The Institute for Organization & Development

Building Cathedrals: The Power of Purpose is based on a story that has been told for over 300 years that illustrates the most productive and successful people in life are those of purpose. And while many have heard a version of this apocryphal story, Greg Coker has discovered the origin of this life-changing story to the world’s most famous architect, Christopher Wren, who was commissioned to rebuild Saint Paul’s Cathedral after the fire of 1666 that devastated London.

Greg Coker captivates as he enriches this story dissecting the leadership qualities of Christopher Wren and revisiting the fire of 1666 and its redemptive qualities not only to London but in our personal lives as well. He introduces a powerful metaphor, a “Cathedral,” as something that adds purpose to our lives, that drives our behavior, while encouraging us to not only find our “Cathedral,” but to help and support others in finding their “Cathedral.” The “Bricklayers” in the story provide the backdrop for a rich discussion on employee engagement and the dynamics that occur in modern day organizations. The highlight of the book and the speech are personal stories of people who are building modern day “Cathedrals” and those who have experienced “personal fires,” but like London were able to come out stronger, quicker, faster. Greg Coker concludes with a list of simple yet powerful examples of how we have the amazing power and the responsibility to touch and inspire others in a deep and meaningful way.

As a professional speaker, Greg Coker travels the country delivering this powerful speech in an entertaining and inspirational style to Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, trade associations, civic organizations, colleges and universities. Greg Coker’s presentation, tailored especially for you and your organization, will inspire, motivate and move audiences through a range of emotions that ultimately results in everyone leaving with a renewed commitment to one’s purpose and a clearer understanding of the “Cathedrals” that must be built, both personally and organizationally.

This powerful workshop, based on Greg Coker’s book and keynote speech, “Building Cathedrals: The Power of Purpose” is customized especially for you and your organization and is offered in both half-day and full-day sessions. While the book and the keynote speech are motivational, this workshop is transformational, focusing on seven keys areas guaranteed to take your company from a culture of “Bricklayers” to a culture of “Cathedral Builders:”

• Leadership
• Engagement
• Culture
• Change Management
• Customer Loyalty
• Teamwork
• Communication

A recent Gallup Poll reports that only 26% of employees are fully engaged, seeing the “Cathedral” using the metaphor from Greg Coker’s book, “Building Cathedrals: The Power of Purpose.” 55% are partially engaged, building “walls” but not quiet seeing the big picture. You’ll get compliance but usually not commitment. They’re simply going through the motions. 19% of employees, based on the Gallup Poll, are disengaged, simply “laying bricks.”

Based on Greg Coker’s latest book, Moving the Needle: Appreciate, Activate & Rehabilitate, this workshop’s basic premise and focus is the 55% provide the most opportunity for growth and true cultural transformation for most organizations. The 55% are also the most vulnerable to be recruited by the 19%, who tend to be the most vocal and visible (lunchroom, breaks, after hours) trying to tear down your “Cathedral” at every turn!

• Take control of your personal engagement so that you can inspire others.
• Turn employee engagement into a shared responsibility and daily priority.
• Plan and execute sustainable system-wide engagement.
• Open communication channels between management and the front-line.
• Build a culture to fuel engagement.
• Leadership based on the needs of others versus your most preferred style and comfort level.

• Higher Productivity
• Lower Turnover
• Reduced Absenteeism
• Fewer Accidents
• Increased Innovation
• More Resilience to Change

Each participant receives a Coaching Consultation with Greg Coker to be scheduled at time convenient to each participant upon returning to the workplace.

While today’s employees are technically competent, they often lack what is commonly referred to as “Soft Skills.” Skills such as: communication, problem solving, customer service, teamwork and conflict resolution. They leave school knowing “things” but not “people.” They’re good at the “what” but not so good with the “who.” In fact, the most common feedback from employers, workforce development professionals and employment agencies is that while today’s employees are technically competent, they often lack the important “soft skills.” Now more than ever those entering the workforce need a crash course on the soft skills!

The Institute for Organization & Leadership Development provides a powerful one-day workshop on the “soft skills” guaranteed to increase employee effectiveness while boosting productivity, retention and customer satisfaction.

