Programs
Clarity and Alignment
Executive Coaching and Ongoing Advisory
Business Optimization and Acceleration
Clarity and Alignment
This Program Is For You If…
The ENC Clarity and Alignment Program has been developed for SMB’s and larger or more complex businesses and organizations approaching Enterprise Scale. While any organization can benefit immensely from this work, this program is scaled for organizations having at least $20MM in annual revenues and less than $1B, and between 25 and 1,000 employees. Don’t worry if you are a smaller organization – we can cover a version of this work for you in our Business Optimization and Acceleration Program.
The Challenge for SMB’s
SMB’s enjoy a well-deserved foothold in the marketplace having graduated past the issues universally faced by small businesses – establishing a value proposition and product/market fit, developing a business strategy and model, growing an organization and developing systems and processes that allow steady growth in sales and profits (or endowment and reach in the case of non-profits). But then a new set of issues start to limit the organization:
- Siloed teams
- Interpersonal and inter-team friction or antagonism
- Apathy
- Resistance
- Challenges with employee recruitment and retention
- Sub-optimal productivity
- Luke-warm customer satisfaction
- Committed to Learning and Development programs but question if the organization is getting full value for its investments
- Lack of innovation
- Complacency
Three studies help highlight the relevance and enormous importance of this work on Clarity, Alignment and Culture (McKenzie, Bain and Vistage).
Shockingly, 38% of all organizations have no stated purpose whatsoever, according to an extensive recent survey by McKenzie. And of the remaining 62%, only 42% of those reported that their stated purpose translated into impact. That means only 26% of organizations globally have a stated purpose that is delivering recognizable impact.
In the 2021 Vistage CEO Confidence Index survey, which captured insights from 1,518 CEOs and business leaders, more than 60% of CEO’s felt company culture was a top priority and critical to future success, yet only 16.6% of respondents said they were satisfied with the strength of their organizational culture. These statistics suggests that the vast majority of small and midsize firm CEOs will at some point need to reinforce their company culture. The question is, how?
A study published in Harvard Business Review by Michael Mankins of Bain showed companies on average only deliver 63% of the financial performance their strategies promise. Sometimes it is because of overambition or changing markets, but far more commonly it is due to poor execution. And the main culprit contributing to the execution disconnect is that on average, only about 8% of the organization understands the strategy. This is where the Alignment piece comes into play, although Alignment is certainly not limited to this.
Our Solutions
Our solution is to bring Clarity, Alignment and Impact to the 74% of organizations that have no stated purpose delivering an aligned impact, and to measurably strengthen the clarity, alignment and impact of the 26% that are already well on their way. Companies commonly grapple with symptoms but fail to tackle underlying causes. Often the underlying causes appear to be on the operational side, but more often than not they are rooted in issues related to Clarity, Alignment and Culture. Our forte is in assessing and quantifying clarity and alignment, then facilitating transformational improvements, as well as enhancing leadership and innovation culture. It’s an organic, holistic approach that obtains phenomenal results reliably. Every engagement is custom designed, but the typical basic components are:
- Initial Baseline Assessment
- The Big 5 – establishment or refinement of:
- Statement of Purpose
- Vision Statement
- Mission Statement
- Core Values
- Value Proposition and Value Chain Alignment
- Defining Success-establish KPI’s and/or OKR’s
- Alignment sessions throughout the stakeholder environment
- Aligned Leadership Training
- Innovation Culture Training
- Executive Coaching for HP Development and Accountability
- The Upward Spiral ™ : a program for continuous ongoing improvement
Proven Results
Results of this work include all or some combination of the following:
- Measurably increased employee engagement:
- Measurably decreased employee turnover:
- Increased productivity
- Improved talent recruitment
- Increase in customer satisfaction
- Development of a culture of innovation
- Increased motivation and creativity
- Enhanced leadership and organizational health
- Stronger margins and profitability
- For non-profits – enhanced donor and endowment development, greater reach and more effective program delivery
- Increased capacity for agility and anti-fragility
With over 40 years of entrepreneurship and nearly a decade of consulting, coaching and educating, we have studied and experienced the most pressing challenges organizations are facing. We know what has worked for them and what has not in the past. Many if not most businesses and organizations wrestle with internal cultural issues, in spite of investments in executive coaching and other L&D inputs. Some have had remarkable success, but most are falling short of their own expectations. We are especially interested in connecting with organizations that are looking for solutions that are laser-focused and scaled appropriately for the organization and its situation…and ready to do organizationally transformative work.
