Testimonials
The following are comments from clients and associates of Southam Consulting who have benefited from the synergy and energy that result from proven processes of working with executive teams.
Client Comments
> Letter About Kurt, a "Master Trainer" (Executive Team Development)
from Jacquelyn Bovinet, Senior Human Resource Consultant, Sequent>Letter About Kurt's Organizational Insights & Crucial Conversations
from Dennis Kaufman, CEO
"My entire executive staff appreciated Kurt's ability to teach principles and then facilitate discussion to help us apply those principles to our industry and our daily affairs. We trust Kurt Southam enough to recommend him to our own clients for their management training needs."
Marc Halley
CEO
Ambulatory Management Services
"Over the past twenty years, I have, on several occasions, used Kurt Southam for organizational development assistance both in the business world where I was Corporate Director of Human Resources and in my community involvement as President of the Board of trustees of the local Hospital. In each venue he was able to apply his understanding of individuals and groups, and his developmental skills in such a manner as to bring about significant change and improvement in the operation He solved the problem he was hired to work on.
I have seen him work effectively in one-on-one counseling and development with corporate owners and senior level management and as change facilitator with groups of factory supervisors- teaching them to use basic human relations and group effectiveness skills. In each situation he quickly established a working relationship and was able to improve the effectiveness of the organization."
Marshall Winkle
Ariel Corporation (Retired)
President, Knox Community Hospital Board of Trustees
"As a former Director and former Chief Financial Officer of Zandex, Inc., I had the great pleasure of working with Kurt Southam for a little over seven years. During this time he greatly impressed me with his fabulous leadership. He brought great professionalism to our company that lifted every person he touched from the hands-on care giver to the boardroom. During his time with our company our profits grew substantially as a direct result of the training he gave our facility leaders and their staff. Personally, I feel a great closeness to Kurt simply because I know that I can trust him. His integrity is without blemish in my eyes. Today, I consider him a great friend and someone that I know that I can rely on for excellent advice in tough situations."
David T. Murray
President
Murray Capital Management
"Kurt is a true master of business development and human communication. His easy-going style is complimented by his proven technique and broad knowledge base. Kurt helps you see the difficult things that you need to see about yourself and your organization without jeopardizing the respectful and trusting relationships that he builds with his friends and clients. Kurt embodies the rare combination of business skills and relationship skills that are so rare and yet so vital in today's business leaders."
Curtis Bishop
Partner
Isthmus, Ltd.
"Of the many top-drawer presenters who have addressed our CEOs, Kurt is one of the best. His proven experience with many different companies gives him credibility. He can think on his feet and is street smart about difficult and practical business concerns leaders face. This guy delivers!"
Ron Wiley, Ph.D.
Chairman, Chief Executive Boards
"I have had the privilege of both working for and with Kurt Southam in the field of organizational development. Even after over 5 years of work experience and valued friendship, I am often amazed at the depth of Kurt's knowledge of OD principles and the value of the solutions he brings to the organizations he works with. Kurt has proven his ability to create valuable results in solving crucial problems within organizations of every type and size. He has also achieved dramatic success in helping good organizations to become great organizations. I am convinced that these exceptional results are a product of an advanced and dynamic knowledge of the principles and practices of OD combined with unimpeachable integrity as a leader and a person. I am completely confident in recommending Kurt's strategic services where I work and to our clients."
John Baker, SPHR
Director of Consulting
Sequent
"I have known and worked with Kurt Southam for several years and admire his skills as a consultant, facilitator and coach. Kurt provides lively, fast-paced facilitation-he's fun and entertaining, without losing focus on bottom-line results. Kurt's broad business background and "quick study" capability give him an unusual breadth of knowledge and credibility. He can provide excellent service across a range of issues, from strategic planning, to leadership development, to interpersonal skills training. If you need a strong, results-oriented consultant, facilitator or coach, I would recommend Kurt Southam."
David H. Campbell, Ph.D.
Development Planning Associates
"Kurt served as President of Zandex Health Care Corporation. He quickly gained the trust and respect of our executive team. His personal coaching made a positive difference in their leadership development. He introduced best leadership practices he observed from his experience in other industries that helped take Zandex to a higher level. We benefited from his training and organizational development tools and practices that translated into increased profits and stock value."
Douglas L. Ramsay
CEO and Chairman
Zandex Inc.
