Testimonials

Hey guys,

I wanted to take a few days to reflect and absorb the training and see how some of the suggestions and realizations from last week played out once I was back in “the real world”, before sending this email to you. I won’t lie and tell you that I did not come into this training with a certain amount of skepticism. I have done a few of these types of things over my career before and quite frankly, I thought they were a great way for the people presenting to make a living. I mean, you get to stand up in front of a room full of people and tell them how to be a better (fill in the blank here), and how to contribute to their companies in a more effective manner. And get payed for it!

A few things that I observed to help make this a different dynamic are as follows.

1. You all sat at the same level as us.
   • There wasn’t any feeling of this being a PRESENTATION. It truly felt like a discussion. Which I’m sure was by design. It made it so comfortable to actually share thoughts and ideas. It’s much easier to check out when you are being “talked to”.
     1. I have tried to be mindful of my body language and positioning when I have had discussions with team members, co-workers, or family.
2. You allowed us to have different goals.
   • What I mean by this is, you allowed us to have different end games for this training. I know some of the team wanted to try to reach problem employees or be a better manager, while some others wanted to focus on how to be a better husband, father or friend. As well as the evolution of that goal. Some of the statements about the takeaways at the end were not in line with what they thought they would get out of it.
     1. No names, but several folks that said they wanted to be a better manager or better leader at the end talked about not being real or open with personal relationships versus the professional aspect. I think the correlation between who you are outside of work, as a person, and who your team thinks you are was eye opening. At least it was to me!!
     2. I have made a concerted effort to try to make sure that I am sensitive to the fact that different people want/need different things. And that’s OK!
3. You were real!
   • This is huge for me. I like to think that I have a pretty good B.S. meter and the minute the needle starts to move; I tend to shut down and just get through the interaction as quickly and painlessly as possible.
     1. From the second we came in, you all had big smiles and warm invite
     2. You shared personal stories that left you out there, vulnerable. This helped me be real and open.

I can’t tell you how much warmth and genuine compassion I felt from all of you during the training. I know my goodwill score is 96, which I’m sure contributes to me being a bit sappy at times, but I was a bit surprised that I got emotional in a room full of strangers when I talked about how I want to make things better with my family. I know that is a direct result of the environment that you ALL built over the course of the 3 days.

Not to keep going on, but I wanted to share a couple things that I have already done differently that I know was appreciated, even though nobody said a word. The first was as my family sat down for our weekly board game night, I made sure that I was the one to make sure that everyone had drinks, snacks whatever we needed before we started. That has always just been handled by Michelle, my wife. There is NO reason that she needs to be the last one to sit down, even if she doesn’t complain. Another thing is we were going to the grocery store and I turned the radio station to the one that my family likes. The world stopped for a minute…LOL . I despise 95% of the music on “their” station! I mean how can you go wrong with listening to Boston or Van Morrison??? But in that moment of pain and despair of listening to the latest and greatest from, whatever the flavor of the week was, I noticed all 3 of them kind of bounce their heads a bit to the rhythm. That was cool. I mean really, why should I get to decide what music we listen to ALL THE TIME? Just because I happen to be the one driving, which oh by the way, I don’t want anyone else to drive but me??? To quote a very wise man…that’s BAD, BAD, BAD. STOP IT! Haha, I must have heard Rick say that 40 times last week!!

Seriously guys, thank you all for the love and compassion that I felt from all of you. It means more than I can tell you! I look forward to speaking with you soon. Take care.

—Ernie Edgell, Manager C&I Field Sales: IGS Energy

The three-day seminar was perfect for me. I needed that deep dive into understanding how each trait is developed, displayed and used to understand me and the impact I have on others. The side benefit is that you get to understand both sides of the coin and that turns the lights on when thinking about how other people in your life create, deal with or flee from circumstances.  If we are to seek to understand rather than be understood, this is a great place to begin by understanding yourself.

—Vance Mauldin, Vice President: Team Fishel

This assessment was very eye-opening…and accurate. It’s a hard pill to swallow when someone tells you about the things you really need to improve upon. If it wasn’t for this assessment, I would be on the wrong path, believing I was on the right one.

—Darleen Ringenbach, Customer Service Manager: City Stamp Works, Inc.

It will absolutely have an impact on my leadership style, but also my personal style. A lot of the concepts and ideas cross all facets of my life. The personal development will have a positive impact to my personal and professional life. I am learning that when I am mindful of my opportunities, I am identifying when they kick in and am trying different approaches and seeing different results.

It has been awesome to see this influence my day to day. I find myself thinking about my go to action or the actions of my teammates. Not from the aspect of right or wrong, but from a place of understanding mine/their strengths and go-to responses. It has influenced my thought process in that moment, but also opened my “judgement” in those situations.

—Dustin Marshall, Operations Lead: IGS Energy

Tremendous content, real life examples. Hit home on many levels. It has knocked home the traits that I need to improve, as well as the traits I need to manage. With this knowledge, I should excel.

—Kenneth Smith, Plant Manager: Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.

Great experience! Gives you tools to improve your effectiveness. Provided the opportunity to role play and interact with peers who are faced with similar challenges to be effective with our personnel. I learned that collaboration and communication are important skills to use to solve any problem. Rick Giombetti and his staff created a challenging and fun packed seminar.

—David Cistoldi, President: FLN-MAR Rubber & Plastics, Inc.

