Testimonials

I have learned so much about myself and how I can relate better with others, accomplish tasks better and quicker, and significantly decrease stress in my life. My ability to relate to others has improved dramatically across the board. Because of the understanding I have for my own skills and abilities, I am more prepared to handle most anything that I encounter.

—Sharon Orr, Co-owner and Manager, Admin & Finance: Notch Mechanical Constructors

I hope you are well. I just wanted to take a minute and let you know how much I truly appreciate the opportunity you gave me. Not only were you a fantastic, energetic and knowledgeable teacher but you became a person that I have much respect and admiration for. You have many things I am working towards, including what seems to be the perfect balance between career, life and fun. I won’t lie, at times hearing and then accepting some of the characteristics I possess was VERY hard, but how can I change those things without being aware of them? I can honestly say that within the last month I feel as if I am an entirely new person. I will never change the energy or good spirit I feel I have but I have taken serious notice when I begin to just give in or hold back what I REALLY want. There are days that I feel as if a gigantic weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I am much more aware of who I am as an individual now. It is beyond refreshing. I will always remember the things I learned in class as well as in the leadership program. This program has given me the chance to become a leader now. I am able to give my opinion and not worry about if everyone in the world is happy with it. It has made me aware of changes I need to make to be more successful. The lessons are unforgettable, and I hope that I can pass even a small bit of what I took in on to others. So – again, thank you millions for providing me such an amazing opportunity and a chance to start living truly happy. Cheers to you and your father!

—Heather Caisse, participant in Leadership Development Training and a graduate student in Ross’s Organizational Leadership class

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

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

We have used the Giombetti pre-employment assessment and Leadership Development classes for our management positions for several years. The assessment is so simple yet so accurate, I am always astonished at how deeply they can understand a person by having them answer just a few questions. The feedback sessions are probing, educational and most important, supportive. The assessment provides invaluable information that helps put the right person in their best role so both they and the organization see success. It is also a great tool for leaders/coaches to help guide and develop their team members, building on each person’s individual strengths. The Leadership Development classes get high marks from those who attend. They create a fun and safe environment to look inward, everyone leaves with skills to help them be a better person, co-worker, coach, leader.

—Kelly Turley, SVP Operations & Administration: W.W. Williams

Ideally, there aren’t huge surprises in these reviews. Even without major blind spots, there were a few takeaways that changed how I work with my team. The Giombetti review process validated that I remain calm under pressure, something I’ve always been proud of. What I learned, however, is that at times my calmness created doubt about whether I recognized situational urgency or would take necessary action. I also learned I wouldn’t lose credibility as a stoic leader if I occasionally expressed more direct and immediate feedback about things that can’t be tolerated.

We are all the masters of our intentions, but we can’t control how we’re perceived. Taking time to reflect on the gap between how we intend to show up and what others actually observe is important.

—Caleb Messer, Executive Chairman: GME Supply

I was introduced to Rick by a college buddy I was meeting for dinner. During dinner Rick was asking me way too many questions and I responded, “have you finished analyzing me yet?” Rick responded yes and proceeded to tell me about his company, Giombetti Associates, and offered to do a complete analysis on myself to show how the program worked.

That was in 2005. Afterwards I was so impressed with the process I immediately put my entire senior management team through the process. Everyone was amazed at how thorough the process was and how helpful it was to better understand themselves as leaders and a much clearer understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. I then had Rick put them all together and had him coach me as to how I could be a better leader by knowing how to interpret my skill set against theirs.

That session has been a key to my long and successful career as the President and now CEO of Savage Arms. It was also instrumental in helping us understand the contributing factors to our company culture. Since then we have not hired a single salaried employee without having an assessment done. Although not a perfect system it has really helped us from making many hiring mistakes. If I received a commission on all my referrals over the years I would be retired with Rick. I have never had a referral complaint.

—Al Kasper, President/CEO: Savage Arms

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

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

I’d recommend this course for anyone in management or preparing for management or working on teams.

—Jack Kennedy, Senior Director: Biosurgery R&D, U.S. Surgical

The programs offered by Giombetti Associates were beneficial in both my personal life and my career in human resources. If I could have changed only one thing, it would be to have participated in this program much earlier in my life.

—Deborah Beauchemin, Human Resources Supervisor: Atlas Copco Compressors, Inc.

I have had the privilege of working with Giombetti Associates for the past 20+ years. One of the reasons I continue to use their services is because I believe in their products.

As a leader in my organization, I have been entrusted with many responsibilities; however, nothing I do is more important than hiring and developing people. The assessment tools (Pre-Employment Assessments, Performance Dynamics, 360◦ Review and Leadership Development Training) provided by Giombetti Associates enable me to make better-informed decisions with respect to acquiring talent; while simultaneously delivering important insight to facilitate talent development.

The founder of Giombetti Associates, Rick Giombetti, once told me that “Leadership is a team sport.” Fortunately, the tools utilized by Giombetti Associates have created a win-win situation for their clients and their associates.

—Jim Porcaro, Vice President of Operations: Inline Plastics Corps.

We started using Giombetti several years ago when they were strongly recommended to us when I mentioned to another business leader that we were struggling to hire capable people that fit our culture. We are a small company, but growing rapidly, Giombetti has helped us hire and onboard about 20 people over the last several years and we are so pleased with the results. We are now bringing on top quality people who truly fit our culture. As we continue to grow, Giombetti is helping us develop the leadership team and improve our management staff. I consider them an essential asset to our continued growth and success.

—Dan Rocconi, President & CEO: Bixby International

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 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

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.

WOW! This program is a polite kick in the pants! If you truly want to improve, this program gives you the roadmap to follow for ultimate personal and leadership success. A must do for anyone at any level. I highly recommend this to EVERYONE!

—Nancy Marryat, Bank Manager: 360 Federal Credit Union

As Managing Partner of a private equity firm, I dedicate the majority of my time to talent—because leadership, culture and people are the driving forces behind growth and innovation at Incline and our portfolio companies.

I first met Ross while evaluating the many talent assessment options in the market. What stood out—and has continued to prove invaluable—is the proprietary Performance Dynamics® system developed by Giombetti & Associates. Their assessment offers remarkable insight into 17 core personality traits that drive individual behavior and performance. There are no “good” or “bad” scores—just an honest, data-driven profile of what makes someone tick. This enables clear, objective discussions around personal effectiveness, team dynamics and leadership development.  Perhaps most importantly, it helps explain why individuals get the results they do. That self-awareness opens the door to targeted behavioral shifts and better outcomes. Many of our leaders describe their first feedback session as an “aha moment”—unlocking clarity about their challenges and path forward.

We also partner with Giombetti for talent evaluation in hiring. Ross and his team take the time to understand not just the role, but also the company’s culture, team composition, pace and strategic context. This nuanced understanding ensures better hiring decisions—placing high-performing individuals who thrive within the unique environment. As a result, we’ve significantly reduced turnover across the portfolio.

Giombetti has been our trusted partner for years, and their impact on our growth has been substantial. Their ability to unlock potential in people is unmatched, and we’re proud to have them as our exclusive partner for talent assessment and development.
— Jack Glover, Managing Partner

Jack Glover Managing Partner

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

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

We have worked with Giombetti Associates for close to ten years. Their Leadership Training Program has helped us prepare quite a few high-potential people for transition to leadership roles. In addition, Ross and his team have helped us learn more about ourselves through the Performance Dynamics assessments and have helped us strategize on ways to develop stronger teams throughout our organization. I’ve always found their guidance to be practical, and accurate, and more importantly, they truly care about the people they help.

—Craig Reed, CFO: All States Materials Group