I have had the pleasure to engage with Lynne Brown on multiple separate occasions to provide contract organizational development services. These OD engagements have varied from team forming/team development, teambuilding, establishing organizational mission and vision statements, establishing norms, roles, and responsibilities and, recently, professional/executive coaching. During the nearly 20 years I have contracted and worked with Lynne (for three different companies) I have developed respect and appreciation for Lynne’s style and approach to each project, the participants, and the scope of the engagement. She is a very quick study, is intuitive, is exceptionally respectful of the stakeholders and has consistently delivered the results I have expected (and was hoping to achieve). Most recently, I engaged Lynne to assist one of my senior directors who was struggling to work effectively with his subordinates. This effort involved conducting a deep dive (individual interviews, group work and individual/personal coaching). This effort was a complete success and has remarkably improved the operational performance of the group while reducing employee turnover. In each engagement, Lynne has employed a variety of personality and behavioral assessment tools (Myers Briggs, FIRO-B, etc.) as well as practical group exercises (square rope, personal shields, etc.) to help participants better understand how their personality styles and behaviors affect outcomes and success.

I find Lynne’s coaching particularly helpful because she has deep and thoughtful practical experience leading teams, she obviously cares about the success of my team, she invested the time to get to know the people on my team, she is one of the best listeners I know and almost all of the time she coaches by asking questions which creates a richer learning experience for me.

Over close to two decades I have had the opportunity to work with Lynne as a coach for individuals and teams of people, from staff to C-Suite leaders, including for-profit and non-profit organizations. My experiences with Lynne include being the client and the coached. As a result of these experiences, I often refer to her as the Swiss Army Knife of organizational coaches. Her commitment to organizational design, development, and excellence is deep and sincere. Lynne’s ability to deal with the toughest challenges and people has led me to calling her the steel fist in a velvet glove. Her emotional intelligence allows her to lead with empathy, her experience brings wisdom, and she has a winning smile and great sense of humor. Lynne challenges people and organizations in a way that makes them won’t to be better. I recommend her often and enjoy the feedback from all who work with her.

Lynne Brown was instrumental in our success following a complicated merger.  She worked with organization leaders to help them through the change management journey and provided individual and group coaching. Lynne also worked with the senior leadership team, clarifying roles, and strengthening our communication processes.

As CEO, I rely on Lynne’s objective insights to help me lead and guide the organization through change and growth. She takes the time to understand our business and offers practical steps to address challenges and leverage opportunities.  She is knowledgeable and experienced in organizational change and truly cares about the individuals she works with. She is a thought partner to me and the organization.

Over close to two decades I have had the opportunity to work with Lynne as a coach for individuals and teams of people, from staff to C-Suite leaders, including for-profit and non-profit organizations. My experiences with Lynne include being the client and the coached. As a result of these experiences, I often refer to her as the Swiss Army Knife of organizational coaches. Her commitment to organizational design, development, and excellence is deep and sincere. Lynne’s ability to deal with the toughest challenges and people has led me to calling her the steel fist in a velvet glove. Her emotional intelligence allows her to lead with empathy, her experience brings wisdom, and she has a winning smile and great sense of humor. Lynne challenges people and organizations in a way that makes them won’t to be better. I recommend her often and enjoy the feedback from all who work with her.

I have worked with Lynne Brown for over 15 years as a customer and a personal coach and mentor throughout my career. Lynne has provided training, development, design, and facilitation resources to our company. She’s extremely knowledgeable, trustworthy and one of the most highly skilled Organization Development experts I’ve worked with in my 18 years of Human Resources experience. She is a rare resource in the field. Additionally, Lynne is organized, efficient, and extremely competent and has an excellent rapport with people at all levels of the organization. In past years, I have used Lynne Brown and Associates as an extension to my HR Team. I highly recommend Lynne for any endeavor that she may seek to pursue. She will be a valuable asset for any organization. Lastly, those who work with Lynne will find an extra benefit as having her as a personal coach during the times you work with her on projects.

