Is your organization working as well as it should?

There isn’t a business or organization anywhere that doesn’t ask itself that question. If the answer is no, the experts at The Performance Group can help.

And even if you think your organization is working efficiently, The Performance Group can tune it up to peak performance.

The Performance Group is an organization effectiveness company whose experts have helped dozens of companies, large and small, sharpen their employees’ performance, enhancing the overall health of the company or organization.

Rob Schnell and Denise Burrell of The Performance Group can help your company grow.

The Performance Group helps organizations identify and reach goals for success.

Beginning with an emphasis on small businesses that did not have their own internal training programs, The Performance Group has expanded to include major corporations like the Edmonton Airports Authority, CN Rail, Dynacare Kasper Medical Labs, a number of government departments, and not-for-profit organizations.

The Performance Group is owned by partners and co-founders Denise Burrell and Rob Schnell.

Co-founder Schnell has broad experience in government, corporate and not-for-profit sectors, which enables him to deliver innovative human-resource solutions to a wide range of client groups. Schnell has worked as a senior manager in various public organizations and has shared his expertise with not-for-profit organizations as a board member, executive member and volunteer. He excels at design and delivery of training and development programs, strategic and operational planning, and managing transitions.

Burrell specializes in all phases of organizational effectiveness with particular expertise in one-on-one coaching, skills profiling and assessment, needs analysis and other fields. She is an instructor with the University of Alberta Adult Education Program.

What kind of organization makes use of The Performance Group’s services?

Most of the time, says Schnell, it’s a company that has a problem.

“From a staff-conflict perspective, the organization has to first feel pain, and second want to do something about it,” says Schnell. “It can be a case of employee conflict, or a situation where the employees are not clear of what it is they are supposed to do.”

The Performance Group can develop and deliver a wide range of courses or programs. Each course is properly packaged and delivered in a manner that engages all participants. Its experienced trainers will deliver the course, or if clients wish to deliver it themselves, The Performance Group can provide coaching, facilitator guides and learning tools.

“Most of the programs we develop and deliver to organizations are about the so-called ‘soft skills’ – conflict resolution, leadership, management change,” says Burrell. But those ‘soft skills’ are a lot harder than they look, and many companies that have technical expertise lack the management and inter-personal skills that The Performance Group provides.

“Our focus is helping people with performance issues, and that’s where we’re getting more into coaching,” she says.

Burrell compares group training to planting a crop from an airplane.

“You’re never sure where the seeds are going to drop,” she explains, “but with coaching you can get in there and see what is really going to fit and help people.”

The increasing emphasis on coaching results in team building that sticks, says Schnell. A team- building session can provide solutions, but the success of it is dependent upon the client knowing what the problem is.

“Team building is the solution, but do they know the problem they are applying it to?” asks Schnell.

“This means not only the coaching of the team, but the coaching of the leader of the team.”

Burrell uses sports analogies to describe how The Performance Group gets a better performance from a leader.

“We know the goal is to put the puck in the net, but if I don’t have the skills to handle the puck and know who to pass it to, I’m not going to be successful.”

The emphasis on coaching allows The Performance Group to not only address the symptoms, but get to the cause of the problem.

“We want to solve problems so they stay solved,” says Schnell.

Study after study has linked an employee’s job satisfaction to productivity, says Schnell.

“This is not just about being nice, it’s about productivity,” he says.

There is one misconception about coaching that Schnell would like to dispel – coaching is not telling people what to do. He compares it to a day on the golf course. If your playing partner offers unsolicited advice, you will be inclined to reject it. But, if he asks your permission to give you pointers, by agreeing you are more likely to be open to the advice.

It’s also important to note, says Burrell, that coaching is not just for those who are having problems with work. Even productive employees can benefit from the skilled analysis of an impartial observer.

The Performance Group can help any company, from a mom-and-pop operation to a multinational. Even companies that are enjoying a growth surge can make use of The Performance Group’s services, as they struggle with the issues surrounding growth.

The cost of expert, one-on-one assistance from The Performance Group can be less than sending your staff to a one-day conference – and with better long-term results.

The bottom line is that The Performance Group can provide your organization with the skills, tools and processes to reach your performance goals.

To find out more, call Burrell or Schnell at 780.414.1234, or visit www.performancegroup.com