CLIENTS

CoastWise Consulting's clients include:

JDSU
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Pitney Bowes
Millennium Pharmaceuticals
NASA Ames Research Center
AT&T Wireless (now Cingular)
Applied Materials
Advanced Micro Devices

What Our Clients and Colleagues Say About CoastWise:

"Tracy really knows the basics of OD--group dynamics, applied social psychology, action research, plus the strategic stuff; and I can't say that about many OD people. She's as good as the "best of the best" without the attitude.

"She is absolutely superb working with senior managers, coaching them and their teams. Tracy talks straight, doesn't mince words, and to tell the truth, I'm a little envious of her talent. I would definitely recommend Tracy over someone from (a big 5 consulting firm). I would absolutely hire her again."

- R.W., Director of HR/OD
Telecommunications Company

"I have moved quickly through my career based my technical merits...and four years ago joined a fast growing public firm. As the Company grew, the requirements of my job focused more on the managerial and interpersonal aspects and less on the technical. I attended a few management development courses, but they were too general and not very effective. I paid no attention to the interpersonal aspects of my job, and over time found myself increasingly in conflict situations with Executive Staff over small details.

"Shortly after Tracy and I started working together, took charge of a global ERP implementation project, a role that is 90% relationship driven and only 10% technical. By showing me how to study patterns of behavior and strategize different approaches that work best with different people, Tracy has helped me make the necessary changes in my approach to working with people. I have become more outcome-focused and less concerned with being right.

"During the five months I have been managing the ERP implementation, I have actively used learned skills to keep the project on track."

- S.C., Corporate Controller and Finance Officer
Internet Technology Company

"I retained Tracy Gibbons and others from CoastWise to assist me in shifting my division from a steep hierarchy to a team-based organization. I needed the people in my organization, especially the engineers and marketing folks, to work more collaboratively with each other. She understood the need to look at the whole system, including training needs, communications, reward systems, and management styles. Her work had a lasting impact."

- B.K., Senior Vice-President of Engineering
Telecommunications Corporation (retired)

"I have worked with CoastWise Consulting on several occasions with very positive results. Most recently, Tracy worked with my senior staff and me to redefine and refocus the charter of my applications development group and to restructure the group so we could use our resources more effectively. Her coaching resulted in the development of a more collaborative work environment. Dr. Gibbons also worked with me as an Executive Coach. The result was increased personal effectiveness and increased staff satisfaction with my management approach."

- C.W., Director of Information Technology
Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturing Corporation

"I sought a management coach when I began to realize that my leadership, while seemingly effective, could be much more so. This was causing a great deal of frustration on my part, especially since I tend to be a perfectionist!

"I soon discovered that some of my barriers being a more effective leader had less to do with my day-to-day professional activities than with my assumptions about and views toward others, both personally and professionally. My coach helped me to refocus in ways that vastly increased my level of self-awareness. She has also enabled me to be more clear about and better able to articulate the results and outcomes I want--from both myself and others. One benefit of this has been that those with whom I work are less likely to be surprised or feel blindsided after-the-fact.

"Even though I knew when I started that there would probably be some work involved, I secretly hoped that I would find easy answers and get confirmation for my view of things and approach to management and leadership. I underestimated the degree of difficulty, but with lots of support and gentle nudging, she has ensured that I have maximized the return on this effort. The outcomes to date have been dramatic for me."

- S.W., Corporate Controller and Head Financial Officer
Construction Company

"I have had the opportunity, first as the HR Manager and then as HR Director of a large business group, to partner with Tracy as she worked with several organizations and Senior Managers within the group. A major advantage of having CoastWise do this work was that they provided consistency and continuity from group to group. They have always been careful to keep my staff and me involved and informed about their work, and they are very collaborative in their approach. I have been a member of several of the teams that they have helped to develop, and she's the best I've ever worked with. I have the utmost confidence in recommending her for both large scale and smaller change initiatives."

- J.M., Product Business Group Director of HR
Fortune 500 High Tech Company

*Lighthouse Photos by Jeremy D'Entremont, www.lighthouse.cc