Giombetti’s Performance Dynamics® process provides an honest and accurate assessment of success or failure as it relates to key critical elements of leadership. Every dollar invested in this process is returned to the company’s bottom line.

—Robert Archambeault, Human Resource Manager: Atlas Copco Compressors, Inc.

We’ve made Giombetti Associates part of the Market Mentors human resources team for many years. Whether we are hiring new staff or helping current team members grow and develop, the Giombetti team provides us with solid insight and practical advice. All of our employees receive the results of their Performance Dynamics assessments, so everyone has a clear understanding of their personality traits and how they fit within the team. This enables us to work more efficiently and helps ensure ongoing growth and development for each individual and our firm as a whole.

—Michelle Abdow, President: Market Mentors, LLC

Over many years we have relied heavily on GA to be an integral part of building teams that are transparent, vulnerable, and self-aware which has been a foundation to long-term business success. As a leader, Ross and his team have played a significant role in my journey and development.

—Jason Moore, CEO: IGS Energy Home Services: CEO of IGS Home Warranty & Vice President of IGS Energy

I have great admiration for what you and Rick do because you DO change lives. I hope at some point I have shown the proper gratitude, but if not let me thank you for all that you have done for me in the past because you have helped me tremendously. I am thankful that Baich brought you into IGS when he did because a cloud has been lifted off me that I didn’t even know was there! Self-deception is a tricky thing in that it is easily hidden behind a high paced environment and even “success.” Although I have a long way to go, I wouldn’t have started without Giombetti, and a company that cares enough to take this path. I look forward to continuing our relationship. You need to take my wife and I to one of your Italian restaurants in Boston.

—Stu Arthur, Vice President of Sales: IGS Energy

Working with Giombetti Associates, especially Ross and Bill, was an outstanding experience for our team. Their ability to help individuals understand their nature and nurture characteristics, paired with actionable development plans and SMART goals, significantly elevated both individual and team performance. As a focused, high-performing aerospace and defense company, the 360 Degree Review and our partnership with Giombetti Associates have made us more aligned, accountable and collectively more productive. I highly recommend this program to any company looking to deepen self-awareness and elevate team performance.

—Joe Feula, President : MagSeal

Excellent workshop and learning presentation from a family/team who not only is sincere about their mission but also deeply caring for others in striving for promoting personal development.

—Bob Garde, President: Magnetic Seal Corporation

Should you use Giombetti? Only if you are thinking of hiring, promoting, expanding, training, or doing anything else with employees.

—Dave Ratner, President: Dave’s Soda & Pet City

Giombetti’s 360 Degree Review process provides leaders with clear, actionable feedback from every angle, which is critical in fast-moving, highly collaborative environments. We use the process at Incline and across our portfolio companies to help leaders understand how they are experienced by teams, peers and stakeholders. That awareness fuels better coaching, stronger communication and teams that work together more effectively.

—April Simile, Partner: Incline Equity Partners

This program was the start and push that I needed when I was in high school and I still utilize many of the lessons that they taught me. Through hard work and perseverance and some GA help, I am now a wastewater engineer. I will be forever grateful for the chance to be a part of this great program and for being able to talk with them even after I graduated high school and college.

—Olivia Hicklin

This is an opportunity you should not pass up. It will change your life almost immediately if you give them your attention. Both in the long and short term, you will learn lessons that it can take other people years to figure out and some may never realize!

—Matthew Garbecki

I found the whole process to be amazing and eye opening. Providing such useful & personalized information in a non-threatening environment was great.  All the information was presented with just the right balance of humor and tact.  For anyone who is serious about being the best leader they can be, I recommend this program. The folks from Giombetti Associates provided support and guidance the whole way through resulting in a wonderful experience. I highly recommend this leadership program.

—David Betrune, Executive Director: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County/Hartsprings Foundation

As CEO and President of MIR, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Giombetti Associates for over 12 months. As a seasoned executive, with an international background, I’ve worked with a handful of similar firms both in Europe and N. American. Without doubt, the approach, processes and “style” of Ross and the team puts them as my premier partner of choice. Not only do they perform their assessments, they get to know the individuals. They get to understand the business culture and refine the individual’s personal programs to suit both business and team needs.

Of significant note is their ability to deliver “opportunity areas for each person” in a direct but empathetic manner.

They have had a significant effect on our “team working and togetherness.” Individual performance and growth are evident across our organization which I attribute to our working with Giombetti. We continue to build our relationship with Ross and the team and tailoring individual programs for continued growth of the business and our colleagues.

—Brian McSharry, CEO: MidWest Industrial Rubber, Inc. A portfolio Company of Incline Equity Partners

The feedback we get from Giombetti allows us to get a deeper view into what each prospective employee brings to the table. We know that the best teams include a range of personality styles, but that can sometimes lead to clashes as well. We work closely as a team, so the insight Giombetti provides helps us learn the best ways to work together and communicate. That understanding goes a long way and has really helped in our hiring process and our growth as a team.

—John Morely, Managing Partner: Incline Equity Partners

They did an amazing job of individualizing their advice to each of us. They recognized where our strengths were and found our weaknesses, but only sought to improve them.

—Will Ryan

Giombetti Associates helped me understand the different characteristics that made me who I was. This gave me an idea of what I needed to work on going forward to become more of a leader. Going through the program was life-changing for me and my confidence.

—Daniel Nygren