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

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

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

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

Eager to take things to the next level in our organization. We retained Giombetti Associates to strengthen the existing leadership team and attract other high performers to our organization through their screening process. In less than one year, we have seen remarkable improvements in individual and team performance.

—Rocco Falcone, President and CEO: Rocky’s Ace Hardware

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

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

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.

She listened to what my daughter’s goals were – got to really know who she was as a person and was able to set her on her best path forward – and since we are in FL, all this was done via Zoom calls – even more impressive in my opinion to make that kind of connection over zoom

—Stacey Russo, Director of Sales

W.F. Young, Inc. has worked with Giombetti Associates for more than 17 years. We have every employee go through the process at least once when they start with the company and many go through multiple times as they develop within the company or need some additional guidance in their career.

We find the information to be valuable for the company, helping to understand the employees, knowing what motivates them, how much or little information they need to do their work and how to best match up teams, just to name a few. However, the biggest benefit, I believe, is for the employees themselves – most come into the company without ever having done much self-reflection.

It is incredibly empowering to understand your own make-up and get a sense of who you are and how you approach your life and work. I have personally been through the assessment multiple times and I continue to learn and figure out how to enhance the areas that are helping me develop, and working with the team at Giombetti, better manage those traits that are maybe preventing me from growing both personally and professionally.

—Vicki Evans, Vice President/CFO: W.F. Young, Inc.

My experience shows through in my everyday life. I came to realize my patience level was beneficial in school during group projects, and that I needed to strengthen my dominance to assert my needs. Overall, this program has given me skills and valuable lessons that brought me to the success I have today.

—Grace Beaupre

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

A one-hour conversation with Rick revealed more about my management style than I had learned in five years of management experience.

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

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.

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

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.

I’m normally not a fan of the management and team building processes or classes that I’ve taken in the past—they tend to fall on the cookie cutter side where the same one or two solutions fit everyone and generally these classes are a waste of time. I feel the approach you take is much more tailored to the individual and group and therefore much more beneficial to everyone involved.

—Paul Leanza, Director: Interstate Gas Supply, Inc.

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

In addition to recommending and placing A+ leaders within our organization, Giombetti Associates has also provided our leadership team with the tools, structure, and guidance which has helped enable us to successfully scale our organization to meet an increased customer demand for our products and services. Our relationship with Giombetti Associates is now into its 7^th year and continues today due to not only their expertise and breadth of services, but also the manner in which they provide their services. The GA staff is always friendly, outgoing, and energetic. Their honest and personal approach that they take with their clients is something that sets them apart from the ‘fly-by-night’ and internet competition. It is because of these that we hope to continue our relationship for years to come!

—Bobby O’Neil, Director of Operations: Aegis Energy Services

I have been in leadership positions for over 25 years. I have been to leadership and management training with at least ten different companies. I have used dozens of agencies to assist with hiring and employee development support. When it comes time for me to make the most important hires, the biggest team or personnel decisions, maximize a well-staffed team’s performance, or bring a group of extremely diverse views together for the greater good of the business, Giombetti Associates is the one place I return. They understand business and they understand people better than any similar entity I have ever worked with.

—Jeff Carpenter, CEO: ProTech Industries