Being direct has served us well.

These days, there are many coaches and team consultants to choose from.  Yet dozens of companies of all sizes have chosen to work with Tom Ucko and Ucko Affiliates.  Why?  Our direct approach makes us unique.

We won’t pull our punches. If there’s something you’re doing or not doing that impacts the success of the project, we’ll let you know, even at the risk of your displeasure.  (Samuel Goldwyn, the famed film producer, is alleged to have thundered to his staff, “I insist that you tell me the truth…even if it costs you your jobs!”)

We don’t deliver canned programs.  Every client is unique and every situation is different.  We always start by assessing the situation, through interviews or surveys, and personalize our approach to your needs.

We ask lots of questions, we listen—and adjust as needed.  While we always have an agreed-on plan for our work, as we hear and learn more, we may propose adjustments that better fit the emerging situation.

We combine business smarts with psychological savvy.  Some consultants are really good at understanding the business and driving to results.  Others are great at working with emotionally charged or “messy” issues.  We do both.

We don’t hesitate to deal with difficult issues.  As one client said, “Tom has the courage to deal with the tough issues.  He gets right to the heart of the matter and doesn’t hesitate to say what he sees, in a way I can hear.”

The results speak for themselves.

What can you expect when you work with Ucko Affiliates?

Leaders can expect:

• Improved skills in coaching and managing performance
• Increased development of your staffs
• Greater collaboration with your peers
• Reports who are motivated to produce results
• Higher levels of emotional intelligence
• More delegation and strategic thinking

Members of leadership teams can expect:

• Members pulling in the same direction
• Members trusting each other, and demonstrating high levels of support and cooperation
• Team meetings that are shorter and more productive
• Reduced and better-managed conflict
• Team decisions of higher quality, made more quickly
• Greater accountability among team members

Guiding values act as a valuable compass.

Our experience doing this work has led us to develop a number of core principles:  

Clients make change, not coaches.  The coach can’t make the client change.  Like the light bulb in the old joke (How many therapists does it take to change a light bulb?  Only one—but the bulb has to want to change.), clients need to be committed to making change, and willing to expend the necessary time and energy.

Not every “marriage” can be saved.  Team development is not a magic bullet that can resolve all issues of poor fit, inadequate skill or insufficient motivation.  Sometimes, one member needs to leave the team for the team to reach its potential.  We won’t hesitate to give you our opinions.

Not every executive can be coached to success.  There are some executives whose deeply embedded behaviors will prevent them from ever becoming effective leaders.  In these cases, both the company and the leader will be better off if the leader is moved to a senior non-leadership role (for example, Chief Science Officer) where he or she can contribute without the “burden” of managing and leading others.

We’ll tell you when we can’t help. We don’t accept assignments unless we believe there’s a reasonable chance of success.  When we do take an assignment, we’ll tell you early on if we believe a particular team or leader can’t be successfully coached.  We don’t want to take your money without adding value to your organization.

Curiosity may have killed the cat but it makes for darn good consulting.  As coaches and consultants we’re avidly curious.  We want to know what your challenges are, what you’ve tried in the past, what assumptions you’re making, and what pressures are on you—among many other things.  The more we know, and the more we can discover, the better we can serve you.

We’re “learning junkies.”  We practice continuous learning.  We learn from our clients, our colleagues, professional workshops and seminars.  We do what we urge our clients to do—reflect on our experiences and draw lessons from them.  

Team development is a process, not an event.  The development of a team does not happen at a one-time team building offsite meeting.  Team development is an ongoing process, fueled not just by periodic facilitated meetings, but also through the ongoing attention and procedures followed by the team and its leaders at their staff meetings and during day-to-day activities.

Learn more about our services & programs.