive. At the end of the workday, they organized for the next day, making it easier to get to the job site on time the following morning. Having the tools and materials they needed at hand, they accomplished the work more quickly and finished the job ahead of schedule. Everyone felt happier and more successful. They knew that high-performance groove, and they were glad to return to it.
The vicious cycle of stress stole their happiness, energy, focus, and profits.
> Jobs took longer to complete, which drove the need for overtime.
> Tiredness from the extra-long days eroded work area organization, causing inefficiencies.
> Inefficiencies lead to added time and costs on jobs.
> Cost and time overruns add to the stress and discontent.
The business owner could see his team struggling. He saw his high-performing team forming bad habits that harmed the company's reputation and profits. He knew he had to get things back on track, but his own tiredness and overwhelm kept him stuck. As their happiness at work slipped away, so did their energy and focus.
One Friday, we gathered the team together for a half-day meeting. We invested in appreciating and acknowledging one another, remembering how to be a high-performance team, reconnecting to the company values, and committing to getting the company back on track.
On Monday, everyone showed up feeling more positive. At the end of the workday, they organized for the next day, making it easier to get to the job site on time the following morning. Having the tools and materials they needed at hand, they accomplished the work more quickly and finished the job ahead of schedule. Everyone felt happier and more successful. They knew that high-performance groove, and they were glad to return to it.
Operating with Sweet Spot Clarity Within 90 days, this client increased billable hours to 1,000 hours per week, which translated into a 30% increase in revenue. |
This business owner came to me because they had some lofty goals and struggled to move forward. With over ten years of experience in the business, they felt their approach was no longer effectively providing consistent results.
Through our analysis of the operation, it was apparent that the revenue grew every time the owner focused on increasing their client base. However, this growth would decline over the subsequent years because the owner concentrated on running the business and serving the higher volume of clients, and had less time to find new clients.
It was clear that the owner needed to increase the operational roles and responsibilities to avoid having those duties consume their attention. We began by shifting operational tasks to existing staff and investing more of the owner's time to business development activities.
The business ended the year hitting its target of 30% growth. What's more, the staff's energy and focus on excellent customer service flowed directly from their pride and fulfillment in achieving their goals.
Through our analysis of the operation, it was apparent that the revenue grew every time the owner focused on increasing their client base. However, this growth would decline over the subsequent years because the owner concentrated on running the business and serving the higher volume of clients, and had less time to find new clients.
It was clear that the owner needed to increase the operational roles and responsibilities to avoid having those duties consume their attention. We began by shifting operational tasks to existing staff and investing more of the owner's time to business development activities.
The business ended the year hitting its target of 30% growth. What's more, the staff's energy and focus on excellent customer service flowed directly from their pride and fulfillment in achieving their goals.
Navigating Change Via Employee Engagement Implemented change with a people-first focus that reduced negativity & disruption. |
One of my favorite clients was also one of my first clients after I transitioned from internal to external consulting. She was head of Development for a non-profit organization run by the founder.
During the first decade of 2000, the non-profit sector was experiencing a huge shift in funding. From private organizations to government grants, multi-year funding streams were quickly replaced with annual gifts requiring recipients to declare, track, and present tangible outcomes tied to donor investments. This change eliminated a dependable income stream for staffing long-term projects.
My client understood this burning platform better than anyone, and she had concrete ideas about how to respond. However, she lacked the authority to make it happen. She needed to be brutally honest while garnering the commitment of the founder and the rest of the organization to make a major strategic pivot.
Working together, I helped her share her vision of the new mission, processes, and products needed to sustain the organization in this new economic landscape. More importantly, I created space for every employee to realize the personal and organizational changes required. Although difficult on many fronts, the staff felt respected, and all the internal changes did not disrupt the organization's work.
During the first decade of 2000, the non-profit sector was experiencing a huge shift in funding. From private organizations to government grants, multi-year funding streams were quickly replaced with annual gifts requiring recipients to declare, track, and present tangible outcomes tied to donor investments. This change eliminated a dependable income stream for staffing long-term projects.
My client understood this burning platform better than anyone, and she had concrete ideas about how to respond. However, she lacked the authority to make it happen. She needed to be brutally honest while garnering the commitment of the founder and the rest of the organization to make a major strategic pivot.
Working together, I helped her share her vision of the new mission, processes, and products needed to sustain the organization in this new economic landscape. More importantly, I created space for every employee to realize the personal and organizational changes required. Although difficult on many fronts, the staff felt respected, and all the internal changes did not disrupt the organization's work.
Shifting from Owner to CEO Established leadership roles and teams to allow operations to scale and grow while ensuring brand reputation and customer satisfaction was sustained. |
One of my most extended working relationships was a client whose freelance practice grew to such a level of success that she faced a tough personal crossroads - embrace the growth or scale back and focus on niche opportunities. She hired me because she wanted to grow into the firm that she knew she could be, and still she knew that what had created her success to date was insufficient to get her to the next level.
Our first step focused on the roles within the organization, starting with the definition of her CEO role. Once we'd declared her primary gifts and talents to leverage in that role, we knew the duties she needed to delegate.
Second, we defined the leadership team roles we needed to add and filled the positions. I coached the entire leadership on their roles and management integration with their staff.
Third, we looked at the internal operations to identify inefficiencies that reduced profit margin. We worked with the team to define and streamline internal standards and practices. We also implemented new systems to improve billable hours tracking to improve the accuracy of job pricing.
Declaring to yourself, your family, your employees and your customers that you are on a path of transformation takes true bravery. No one makes every decision perfectly. Everyone falters along the way and feels vulnerable with each step taken. Letting go of being perfect and being open to personal growth and change are key stepping stones on everyone's path to EXTRAORDINARY, and I am privileged that she chose me to accompany her on this journey.
Our first step focused on the roles within the organization, starting with the definition of her CEO role. Once we'd declared her primary gifts and talents to leverage in that role, we knew the duties she needed to delegate.
Second, we defined the leadership team roles we needed to add and filled the positions. I coached the entire leadership on their roles and management integration with their staff.
Third, we looked at the internal operations to identify inefficiencies that reduced profit margin. We worked with the team to define and streamline internal standards and practices. We also implemented new systems to improve billable hours tracking to improve the accuracy of job pricing.
Declaring to yourself, your family, your employees and your customers that you are on a path of transformation takes true bravery. No one makes every decision perfectly. Everyone falters along the way and feels vulnerable with each step taken. Letting go of being perfect and being open to personal growth and change are key stepping stones on everyone's path to EXTRAORDINARY, and I am privileged that she chose me to accompany her on this journey.
Working together is as simple as...
1COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION AND CUSTOM PROPOSAL |
2DEEPER ASSESSMENT AND REFINEMENT OF ACTION PLAN |
3DESIGN, COACHING, FACILITATION, AND IMPLEMENTATION |
4CELEBRATE SUCCESS AND SHARE YOUR GLOWING REVIEW |