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Corporate Therapy 101
What is Corporate Therapy?
A few years ago I was having a debriefing conversation with one of my long-term clients,
who is the CEO of a fast paced corporation in the growth stage of their life cycle. He is a high energy, shoot from the hip type of leader. He said, "I finally understand how you have helped my
organization and made my life better. You are like a 'Corporate Therapist.' You fix people first
and that fixes the entire organization." He was exactly right.
Corporate Therapist Education and Skills
A Corporate Therapist has extensive education and practical experience in both psychology and
business. Experience trumps education when working with people and organizations on delicate
topics faced by a Corporate Therapist, but a minimum of a Master's Degree in Psychology with
an emphasis on Organizational Development and a business degree are crucial for blending the
two worlds. For instance, Kelly Graves has a degree in Business and Marketing as well as a
Masters degree in Psychology; with business ownership for ten years prior to starting Internal
Business Solutions, Inc. All of this education and practical face to face experience in business
settings have benefited his Corporate Therapy clients over the past fifteen years. Kelly Graves,
The "Corporate Therapist," is the facilitator of evolutionary growth for individuals and their
organizations.
Over the years, Kelly has come to know that his clients call him for two basic reasons. One,
business is good and they want to improve it further. Two, their organization is in trouble and
they need help quickly. Many of his clients are similar to a couple whose marriage has been
on the rocks for quite some time; they come to him on death's door, hoping for a miracle, and
usually find one.
Like a therapist, Kelly start's by asking questions and gathering data (e.g., What is said and
who calls from the organization with the first introductory call, observation from the moment he
drives into the parking lot of the organization, observing how people interact with him and each
other in the hall way, what is said, not said, how it is said all contribute to putting the pieces of
the puzzle together) Then meeting with the CEO or other leaders and asking specific questions
and then "listening" intently to the answers. Kelly has found that if he asks the right questions
and develops trust, the history and true details (culture) of the company comes out (Kelly refers
to this as "finding out where the dead bodies are buried." Also, Kelly say's "People want to share
what's really going on because they have been hiding the real issues for so long(statistically,
the average time is seven years that problems have been plaguing the people and organization
before someone yells uncle….I've had enough pain. Let's get this fixed) that it's cathartic
and refreshing to get all the lies and problems out of their heads and share it with someone
who is confidential, empathetic and can help them do something about it."). From this intake
information, Kelly is better equipped to help them achieve their objectives. Kelly says "I find
that leaders and their employees get so wrapped up in working, doing tasks and stomping out
fires, they forget that organizations are not buildings, profit and loss statements, inventory,
processes, or to-do lists. They are people, and relationships between people are the foundational
elements that create successful businesses."
Clients of Corporate Therapy
Over the years Corporate Therapy clients have thanked Kelly for improving their personal and professional lives, departments and organizations. Kelly's empathy for others and helping them
achieve long term behavioral and systemic change is what drives him to do this very specialized
work; In essence, making a difference in peoples' lives. Kelly says "I just happen to be very
fascinated with both people and business systems. Consequently, I am able to create evolutionary
growth in business people, and the organizations they create, lead and work in."
Corporate Therapy is a highbred of psychology and business. In essence, it takes the best from
psychology and business methodologies and is successful because it ties together all aspects
of individual and organizational evolution such as: organizational development, organizational
psychology, individual psychology, leadership development, executive coaching, and staff
development. Kelly's approach to Corporate Therapy is to get past the symptoms that people
complain about and are causing problems and discover the real foundational issues of trust,
communication, relationships, culture on the human side as well as the business structure,
strategy, processes, hierarchy etc., on the more traditional business side so the organization, as an
interactive and cohesive system, is improved. |
