amy_tolbert

Amy S. Tolbert, Ph.D., CSP develops multicultural organizations and individuals by bringing you cutting-edge topics, such as, multicultural and diversity initiatives, leadership competency development, managing to style, and creating breakthrough teams.

She is principal of Effecting Creative Change in Organizations (ECCO International), which specializes in increasing individuals’ productivity and organizations’ profitability through e-learning, technology and facilitated learning.

Addressing diversity and multicultural issues, cross-cultural training, and managing a diverse workforce, Dr. Tolbert has researched multicultural competencies needed for today’s global organization. She has authored a book, Reversing the Ostrich Approach to Diversity: Pulling your head out of the sand, a timely answer to the renewed urgency for actionable diversity information. The tool presents five, simple concepts for diversity awareness, which focuses on 5 key concepts. The Ostrich book also has been translated and distributed in Saudi Arabia and China. In other arenas, she is known as the co-author of The Princess Principle: Women helping women discover their royal spirit. She has also co-authored and presented the Discovering Diversity Profile, a popular self-assessment tool, at the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) International Conference and the Inscape (formerly Carlson Learning) Publishing International Conference. She has presented nationally and internationally at the International Human Resource Development Organization Conference; the International Management Development Organization; the “Quality Workforce,” a national conference co-sponsored by ASTD, and has been invited to present at the 2005 National Speakers Association (NSA) National Convention on diversity. She developed the Integrating Diversity Profile, which assesses key areas for organizations to focus their time and energies regarding diversity efforts. As a result, she is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) with NSA as well. The CSP is the speaking profession’s international measure of experience and skill. Fewer than 10 percent of the speakers who belong to the International Federation for Professional Speakers hold this professional designation.

As a best-selling contributing author with HRD Press (50 Activities for Achieving Excellent Customer Service) and published by the American Management Association (AMACOM) in early 2005, Dr. Tolbert consults and trains nationally in the areas of multicultural competency development, increasing influence in organizations, managing within a diverse workforce, motivation and leadership skills. Her diverse client list includes 3M, Best Buy, Mayo Clinic, Andersen Windows, Lawson Software, BlackBox, United Way, Ford Motor Company, Becton-Dickinson and King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

As a Fellow, Carlson Executive Development Center, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, Dr. Tolbert earned her doctorate in Human Resource Development, focusing on international/cross-cultural and diversity education/training, from the University of Minnesota. She continues to support her alma mater by serving as adjunct faculty for several annual programs at the Carlson Executive Development Center and presents in the PT-MBA and Executive-MBA programs.

Areas of Expertise:

Communication

Diversity

Leadership

Team Building

An audience of 1 to 1000 – but only those who want to explore new possibilities and who want RESULTS!

She is the first to say, “Hire the talent that fits your need rather than trying to force-fit your need into our available talent.” If she’s not a good fit, she will refer you to someone who is.

Every solution requires the organization’s culture embedded in it – that is why we design customized solutions based on your individual desired outcomes while keeping a respectful eye on cost factors to deliver to your budget.

Dr. Tolbert can readily adapt to your schedule, not ask you to fit into hers. Turnaround times are reduced and adapting to sudden changes can be accommodated so that your project goals are met.

Although the image of an ostrich burying its head in the sand is based on myth rather than fact, it is the perfect icon to depict the many avoidance tactics we use to deal with difficult issues at work – including diversity. All the running, hiding, and avoiding (i.e., the ostrich approach) won’t change what’s going on around us. We need to make a commitment to “pull our heads out of the sand” so that we can communicate more clearly and effectively with one another.

This program – designed to engage your heart, mind, and imagination – will focus on techniques for communicating effectively across differences. Participants will have an opportunity to analyze situations demonstrating workplace communications and language choices, explore the assumptions made, and decide how to respond or recover – depending on whether one’s “head is in or out of the sand”!

Have you thought about the impact that cultural differences have on sales/service success? Did you ever wonder the cost of “not knowing” on your team’s performance? In this session, we will explore the cultural and organizational dimensions that most impact your team’s success. We will examine 5 key continuums of cultural behavior that most impact interactions in a multicultural workplace and then create techniques to overcome culture clash.

We will devise potential solutions for real-world global issues experienced, and create an action plan to improve communication and results with global customers. The end result is to create a Global Team Toolkit (Key to Building Global Team Success) to enhance productivity and improve both internal employee communication as well as client, customer or patient communications.

Communicating Across Styles

Communication is key to building positive relationships with others. As we strive to communicate effectively, why do we find it easy to communicate with some individuals while communicating with others creates conflict and confusion? This program will focus on interpersonal communication styles and the dynamics of cross-cultural communication. Participants will complete a behavioral profile (DiSC®) to assess their communication style and will also practice skills to more effectively communicate across styles.

Respect: How it impacts interpersonal effectiveness and productivity

To reach our full potential at work, we must feel valued and respected for our contributions. Being appreciated and supported in our work environment increases self-confidence and workplace productivity. We each play a role in creating a positive work environment and workplace productivity. We each play a role in creating a positive work environment. In this program, characteristics that demonstrate respect and cultural factors that influence behavior will be identified. The impact of individual choice and actions you can take to promote a respectful, trusting workplace will also be discussed.

Promoting Respect and Responsibility: My role as a manager/supervisor

The increasing diversity in the work force creates opportunities for team members to learn from each other and appreciate the differences each of us brings to the workplace. The supervisor plays a key role in promoting and supporting respect and responsibility within the work team. In this program, supervisors will develop strategies for promoting respect in the workplace by focusing on individual responsibility.

Discover Your Spirit Within: Using Stories to Transform

Are you aware of your Royal Spirit? The local author of The Princess Principle: Women Helping Women Discover Their Royal Spirit, will share insights for awakening your own Royal Spirit. Come meet the author of “The Year of Surrender” the title of just one of the chapters in a book co-authored by 18 women who have turned adversity into accomplishment.

She will share her story with you and lead you on an adventure into self-discovery – how to identify the stories of your life and use them to break through boundaries that limit your potential. Awakening our Royal Spirit will help you see life from new perspectives.

I consider this an opportunity to show my appreciation for her knowledge, passion and contribution to our business success. I have watched with amazement as audiences and attitudes were transformed by her words. Dr. Tolbert is able to take very complex and politically sensitive information and make it relevant and impactful…without her, our programs wouldn’t be nearly as effective. Jim Studak Strategic Account Executive BI Worldwide

Where would we be without you? Still planning interventions, rather than reaping the rewards from an award winning program, that where! Michael Rosingana

Amy has an exceptional ability to engage her audience, regardless of the audience level or the topic. She has worked not only with our high potential manager, but also was very effective and engaging in establishing rapport and gaining commitment from our senior executives. Her enthusiastic and positive personality translates effectively into an action-oriented style that connects with her audiences and motivates action and behavior changes. Alan Perry Vice President Human Resources Blackbox

We have worked with Dr. Tolbert to present a management education series to our management staff in Saudi Arabia. Our relationship with her has proven to be very beneficial and we highly recommend her for management development topics, from beginners to high-level executive development. Jan Kazan-Jammal, MT, MA

Administrator King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

I have known Dr. Tolbert and had the privilege to professionally partner with her since 1997, although she’s been an integral part of our services since 1990. I know my colleagues at 3M agree that when you look up “collaboration” in the dictionary, there is a picture of Amy! Davina Mosher Manager, HRD3M Leadership Development and Learning 3M