Executive Coaching and Ongoing Advisory
Executive Coaching Program
The ENC Executive Coaching Program is designed for executives, entrepreneurs, professionals and senior managers. Executive coaching can be either performance based or developmental. In performance-based coaching we strengthen leaders’ clarity (via visioning and alignment exercises) and ability (via enhanced leadership, communications and accountability skillsets) to deliver specific results or initiatives to their organizations. In developmental coaching we focus on enabling and inspiring executives, senior managers and high potentials (HP’s) to have more clarity and self-awareness, be more effective in their roles, grow their leadership skills, develop engaged high-performing teams and deliver ever greater value to their organizations. At ENC we function as catalysts to convert the P in HP’s from “potential” to kinetic, dynamic performance for the benefit of the organization.
Programs can be provided to develop a single individual or broadly across a team, multiple teams and/or between teams. Program design is based on insights gained in the complimentary assessment consultation. Program design is further developed at the three-month mark based on assessments and insights gained in the initial three-month period.
The difference between consulting and executive coaching is that in consulting we provide knowledge, experience, solutions and resources to help make changes that we recommend in the company or organization, whereas in executive coaching we help executives and other leaders determine how to obtain clarity, alignment and the leadership skills to then effect the changes themselves in their respective companies or organizations.
The length of the program varies, from our 3-month recommended minimum to 12 months or more for larger, more complicated and challenging objectives. Some organizations choose to renew annually or ask for help in establishing an internal program. Proposed session frequency will typically be one to four times per month per participant.
Ongoing Advisory Services
For alumni of our various programs, we offer a Continuing Advisory Services Program. This program offers a combination of once a month regular sessions, stand-by availability as needed, and participation on your Advisory Board, Board of Directors or other significant company meetings on site, either quarterly or annually. Features can include but are not limited to:
- High level strategic input for growth and profitability strategies
- Personalized professional mentorship
- Advice for crisis navigation
- Expectations for dividends, liquidity and valuations
- Philanthropy guidance
- Oversight of succession processes
Business Optimization and Acceleration
These Programs Are For You If…
The ENC Optimization and Acceleration Programs have been developed for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs. These programs are designed for organizations having less than $20MM in annual revenues and between 5 and 50 team members. And if you are a serious entrepreneur preparing to start up, we strongly advise getting it right before you launch. If you have attained some initial success but are experiencing any of the following, you will definitely want to join us:
- Stress
- Putting out fires. (some days may even look more like chaos than a well-oiled machine)
- Owners and key personnel “wearing too many hats”
- Financial performance not as planned or desired
- Working longer hours than previously anticipated
- Difficulty recruiting and/or retaining talent
- Hit a ceiling for either revenue, margins or both
- Less than exemplary customer satisfaction/customer service
- Lacking a well-defined and current written business strategy plan, business model, marketing strategy plan, exit strategy and/or succession plan, all of which are aligned and coherent
Our ideal client is looking for solutions and ready to do the work to take it to the next level. Please see our program offerings below.
Fundamentals for Enduring Success™
ALL DAY WORKSHOP WITH INTERACTIVES AND FACILITATED ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
A power-packed workshop that condenses the most often overlooked, misunderstood or ineffectively implemented fundamentals essential to enduring business success – all in a single day. Gain a valuable understanding of:
- Why Most Businesses Fail and Some Succeed
- Business Plans and Strategic Plans
- Covering the Downside – Risk and Discipline
- Business Models
- Managing by Margin
- Differentiation, Marketing and Sales Paradigm
- Profit Leaks and Productivity – Best Practices as a Baseline
- Managing by Numbers
- Accounting and Bookkeeping
- Leadership, Delegating and Developing an Organization
- Introduction to Feedback Loops and The Upward Spiral
This program is a MUST for startups and younger companies, and valuable for established companies as a training program for managers, executives and other key personnel.
