Testimonials

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.

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

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

So you want to be a superstar? This assessment is not only accurate, it’s fun! I now know my own behavior in personal and professional communications. It has been extremely helpful in sales and conflict management with fellow team members and business associates.

—Ken Stacey, Sales Engineer: Belt Technologies

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

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.

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

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

ComDoc has had the privilege of working with Giombetti Associates for over 20+ years. Initially, our intent was to incorporate their behavioral testing tools to identify talent and add an element of science to our recruiting process. Although these behavioral assessments and tools have provided a foundation for decision making on incoming personnel as well as our existing talent, the real value has gone well beyond these basic tools. As an organization, personal and professional development has become an integral strategy to the growth of our business which has allowed us to retain our leadership team, and in turn, our organization’s talent at all levels.

The impact that Ross Giombetti and his team has had relative to succession planning, leadership development, and improvements in teaching and coaching have all contributed to our exceptional growth in both revenue and profitability. Currently, our organization is undergoing a tremendous amount of change and transition. Our relationship with Giombetti Associates will help us navigate through these challenging times and provide outside perspective that reinforces how important leadership and development are to an organizations’ success.

One very specific example is a tool identified as the “User Manual” in which approximately twelve of our senior leaders have developed and refined in an effort to improve the strength of our team. This tool, developed by Giombetti, is a roadmap that our leaders can share with their teams to provide a very transparent picture of their leader’s style, strengths, vulnerabilities, and expectations. This tool has stimulated tremendous dialog with our leadership team and reinforces the value of servant leadership and provides a very clear picture of what it takes to be a successful leader at ComDoc. Having Giombetti facilitate these tools and provide face-to-face feedback to our leadership group, along with senior leadership involvement, has been instrumental.

Our partnership has strengthened over the years with Giombetti due to their ability to add tangible and measurable outcomes for our leadership team and our entire organization. I want to share my personal thanks to Ross and his entire team for adding tremendous value to the most important ingredient to our success, and that is our people!

—Stu Wise, Regional President: ComDoc, A Xerox Company

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

For nearly 30 years, our team at Riverlake Partners has engaged Giombetti & Associates to help improve our odds of success for key hires across our portfolio companies nationwide. As we build executive teams, we rely on Giombetti’s Performance Dynamics® to assess the qualities and characteristics of each leader, with the goal of assembling highly functional teams where individual strengths and weaknesses complement one another.

One of the first steps in building our leadership teams is the implementation of Giombetti’s 360 Degree Review process, beginning with the CEO and expanding from there. This approach creates buy-in, encourages honest feedback and provides real data to address challenges and build on strengths. Without real feedback, credibility—and ultimately success—is difficult to achieve.

—Erik Krieger, Partner: Riverlake Partners

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.

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

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.

Ross shared a story in class about a guy who was always walking ahead of his family, it was like he was describing me. My family and I went to a pumpkin patch over the weekend and I made a conscious effort to SLOW down and move at their pace. I intentionally did not mention anything about my pace and could feel a better energy from my wife and kids from not being rushed around.

 I mentioned it before but feel it warrants being brought up again. I truly felt like I had known the Giombetti staff for years. It seemed that they all were there to help me be a better person. I know that we all make money doing our jobs, but you would have thought you guys were getting paid millions of dollars for each smile you invoked from the group. To me it felt like a real connection from the beginning. THANK YOU!

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

I would not think of hiring for a key position without utilizing the Performance Dynamics® assessment. The process is so enlightening for all parties involved.

—Nan Hurlburt, CEO: DesignWorks

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

I was unsure what this training could do for me and afterwards it is life changing. A true self development assessment that applies to every aspect of life.

—Timothy Gilbert, Production Manager: ProTech Industries

The Giombetti Leadership program has changed my life and helped me discover who I am. As I look back on this experience, this program helped me be a better team player, a happier person and overall a better leader in all aspects of my life. The team members create an atmosphere that allows you to improve yourself and truly discover who you are.

—Katie Acciardo

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.

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