Testimonials

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

It might go without saying that the personal assessments, group discussions, and skill building workshops were all integral components of this remarkable mentoring program, but what was truly exceptional in my mind was the genuine individualized care, attention, and motivation embodied by each and every member of the Giombetti team.

Their methods to ignite personal growth in students are truly top-notch, and the authentic compassion and energy that they bring to the table are truly unique and unparalleled.

—Timothy J. Scully

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

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.

People often say after their time at this training that “they learned a lot about themselves.” I see it differently. I knew a lot of what their assessment said. I just didn’t know how it all tied together. This assessment and training have changed my life. It has given me a perspective that I never had before. I went into this expecting to learn how to be a better manager. It taught me how to be a better man. To be the leader I wanted to be, I first had to become the person I wanted to be. I have always attacked everything in my life with passion and a drive, with the purpose of being successful. The problem I had was how I measured success. To me, success was how much money did I make? What job title did I hold? Did I win or lose? After my time with Rick and Ross I have learned the true measure of success will be my legacy. How many lives have I impacted? What will people say about me when I am gone? I have tried to instill this in my associates to build a culture of striving to be the best people we can be and to always do the right thing. What it has shown us is that if we can motivate people with more than just money and give them a larger purpose, the rewards are longer lasting and more fulfilling.

—Rob Phillipo

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

This is the coaching of being you that so many teenagers and adults need.  We are all perfectly imperfect and have limitless growth potential to be our best selves.

—Stephen Hale

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

This is one of the best self-reflective programs I have attended. It included participants from various background with different styles that helped to balance the workshop. I would recommend this to all the team members – It digs deep – Great tool.

—Malik Surani, Human Resources Manager: Tigre-ADS USAm Inc.

Ross, Rick and their team create an atmosphere of focused learning in their leadership workshop. The tool (Performance Dynamics assessment) that they have developed and refined creates a level of self-awareness that all leaders should be in tune with. They allow you to understand that you can manage that which you appreciate.

—Peter Brunault, Director of Human Resources: Williams Distributing

This 3-day program has allowed me to see how my leadership traits have made me into the person that I am today and that I have the ability to change them. My area that I am really trying to focus on is being able to enter into a conversation without being predisposed as to how it is going to end. Valuing all viewpoints so that I can grow as a person and allow others to feel valued and grow as well.

—Dan Hromada, Regional Sales Manager: IGS Energy

At Incline and across our portfolio companies, we operate at a fast pace and hold teams to a very high standard. Giombetti’s 360 Degree Review program gives us a clear, well-rounded view of how our leaders are showing up across the organization—not just what they deliver, but how they lead. That perspective is invaluable for focused coaching and for building aligned, high-performing teams in demanding environments.

—Jack Glover, Managing Partner: Incline Equity Partners

We use Rick’s assessment process 100 percent of the time for hiring management positions. It’s highly accurate and extremely informative. We don’t hire without it!

—Jeb Balise, President: Balise Motor Sales Company

Giombetti Associates has been integral in my growth and development as a leader. The many phone calls and meetings have helped me to better understand how I can be the most effective leader where I am while continuing to work on my areas of opportunity. I recently accepted a promotion within my organization and Giombetti is a big reason why I was prepared for that opportunity. I will continue to use Giombetti as my career evolves for myself and my teams.

I am truly grateful for your team and your passion to help me (and others) get better!

—Kevin Kapostasy, Market Manager: IGS Energy

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 process allows us to view the candidate from several directions, including a comparison to the current staff. It is an extra dimension to the typical recruiting process.

—Lawrence Goldman, Vice President and General Manager: Tekkote Corp.

We have been working with Giombetti Associates for the past eight years partnering with them both on candidate selection and development. The candidate selection process provides us a deeper level of evaluation of each candidate and insight into how the candidate may perform and behave. The assessment results enhance our ability to dig in deeper to ensure we are selecting the right candidate for the role. In addition, the Giombetti team has become an important part in the continued development of our people.

We work with Ross and Amanda to understand the potential of each person and to determine how to manage and guide them through their individual development needs. Our employees appreciate the feedback, even though it is tough at times. This feedback allows them to become more self-aware of their tendencies and behaviors and adjust accordingly.

Giombetti has also been instrumental in teambuilding within our business and facilitates sessions focused on team dynamics and performance. This provides the atmosphere for people to have raw conversations, get to know each other on a deeper level and increase trust and respect. Giombetti has been a great partner to IGS and an asset to our people.

—Jenni Kovach, Chief People Officer: IGS Energy

Great time saver! We end up with highly qualified, motivated candidates. Takes a lot of the guess work out of the hiring decision.

—Mike Callahan, CFO: RiverBend Medical Group

In order to effectively lead personnel, one must understand him or herself first. To me, this was the best training I’ve ever had to help one look inward, and discover one’s own management style.

—Rick Lamb, Plant Manager: Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.

Trust the process and be true to yourself and the people around you. The leaders at Giombetti are the best of the best. They are there to support you and highlight all the things you do well and support you to dial in the things that will make you a better leader at work, and better person in your family life. Have open and honest conversations with them, they will lead to a positive transformation. I have never met a more trusting, honest and kind group of people. I’m excited to see myself grow. I only wish I met them and worked with them sooner in life.

—Melissa Peters, Human Resource Generalist: Notch Mechanical Constructors

Our company, particularly upper management, put a lot of stock in the Performance Dynamics® assessment. It is fast becoming a crucial criterion for selection to executive positions in our company. We are also beginning to utilize the PDA for selection of new managers, as well.

—Rick Lamb, Plant Manager: Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.