Welcome to the Connective Workplace℠. Your solution for building a culture of safe communication between leadership and the team bringing lasting improvements in employee retention, acquisition, engagement, innovation, and performance.

The CONNECTIVE WORKPLACE is founded on one simple philosophy:

We believe that EVERY member of an organization has unique insights, perceptions, and value. If an organization is to reach it's highest potential, it must not ignore, or even simply accept, this individual voice, it must PURSUE THE VOICE! 

The MISSION of the Connective Workplace is to EMPOWER the Pursuit of the Voice. Every Team Member - Every Mind - The Full Power of the Collective.

What if you could HIRE AND RETAIN YOUR DREAM TEAM despite the labor market challenges all around you - 
ALL WHILE IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND MORALE?!

Let me start with a simple question: If I were to CONFIDENTIALLY ask EVERY member of your Team how COMFORTABLE they are communicating with you as a leader - What do YOU think their response would be?!

SPOILER ALERT! - Most leaders think they have no "GAP" in their organization. Yet, in more than 90% of groups we find leaders are talked ABOUT far more than they are talked TO  :(

...but wait, I'm getting ahead of myself - Let me explain the... "GAP" 

Hi! I'm David!
When I was in my late teens, my first job was working in a family business owned by my Dad, my Uncle and my Grandfather.

It was a manufacturing business that made wood privacy fence. The process I worked in was cutting parts and then assembling them into ready-to-install fence sections. The job was outside in pole barns in Florida (yep, nice and steamy - hahaha). 

So as I'm working alongside the other employees, I'm hearing things. Things that seem like a moving current of anger, frustration, and to be honest, my co-workers just seemed generally disgruntled. 


 Now, the thing that was the most painful was this... 

 ...They never let on that they were disgruntled in front of the management or ownership (my family!). THEY JUST TALKED ABOUT IT AMONGST THEMSELVES.

Meanwhile, in the office I heard conversations between the management and partners and THEY TOO seemed somewhat angry, frustrated, and disgruntled. But, in the same way as the other Team members were talking ABOUT the management, the management was talking ABOUT the Team - not TO the Team. This dynamic seemed crazy to me because...

 ...NEITHER SIDE WAS TALKING TO EACH OTHER!! 🤐 

This experience created a deep pain for me. The people I worked with in the "yard" every day were saying NOT very nice things about MY FAMILY! Things like "Oh, they don't care about that." or "Don't bother saying anything, they won't do anything about it." It was obvious that they had simply disengaged from "care" or "concern" about the company and they were... 

 ...solely focused on doing the BARE MINIMUM to collect their paycheques! 

And back in the office, my family which comprised the ownership and management was saying NOT very nice things about MY CO-WORKERS! Things like "They're just riding the clock - they don't care about anything." Or "It's not THEIR truck - they don't care about it." THEY had disengaged from "care" and "concern" about the TEAM and they were...

...solely focused on getting the WORK DONE and managing the NUMBERS!

Hearing everyone talking smack about each other and KNOWING that ALL parties were NOT communicating with each other was excruciating. But I was only in my teens, I had no frame of reference and so figured that's just the way it is! 

It was VERY sad to me to know that there was a such a HUGE GAP with good people on both sides who had SOLID IDEAS about how to improve the company!

I distinctly remember one day - it was really close to Christmas - and I was working outside building fence - like always - hahaha! One of my co-workers was complaining about something he thought "the management" was doing that wasn't right - he probably didn't think I could hear him, but I could. 

On my break, I went up front to the office to see my family and get a snack. When I got there, they were deep in discussion about Christmas bonuses for the Team. This particular year hadn't been a good one. Money was tight and I knew that. Yet, here was my family, trying to figure out how to give good bonuses to the Team that I heard complaining about them only moments before. 

...I felt like crying. To this day, I STILL feel like crying when I think about it. 😥

It was that day something "clicked" in me and I made myself a promise...