Topics include but not limited to:

• Building “Cathedrals” versus “Laying Bricks:” Seeing the Big Picture
• Your image, personal appearance, habits and keys to success
• The importance of and strategies for getting and staying engaged.
• Creativity and thinking “outside the box.”
• Project management & problem-solving skills
• The appreciation of differences as related to communication styles
• Relationship building strategies
• Recognizing blind spots and developing strategies to eliminate career limiting behaviors
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in addition to IQ
• Dealing with conflict in a constructive manner
• Stress management
• Understanding and managing your reaction to and support of organizational change
• What we teach your company’s top management and how to exceed their expectations
• Understanding team dynamics and strategies for making value-added contributions
• Followership and leadership
• Understanding organizational structure and company politics
• Developing and demonstrating a passion for the customer

It doesn’t end after the workshop! We provide each participant the opportunity for ongoing one-on-one coaching on specific strategies covered in the workshop as well as customized solutions tailored for each person.

The institute offers confidential and customized coaching working one-on-one with successful leaders assisting them in reaching even greater heights-by achieving positive, lasting change in behavior for themselves, their people and their teams. Our coaching has increased personal effectiveness, eliminated derailing behaviors and maximized peak performance for leaders across the United States. Organizational relationships, both vertical and horizontal, are the primary focus with external leveraging strategies presented as an opportunity to enhance leadership effectiveness and personal/organizational visibility.

• Provide real-time confidential coaching on issues and concerns confronting participants.
• Establish long-term professional and career strategies, personalized and customized for participant.
• Allow maximum flexibility and access that meet participant needs.
• Provide maximum responsiveness.

• Executives, High-Potential Managers, Contractors, New Employee, Performance Plan Participants.
• A need for independent, objective coaching on either business issues or personal style issues to enhance competence, performance, and/or image.
• A need for assistance with specific issues and/or with long-term plans, or needs an objective sounding board to ensure validity of current behaviors and performance.
• A need for absolute confidential help at key times, requiring timely response with specific options for action.

• Phone calls returned within 90 minutes, emails returned the same day; conventional mail, courier packages, and faxes reviewed and replied to within 24 hours of receipt.
• Unlimited access. As many emails, phone calls, faxes and letters as desired, with responses provided as needed. 24 hours/7 days per week.
• Sessions run in 30-day intervals.

Teams go through predictable stages of growth: Form, Storm, Norm & Perform. Unfortunately, most teams are stuck in “Storm” for numerous reasons, which are addressed in this powerful workshop. Most importantly, we provide your team with the tools and provide the experience and setting to achieve true peak performance and cultural transformation. The agenda includes identifying and creating strategies to navigate through the stages to team growth as well the two basic reasons for team tension. We build a model for the appreciation of differences as related to individual styles that are very often the root cause to team conflict. We facilitate the creation/revisitation of your team’s mission and vision. From there, the focus is on identifying team strengths (maximize) and growth areas (minimize/eliminate). Our team will then guide you through the prioritization of growth areas and facilitate/coach your team through a practical problem-solving process. The result is a comprehensive action plan with timelines and individual/team accountabilities identified and committed to.

Unless the problem is crystal clear, you need a neutral, third party professional with the experience and expertise necessary to evaluate the situation from an objective point of view. You can rely on an accurate assessment and a workable solution with our five-phase approach:

• PHASE 1 Client-Consultant Contracting (scheduling the initial meeting, exploring the problem, client expectations, determining how best to get started)
• PHASE 2 Data Collection and Diagnosis (determine who will be involved in defining the problem; what methods will be used; what kind of data should be collected; and how long it will take)
• PHASE 3 Client Feedback and Decision to Act (taking the information collected reducing to major themes as to best manage and understand while setting project goals and action steps)
• PHASE 4 Implementation (taking everything that has been decided implementing the solution)
• PHASE 5 Extension, Recycle or Termination (this begins with an evaluation of the implementation phase making a determination to extend the process to a larger segment of the organization)

We help you become familiar with the pace and unpredictability of a media interview and demonstrate how to plan your strategy and deliver your message in a calm, confident and memorable way. We give you an idea of the journalist's game plan, and prepare you to respond in a calm, professional and effective manner.

• How the media can trip you up?
• Coping with nerves
• Making a positive start
• Taking control
• Handling interruptions
• Getting your message across
• Being memorable
• Dealing with crossfire
• Having the last word

It’s simple. People buy on emotion; justify with fact. You buy that car because you connect with the salesperson; you trust her and you really like her. And then, you go home and pull up Consumer Reports as fast as you can so you can justify to your significant other why you bought that particular car! We buy from “whom” and not from “what.” In short, it’s about building rapport; it’s about the relationship. It has more to do with EQ (emotional intelligence) than with IQ. This “game changing” intervention includes Greg Coker’s Social Styles Model and can be delivered to your entire office staff in a workshop format or one-on-one in a coaching setting. Either way, your sales and referrals will increase, relationships will be strengthened and your negotiations more productive & profitable!