"Our organization has benefited tremendously from having received training from Kurt Southam in learning the skills of holding Crucial Conversations. Over 300 members of our leadership team received the training and it has, in a very short time, become the standard for better managing relationships and getting to the core of what needs to be said and done. This training is all about getting better results and improving relationships. We now have the tools to get "unstuck" and move beyond what was holding us back. We are grateful for the practical approach to realizing greater improvement in what we do. Everyone can benefit from this training."
Robin L. Lloyd
Executive Director, Ambulatory Services
University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics
“I am the CEO of PPMC, a physician billing and accounts receivable management company. We have done a number of projects with Siemens and use their physician billing software. I have associated with Dr. Southam in various capacities for over 20 years, during which time I have come to know him very well. He has provided executive training for our company and we continue to use him in that capacity. Dr. Southam is a highly regarded member of the community. He is known for his honesty, integrity, hard work and dependability. In my association with him he has consistently demonstrated these characteristics. I am pleased that we are able to work with Dr. Southam and can recommend him as an excellent training resource for executive level personnel. I have no reservation whatever in making this recommendation.”
Samuel J. Kiehl, M.D.
President and CEO
Physicians Professional Management Corporation
“Kurt is a Level 5 Leader! He is able to help executive teams get to the next level. You can trust him to challenge you and your team to learn the skills of candor and be accountable for results.”
Steve Leavitt
EVP Unishippers and CEO Shipping Advisors
“Our leadership development program is focused on implementation of change and development of an atmosphere of mutual respect among all our staff. After extensive review we chose to spend this year working on communication skills among our staff and between our staff and their patients. Performance management often focuses on the “hard” areas of productivity and attendance and fails to manage the effectiveness of our communication in areas of high importance, differing opinions, and high emotions. Avoiding these issues slows change and decreases performance. Following our time with the Crucial Conversations program we have started to see a change. The skills are in use in subtle or obvious ways. This program is referred to regularly by the course participants as we defuse and then deal with issues that were previously avoided. I recommend the Crucial Conversations material in general and Kurt Southam in particular to any medical group that wants to improve the atmosphere of mutual respect and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of communication.”
Robert E Nesse MD
President and CEO
Franciscan Skemp Healthcare
Mayo Health System
Anonymous Testimonials
Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of certain situations the following clients requested to remain anonymous.
“Kurt worked with our executive team for several months to help us identify where we were stuck and how to get unstuck. We were able to make significant improvements in our operations and results. All managers and supervisors learned these valuable team and communication skills and then we got a most pleasant and unexpected benefit. After nine months of working with Kurt to bring about significant cultural change, I was approached by our union with the proposal to decertify the union. They had seen such positive changes in the approach of supervisors making it safe to surface and resolve concerns that they did not see a need for third party representation!”
(CEO manufacturing company)
“I have found, as I somewhat expected, that being a part of an organization as large as (large prestigious health care system), it brings with it a certain amount of inertia/resistance to change, some of which is immortalized as part of the (health care system) brand! However, it has also brought me a keen awareness of how much of what we do in management/leadership is simply "people" stuff. When I started the MBA program, I thought it would be the bean-counting that would be important. While I needed to learn all of that, it seems there are no shortages of bean counters in these organizations. There is, however, a shortage of are people who can hold conversations with other professionals and get things accomplished.
When I was hired by this organization, I was asked what I needed to get started with my change efforts. I requested the opportunity to work with Dr. Kurt D Southam and the training program called Crucial Conversations for all of the stake-holders in my unit. The benefits are paying off already!
I want to strongly recommend the book Crucial Conversations.
Our consultant was Kurt Southam at www.southamconsulting.net. He was
marvelous, and he didn't pay me a cent to say that!”
(Director of Hospital Department)
"Three years after a merger, our two cultures were still not gelling like we had hoped. Kurt worked with our executive team and was able to add perspectives and challenge our thinking. He helped us to make tough decisions in a way that was productive and humane. Working with Kurt Southam did more for our executive team and our organization than anything we did, relating to the merger. You can trust his approach and you can trust him."
"We were planning to construct a new manufacturing plant that would employee 200 employees. We had state of the art equipment and processes, etc. This would be a model operation (one of 40 plants in the system). Kurt helped us with the most important part of the start up.the executive team. He helped us with practical tools and processes to forge us into an effective management team. Within a short time he was able to gain credibility with each manager. We enjoyed a high level of trust throughout the start up and subsequent operations. Kurt helped us ways that proved invaluable."
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