What it’s like to be one of our clients or thought-partners …
Susie Burdick, ED, Kids Discovery Museum, Bainbridge Island, Washington
“I have known and worked with Parallax Consulting for several years now and it is one of the top professional relationships I value most. It starts with the fact that Cindy Weeks and Don Johnston are two of the smartest and most innovative thought leaders and organizational experts now serving the nonprofit sector as well as their corporate clients. What they bring to the discussion is not just their expertise but a new way of thinking about the challenges and opportunities we face every day. I’ve been working in this field for a long time and they taught me a new perspective that I have found incredibly valuable and I work to incorporate it into my work every day.
… truly a gift to those … lucky enough to work with them.
“As part of a global ‘brain trust’ exploring leadership, change, polarity, and organizational evolution, the concepts they share really do open up new and more productive thinking about the work we do and how we do it. I have found their work on VUCA to be most helpful and even inspirational as we look at this new continually changing world and our need to be nimble and adaptive while serving our mission.
“Cindy and Don have another quality that makes them so good at what they do – they are exceptional listeners and processors. As consultants and trainers, they get to know their clients and their businesses to tailor what will be most effective in that specific scenario and organization. They are consistent, supportive and honest. They are generous, creative and fun. They are truly a gift to those of us who are lucky enough to work with them.
“I would strongly recommend that nonprofit leaders look to Parallax Consulting for refreshing and new perspectives and strategies to help our organizations evolve to be more effective, sustainable and stronger for the people we serve.”
*****
Judy Feldman, ED, Organic Farm School, Greenbank, Washington
“I tend to align myself with complex organizations, and I LOVE talking with Don and Cindy when I encounter challenges.
… stimulates broader thinking and focuses you …
“They have a way of using conversation that both stimulates broader thinking and focuses you on the work at hand. Before you even know what’s happened, you realize they have asked just the right questions, and you know exactly what work needs to be done next.”
*****
Ellston “Skeeter” White, Founder and Principal, Willow Quay Consulting, Wichita, Kansas
“I first worked with Don and Cindy in September 2001 when they were facilitating a workshop for the Joint Strike Fighter team (including international supplier reps) I was leading at the time. The session was scheduled to start the morning of the 11th, so we brought the group together, as we all watched the events unfold in horror, to determine what we would do. The group all decided to continue, and Don and Cindy adjusted the schedule to adapt to the realities of the day. It was a very productive session all the way around.
Their ability to be flexible and adaptive … always enhanced the outcomes …
“I continued to bring them in as consultants to many of the positions I held after that, including a major initiative at Spirit AeroSystems, where I was Chief Information Officer (CIO). Don and Cindy designed and facilitated a workshop that enabled my 550 person organization to move to a more entrepreneurial and empowered mindset. My management teams and people in my organizations always responded positively to their guidance and direction. Their ability to be flexible and adaptive as discovery occurred in our workshops always enhanced the outcomes and experiences of the workshops.
“Since I launched my own consulting firm, Willow Quay, a couple of years ago, we have continued to stay in touch. We Skype on a semi-regular basis. I share the opportunities I’m exploring and they share the intriguing new dynamics they’re researching and working with their other clients, then I go away and play with the ideas, until we do it again. Their input on Appreciative Inquiry was helpful early on and most recently their input on change and VUCA. (I can now see that they were working the VUCA dynamic with that Joint Strike Fighter team all those years ago, even though the acronym wasn’t being used in the business world yet.).”