What makes Lynne unique from others I have worked with is that she doesn’t tell you what to do, she leads you to identify the opportunities. She challenges you to get out of your comfort zone and truly see other perspectives – uncovering unconscious biases and the stories in our own heads. Lynne provides tools, insights and exercises that reinforce what you as a leader are working to develop. Her approach meets you where you are and provides the support, tools, and reflection to create growth. Because I have utilized Lynne through these roles, I believe I have:

• Strengthened my ability to self-reflect, increasing my own self-awareness greatly
• Learned to navigate difficult situations with tremendous skill
• Cultivate a culture that builds high performing teams
• Developed my skills in a thoughtful way that has allowed me to be more effective in delivering measurable results
• Allowed me to help others develop and grow
• Helped me be a visionary and take my team on a journey to be all we can be
• Learn the most through change and increase my own resiliency

My nickname for Lynne is Yoda, because she has the unique ability and seasoned expertise to allow you to reach your full potential as a leader and to utilize that force for good to help your team develop and help an organization achieve its’ vision. The ripple effect of Lynne’s work is immeasurable.

Lynne and I began working together about 15 years ago when she led our dysfunctional, siloed team through an extensive program on Courageous Conversations. From that day forward she has been a trusted ally and an important member of our family. Lynne balances tough feedback with heart and compassion. She is honest and never afraid to call a person on their “stuff;” yet she always provides the tools, motivation and coaching to help people grow. She is curious and cares deeply about the people she works with and the results she delivers. Over the years she has led us through multiple strategic planning processes, including one that followed a major reorganization resulting in the birth of a new company. She has facilitated retreats and planning sessions, and she has coached members of our team. In sum she has made us a better, more successful enterprise. She is a wise, generous mentor and I would not be where I am today without her. When I grow up, I want to be like Lynne.

Our company has been working closely with Lynne for nearly a decade. Lynne is an integral part of the fabric of our culture. Our leaders and employees are very comfortable talking to her and, in turn, Lynne does a wonderful job coalescing the information and providing constructive, confidential feedback. I particularly enjoy Lynne’s direct and insightful approach to sharing the ideas and improvements we can make.

Lynne is highly regarded in Oxy for her excellent facilitation and coaching skills. From the many leadership and team building programs she has conducted over the past 12 years; she has developed strong relationships with many of the Oxy leaders. She develops a trusting relationship with people, and as a result, many have contacted her for follow-up coaching. She also provided team coaching for the teams to continue their work – she does not see her work as an event, but a process of continuous development. And she is very strategic and results oriented, connecting the development process to the strategic direction of the group. She truly lives out her mission of “every voice is heard”, and any work she does, she engages people to ensure that all voices are heard. Because of this, she gets groups to a much deeper level, dealing with difficult issues that are often suppressed and people are afraid to discuss. She creates that kind of climate first where people understand and value each other and their differences, and then facilitates dialogue where people truly listen to each other to work out difficult issues. Regarding self-knowledge and self-reflection, she operates under the principle of “self as instrument”. She is excellent at debriefing every intervention to examine what worked, what she could do differently to improve, and is open to feedback from others. She is a ferocious reader and is great at integrating examples into her work. Besides getting her Masters in Organization Development, she continually takes advantage of development opportunities to stretch her in the field of OD. Some of these include NTL programs, Franklin Covey certifications, and spiritual retreats. Her work in the Middle East and Latin America created great cultural learning opportunities. Development is a passion of hers. When she facilitates, she shares this passion by role modeling the process that leaders can use working with their teams. One of Lynne’s greatest strength is to be in the moment with a group (or individual). She deals with the “here-and-now”, what’s happening in the room, vs. wedding herself to a structured agenda. Her understanding of group dynamics and the trust that she creates with a group allows this kind of exploration of deeper issues.

I have worked with Lynne for almost 15 years as a team member, team leader and now a CEO. She has provided exceptional facilitation for our team – breaking down boundaries and silos while improving the relationship, engagement, trust, and communication of our Executive Team which is cascading throughout the organization. Thanks to her patient and direct approach we are on our way to a highly performing organization.

Lynne has been my coach for 7 years through a number of transitions- from re-entering the workforce after taking extended family time, navigating a new company and corporate culture, to most recently becoming President and CEO.  I consider Lynne my professional sage. She asks reflective questions that allow me to discover the answers I seek.  She encourages and nurtures a reflective practice that creates a solid foundation from which to act.  I am grateful to Lynne for her wisdom, guidance, and friendship.  Lynne has also helped our company develop and protect a vibrant and healthy organizational culture.  She has facilitated group sessions on shared values, accountability, and facilitation skills.  We thoroughly enjoy Lynne’s dynamic presence, and we truly appreciate the healthy culture that she helps us create and protect.  Our employee satisfaction and engagement has increased substantially as a result of Lynne’s partnership.