The Legacy Builder™
OUR FLAGSHIP THREE YEAR PROGRAM FOR LONG TERM ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE, GROWTH AND OPTIMIZATION
This program is designed for established companies to accelerate, optimize and endure. Program highlights include:
- Baseline Assessment
- Profit leak identification and mitigation
- Managing by the numbers with ongoing financial performance tracking
- Capitalization and finance
- Develop/update a strategic business plan (including threat mitigation and agility)
- Differentiation/Value Proposition
- Marketing Strategy
- Marketing Action Plan
- Talent Strategy and Talent Optimization
- Leadership and Team Building
- Culturally integrate “The Upward Spiral”
- Model Your Optimum Production Unit (preparation for scaling)
- Defining and refining best practices
- Systematize operational effectiveness and productivity
- Sales training
- Exit/Succession Strategy
This program is engineered to optimize and accelerate your business, not just for growth of profitability, but also for scaling and establishing an enduring legacy. The Legacy Builder™ Program includes learning via webinars, workshops and resources, and implementation via regularly scheduled ENC coaching and consulting activities, both on and off site. Request a free consultation for details.
Special Programs Just For Custom Builders and Remodelers
The One-Day MBA for Builders and Remodelers
ALL DAY WORKSHOP WITH INTERACTIVES AND FACILITATED ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
A power-packed workshop that condenses the most important knowledge & understanding normally found in MBA programs that can be condensed into a single day as specifically applied to custom homebuilders and remodelers (and without all the stuff that doesn’t directly apply at all). Gain a valuable understanding of:
- Why Most Businesses Fail and Some Succeed
- Business Plans and Strategic Plans
- Covering the Downside – Risk and Discipline
- Business Models
- Managing by Margin
- Differentiation, Marketing and Sales Paradigm
- Profit Leaks and Productivity – Best Practices as a Baseline
- Managing by Numbers
- Accounting and Bookkeeping
- Contracts-have good ones, then manage by the contract. Good Jobs Gone Bad Interactive
- Leadership, Delegating and Developing an Organization
- Introduction to The Upward Spiral – putting the pieces together
Business Excellence, Prosperity and Personal Fullfillment
OUR FLAGSHIP THREE YEAR PROGRAM FOR CUSTOM HOMEBUILDERS AND REMODELERS
This program is designed for companies who are ready to make a longer-term commitment to fully achieve their business and life goals. If you wish to learn, and more importantly implement as much as you can of the following, this is the program we recommend for you:
- Baseline Assessment
- Managing by the numbers with ongoing financial performance tracking (including accounting and bookkeeping review and improvements)
- Refine best practices and plug profit leaks
- Develop a strategic business plan
- Differentiation/Value Proposition,
- Marketing Strategy
- Marketing Action Plan
- Leadership and Team Building
- Culturally integrate “The Upward Spiral”
- Model Your Optimum Production Unit
- Systematize operational effectiveness
- Sales training
- Exit Strategy
In addition to learning and implementation in the 13 modules above, this program includes unlimited client company participation in all workshops, classes and webinars offered by ENC during the three years of the program, plus access to our library of templates, business tools and other resources. Request a free consultation for details.
The Collaborative
Brent Baker
ENC Founder, Consultant, Coach & Educator
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Eventually Brent stepped in, and over the course of several years completed Breuninger and Sons’ final projects –including the complete renovation of an eight-story building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Foggy Bottom, just outside of Georgetown. By the time the business was completely wound down he had learned an enormous amount about the world of construction, development, property management, real estate, law, accounting, interior design and more.
In 1990 Brent and his wife Laura founded Baker Construction & Development in Sandpoint, Idaho. Having started his career with industrial carpentry, then segueing through mixed-use, remodeling and renovation, he finally got to connect with his passion – building well-designed, built-to-last single-family homes, and doing in-fill, rural and recreational development work. The company prospered, eventually getting an Idaho Public Works license and becoming licensed in Montana and California as well, with 26 employees and a satellite office in Redwood City, California.
