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The   Power   of   Agreement™
Changing  the  Culture  of  Your  Organization 

  Out at sea it takes 30 miles for an oil tanker to reverse its direction. It takes time and commitment to change, based on foundational values, principles and quality relationships to positively effect your company's culture -- its way of doing things. A long-term action plan with a multiple focus on leadership, interpersonal relationships and problem solving internalized from the top down. This can transform the culture of an organization and greatly increase the bottom line.

  Your competition has the same access to materials and the marketplace. The wild card is the human side of the equation. The potential for high quality products, stability and competitiveness are released through an organization's people. It's the people in your company that make the difference! And in the long run, it is more cost-effective to train than not to train. Here's the potential: Get 15% more productivity from the workforce in such a way that everybody is thrilled with the process -- a process that is experienced, not "taught".

  The Freeman Institute (TFI) applies a proven, comprehensive system, The Power of Agreement Organizational Culture Change Process. Over the years, TFI has developed a strategic alliance with The Power of Agreement Network in long-term culture change projects. The Power of Agreement Process The Power of Agreement involves every person in your company -- from the  foundational employees to the CEO. 

  We also have proven Diversity/Cultural Competency programs that positively impact an organization's corporate culture. Feel free to preview some of our online courses.
 

The remarkable success of this process is simple. We have learned how to harness the power of agreement, building positive relationships among the members of an organization and getting everyone moving in one direction.
Our success is founded upon our ability to create a positive, reality-based culture in any organization, virtually anywhere in the world, whose leadership is serious about change. Does the increased trust, mutual respect and open communication impact productivity, quality and the bottom-line? You bet!
And we have the verifiable data to prove it!

~ The Stages of the Process ~

1. ASSESSMENT: Face to face interviews with every person in the company gives an honest "X-ray" of the culture (positive and negative) of the company. We could get a representative sample from 15 people and be close to 85% correct in our assessment, but something would be missing. Two benefits emerge from this type of assessment:

     a. Facilitators are 100% neutral: true picture of organization's condition as perceived by its employees.

     b. Each employee genuinely feels some ownership in and commitment to the change process, because they are being heard. Once we "own" something, we tend to take care of it.

• IMPORTANT: The action plan for change emerges from the overall assessment. The Secret Connection -- When foundational employees / middle management experience training that was launched by statements made by them and they know that executive management has truly endorsed it and is directly involved...It's powerful!

II. LEADERSHIP THAT LASTS: This is open for everyone in a designated management / supervisory position. In this three-day system, cross-sections of leaders from all divisions of the company focus on the responsibility and impact of leadership. A dynamic participative method is used to communicate key principles for effective leadership practices, and to increase productivity, quality, safety, morale and security for all.

III. INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: The condition of an organization's interpersonal relationships impact its ability to grow and prosper. This four-day workshop involves discovery on how to create open lines of communication, build trust and develop mutual respect, necessary for group decision making and team development. Practical "hands-on" training translates into revolutionary discovery for all.

IV. PROBLEM-SOLVING / DECISION-MAKING / PLANNING SKILLS: This is the most exciting stage of the process as people are working together to resolve issues that have previously hindered their progress. assessment findings / problems are used during the actual two-day training. The Freeman Institute pulls away, leaving thoroughly "trained-to-teach", in-house facilitators to work this throughout the entire organization. Approximately a half dozen, carefully chosen in-house facilitators learn many skills during an intensive five-day training course. At this point The Freeman Institute steps away from the process while still being on call. We trust the process the entire time. The process is the star before, during and after. The process works because everybody wins. Everybody wins because the process works. 
We also have a Two-day "Stand Alone" Problem Solving Program that can be helpful to any organization.

V. EXECUTIVE A PLUS LEADERSHIP COACHING: This is a process aimed at enhancing an executive's current leadership skills through leader, peer, key employee, and self evaluations combined with personal coaching. The evaluations for individual, personal use are discussed one-on-one between the executive and personal coach, uncovering well developed and underdeveloped leadership qualities. All information is for personal, individual goal setting. The seven-step process generally takes sixteen weeks to complete, covering some foundational principles: Clear purpose and direction, communication and listening, caring and integrity.
Three benefits emerge:

1. It will enhance his or her personal leadership skills, abilities and understanding.
   
2. It will provide new direction and an opportunity for personal growth.
   
3. It will enhance his or her promotion potential.

View Streaming Video Clip of Dr. Freeman

For More Information:
Open Letter
Dr. Freeman's Biosketch
The Freeman Institute™ On-Site Seminars
The Freeman Institute™ Success Project
The Freeman Institute™'s Home Page
Executive Coaching
Speakers Bureau

For maximum progress, an organization should insure that every task performed is linked to and aligned with its ultimate vision. The Freeman Institute™ / Power of Agreement Network™ suggests at least six basic components of organizational performance. Each component contains additional details about the component above it.
In descending order, they are:

1. VISION: The vision is extremely broad, lofty and uncluttered by details.   EXAMPLE: XYZ, Inc. will become the finest manufacturer of widgets in the world.

2. STATEMENT OF MISSION: The statement of mission puts more meat on the bones of the vision.    EXAMPLE: We will manufacture, demonstrate and supply widgets to the government, furniture manufacturers and building & automotive industries.

3. CORE VALUES: The core values are standards that we live by as a company. They will explain the nature of our organization's collective character.    EXAMPLE: We will strive to be known by our customers, suppliers, employees, leaders and others in the community as people of fairness, integrity, honesty, caring, diligence, and hard work.

*IMPORTANT: Most workstations have a dusty "8x10" framed copy of the company's vision or mission statement hanging on the wall. But at this juncture (between #3 and #4) is typically where the organization's culture breaks down in terms of how tasks are truly linked into and aligned with its ultimate vision.

4. OPERATING PRINCIPLES: The operating principles, also known as code of conduct, explain how to demonstrate the core values. They are our character in action.    EXAMPLE: (i) We will treat each employee with equal levels of respect. (ii) We will come to meetings on time. (iii) We will not interrupt each other during meetings. (iv) We will work to resolve conflicts cooperatively.

5. FUNCTIONAL GOALS: Each division of the organization (department, function, unit, plant, etc.) needs to concentrate on fairly broad, but focused goals in order to achieve the mission. These must be written and made clear to everyone in the organization and must be linked directly to the mission statement. EXAMPLE: Maintenance, production, accounting, marketing, sales, shipping, receiving, etc....

6. INDIVIDUAL TASKS: The final component (s) of the process are the individual tasks done by each member of the organization on a daily basis. For peak performance every organization needs: Proper people punctually performing prioritized projects that achieve goals to accomplish the mission.