Strategies for Change and Engagement

Design and implement strategies for change.

Frontline and mixed workforces thrive when they are given agency.

Leaders can support action via tools, people, process, and culture. I help organizations act.

“It’s not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating, they have to be about change.” – Miles Davis

Experience

Decades of accelerating pace and scale of organizational change have left workforces exhausted and disengaged. What’s suffering is the human bottom line. If your company struggles through disengagement, apathy, psychic exhaustion, talent loss, or people staying in jobs because of fear or financial need, it’s time for a deeper solution.

In a world where where 70% of change programs fail, worker engagement is at historic lows and adaptability and creativity are among the most-needed skills for the future of business. I help organizations create change that leaves both the organization and its people thriving.

I use strategic storytelling, natural organization champions, employee listening, and your data to build programs that activate and engage because they are co-created with your people, not just directed at them.

Education

I studied Journalism and minored in Psychology. It’s a combination that gives me a love of finding root causes and storytelling (isn’t it interesting how those things are sometimes at cross-purposes?).

Additional certifications I hold include:

LUMA Institute Human-Centered Design Practitioner
LUMA Institute Facilitator
NVC Group Facilitation
Prosci® Certified Change Practitioner
Firstup Product Certified
Institute of Organization Development Organizational Development Process (ODPC) certified professional

I also incorporate formal training in mediation, conflict resolution, and non-violent communication (NVC) principles into how I work.

What Clients and Colleagues Say

In our 4+ years working together, Rachel has been invaluable for projects where the employee experience vis a vis technology and communications was at the core. Clients deeply trust Rachel, which means our projects have always been collaborative and meaningful. I highly recommend Rachel as a partner or leader for engagements where companies need thoughtful, experienced, creative, honest advice to ensure that tech and people work well together for the long term.

Carrie Marshall, Founder
Talk Social to Me and Basecamp Lassen

Rachel worked with our team for over a year and was undeterred in asking the hard questions we needed to hear as we went through the change management work of launching a giant communications initiative for our employees. She brought great ideas to the team and I often think to myself, “WWRD?” (What Would Rachel Do?) The impact of her work will always be present for our internal communications platform.

Stephanie Ramos, Director of Internal Communications
Healthcare organization

Rachel can be comfortable in a variety of situations. She’s naturally observant, insightful and a clear communicator who is able to apply those talents to help inspire organizations and individuals grow and evolve. What I appreciated most about working with Rachel was her ability to, almost instantly, explain complex topics in a relatable way. Every time she engaged, whether with leaders for buy-in or with collaborators for ‘retraining,’ Rachel brought fact-based and very compelling counsel.

Kat Mereigh
Client who worked with Rachel

Rachel facilitated a human-centered design session among volunteers we hope to recruit more deeply to advancing awareness of our cause. She convened an interactive and creative experience that removed us from our familiar ways of brainstorming and shifted us into ideation.

Her process helped us expand not just how we were thinking about things, but also to reimagine what constituted engagement. She then helped us refine our volunteers’ ideas into specific actions that were easiest to execute on and that had the highest impact. Rachel helped us reframe our challenge and increased our comfort with new approaches to creating awareness of our cause. Her impact will is expected to be felt beyond our next event.

David K., Nonprofit Director
Lorraine K., Volunteer Lead

Rachel joined the HR Strategy Forum as a committee member to add outreach to the group’s collective skills. Within a few weeks, the board recognized her unique contributions as an advocate for the interests of senior HR professionals and chose to promote her to a Board Member at Large so she could bring even more value to the organization. Rachel is an expert at fostering interactive relationships her leadership has helped HRSF challenge the way we think about our mission to build community and collaboration.

Craig Ramsay
Board President
HR Strategy Forum

Additional references can be found on LinkedIn.

Results

I have helped companies build their brands inside and outside of company walls. My results have produced outcomes such as successful events, adoption, increased employee engagement scores, risk prevention, and leader behavior change that shifted perspective, attitude, and action for employees.

My early career experience in marketing, public relations, and digital communications has always centered the customer’s story as the heart beat of success. I’ve worked through and adopted the technologies that have been part of digital life (social and mobile) for the past 20+ years.

Agency Work

Since 2013 I have been a consultant working clients of Bink, Talk Social to Me, Redefining Communications, and others. I have led and worked on employee communications, executive thought leadership, change transformation, collaboration, and cultural transformations with large enterprises, technology companies, non-profits, and philanthropic foundations. Some organizations I’ve worked with include: Becton Dickinson, Genentech, Peninsula Open Space Trust, Roche, Splunk, Spotify, Stanford Seed, UNICEF, United Rentals, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Cisco Systems and Intuit

I have helped companies like Cisco Systems and Intuit use online customer communities to create new products, services, and offer more cost effective customer support. I was a founding team member for the Cisco Learning Network which grew to 900,000+ members. The community generated learning product sales of $1m+ annually. I helped Intuit retain 30 super users in the QuickBooks help community at a time of deep changes to the company’s flagship product.

Startup Companies & Non-Profits

My early career centered on storytelling. At heart, I’m always a marketer and have had success thanks to my ability build relationships. I was part of two successful initial public offerings for companies in business intelligence tools and mobile security. I also spent 5 years in the non-profit sector helping organizations serve humanitarian, arts education, child development and professional association missions. Since 2019, I have been a board member and internal advisor to multiple non-profit organizations.

What's My Human Element

I think “outside the box” and take action with ideas, wisdom, and savvy relevant to your company’s environment or situation. I am passionate about the complexities of people in the workplace and helping organizations innovate to create a resilient and agile future of work.

For four years, I produced Agile Vocalist, a podcast about sound and the performing arts. I come from a long line of horse lovers.

Perspectives You Can Use

Culture Shift? Don’t Underestimate Perception and Storytelling

Perception crafts value. This was an interesting lesson I took via my artist-friend’s restoration of an 1876 first edition of Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. While the book looked worn, the careful repairs maintained its narrative integrity, amplifying...

Leadership Culture That Leans into Shift

Did you know there's someone in your company whose time and influence scales much more quickly than a typical employee? Don't overlook the power of your leaders—they set the tone, demonstrate the behaviors that are most appropriate, and possess the...

Amplify Frontline Employee Engagement

In today's dynamic business environment, reaching and engaging remote employees, such as frontline, plant-based, or field workers, is a significant challenge. These overlooked individuals possess untapped wisdom and ideas for improving the company,...

Change your world.

Let’s talk

I look forward to working with you!

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