By 2004 he had sold half the company to key employees and moved on to do ski resort development in British Columbia. Subsequently selling the rest of his interest in his construction company, Brent was engaged by The Aspire Institute in 2015 as a consultant and joined the team as a full-time employee in May of 2016 as Director of Coaching, and in 2019 was named Director of Education. Leaving Aspire in February of 2020 he founded Elevate Now Consulting in order to extend the reach of his programs beyond the confines of a single industry. Brent has personally consulted and coached for well over a hundred companies and has additionally been a tireless business, executive and organizational educator for many hundreds of aspiring managers, students and entrepreneurs.
Jeff Patterson
Contractor Convergence
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Part of the M&A deal with Oregon Log Homes was that Jeff stay on as Project Manager for two years, but the company did so well and the projects were so exciting, Jeff stayed on for ten successful years. Amazing projects he managed and produced include two hotels for Disney (The Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland and The Wilderness Lodge at Disneyworld, each over 750,000 sq. ft), projects for Universal Studios in Orlando, the Mountaintop Day Lodge at Keystone Resort, and on custom homes ranging upward in size of 20,000 square feet. He has been long-associated with the International Log Home Builders’ Association, serving as Treasurer on the Executive Board and on the Board of Directors. Somehow Jeff found time to teach construction at a collegiate level for more than 10 years as well.
In 2016 Jeff joined the team at a major consulting, coaching and education company, and served as Senior Coach and as an educator until April of 2020, at which time he left to co-found Contractor Convergence. Jeff is a prolific industry resource developer and educator, so much so that his fellow coaches have nicknamed him “Jeffipedia”.
Kyler Wolf
Contractor Convergence
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In addition to his solid experience as a project manager, superintendent, and as a business manager, Kyler worked in sales, marketing, strategic business development, operations and client management for construction and real estate development companies. Kyler has additional work experience as a licensed realtor, and was co-owner of a Green Project Development company. He began his coaching career in 2018 and left the consulting and coaching company in whose employ he honed his skills to co-found Contractor Convergence in March of 2020.
All combined, Kyler brings a broad base of industry experience and business ownership knowledge to leverage success for the full benefit of his clients. He is marketing and tech savvy, and always results driven, and personable, which is a powerful combination for a business consultant and coach. In his off-time Kyler volunteers in leadership roles for non-profit organizations, skis and snowboards, and is a long-distance open water swimmer. He resides in Sandpoint, Idaho with his wife Joline and has two fantastic boys, who occasionally claim him as their father.
Rick Friesen
Contractor Convergence
Rick Friesen deftly and consistently helps business owners reach their growth and profitability goals.
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As the 4th generation in line to work as a locomotive engineer, Rick swore he’d never work for the railroads. In spite of that fact he always appreciated the multi-faceted career of his grandfather, that included not just working for the railroad but also being a builder, a radio and typewriter repairman, crop-duster, amateur race car driver, cement truck driver and the builder of the first train engine simulator for training engineers. Seeing his grandfather’s path of entrepreneurship helped Rick realize that there were many ways to help people and being a builder was a noble profession that did just that.
In his early career Rick worked in people-oriented sales and services businesses, and in the technology sector during the dot-com boom. On the side, Rick worked as a youth pastor and counselor, activities that continue to this day.
After moving with his whole family from California to Idaho in 1999, Rick transitioned his business and people experience from technology services to construction services. While working for a national building company brand, after years of on-site construction work in the field, Rick came full circle, applying both his business and building experience back in the office, aiding operations, business strategy and marketing.
Rick gained a unique industry perspective transitioning from working on the job, to working on the business. While in operations, Rick created new software tools and procedures that aided business operations in increasing estimation accuracy, studying job cost analysis and tracking payroll. Transitioning to business growth strategy and marketing, Rick leveraged targeted-marketing-based growth strategies in establishing web, SEO, email, social media, and referral programs.
In 2011 Rick began to find his passion and natural skill for business consulting, and began part-time consulting work for both local and national brands. In 2017 Rick developed a custom KPI tracking system for a major consulting and coaching firm. Impressed with his abilities they offered, and he accepted, a position as a Senior Coach. Rick left that position in March of 2020 to co-found Contractor Convergence.
Kevin Serr
Contractor Advisors LLC