..."If I ever become a leader with a Team of my own to care for, I will find a way to close this communication GAP and hear their insights, their feelings, their ideas, and share mine as well. We will truly BE a TEAM."

Over the following years I moved through various organizations as a Team member and in EVERY SINGLE ONE - this SAME TYPE OF GAP that I witnessed in my family's company existed. Sometimes it was narrow, sometimes it was a chasm, but it was ALWAYS there. 

Eventually, I DID find myself in a position of leadership and since the "GAP experience" was really painful to me, I was terrified of the GAP - terrified that my Team would talk more ABOUT me than TO me. I knew from experience that the GAP robbed both sides of valuable information that could be used to make the organization stronger, more engaged and more profitable...

...but I had no IDEA how to combat the dynamic!

The CONNECTIVE WORKPLACE is founded on one simple philosophy:

We believe that EVERY member of an organization has unique insights, perceptions, and value. If an organization is to reach it's highest potential, it must not ignore, or even simply accept, this individual voice, it must PURSUE THE VOICE! 

The MISSION of the Connective Workplace is to EMPOWER the Pursuit of the Voice. Every Team Member - Every Mind - The Full Power of the Collective.
In my first few leadership/management positions, I failed - I failed miserably at closing that GAP. Like most other leaders I had learned from, I lead with positional authority and my own opinions on what should be done. There was VERY little AUTHENTIC communication between me and my Team. 

Lucky for me - at that time - the old industrial disciplinarian approach to leadership and management was still effective enough to maintain a profitable team or enterprise, 

BUT these tried and true old ways - using fear, control, and even compensation WERE ABOUT TO SHIFT!

To try to solve the problem I dove into intensive study on leadership and management theory - and this coupled with changing societal and generational dynamics made me all the more convinced that the whole "leadership" concept needed an overhaul! 

So, I began assembling my own little basket of simple tools and I started using them to communicate with and engage the Teams I was working with. 

The results were spectacular with teams experiencing tremendous improvements in morale and engagement as well as productivity and a host of ancillary things like improved absenteeism, loyalty, lower pilferage, etc. 

In 2014, after more than a decade of honing the tools, and watching them literally transform organization after organization, I launched a consulting firm to help business leaders accomplish the same results in their businesses. 

BUT, that didn't go exactly as planned. When I started Vision Consulting Group, I had most all of my tools ready to go, but unemployment was still fairly high and hiring was easy. 

The tools I was offering typically resulted in improvements in all the areas I mentioned above - PLUS they generated a nearly immediate 5-10% improvement in profitability as well! (That might seem a small percentage but think about what it would mean to you if an extra 5-10% of YOUR revenue went STRAIGHT to the BOTTOM LINE.) 

STILL, the employers I spoke with were maintaining using the old disciplinarian management tools and methods. There just wasn't enough reason for them to change! 


There was a reluctance for clients to fully engage.  

So for the first year or two, the tools were not fully utilized as a cohesive system. HOWEVER, the standalone tools that WERE used by our clients were extremely effective, And more than 90%+ of our clients became repeat customers - utilizing the tools one by one in progression! Still, it was sad that the toolkit was not being used to it's fullest. 

I KNEW that even BETTER results were possible for our clients! 😊

Fast forward a little further...

- The unemployment rate falls to what is considered "full employment" (This basically means that everyone who WANTS to work, IS working.)

- Generation Z joins the Millennials in significant ways as a growing part of the multi-generational workforce

- Employee engagement, inspiration, connection, and culture become THE KEY BATTLEGROUNDS AND FOCAL POINTS for businesses trying to recruit and retain talent to grow. 

- There are now 4 generations meaningfully occupying the active workforce and the only way to win...

 ...is to learn how to Engage, Inspire, and Unify a multi-generational team. This can no longer be accomplished through fear, benefits, perks, or even compensation. It's clearly now requiring genuine CONNECTION. 

And then it hit me: The "toolkit" needed to be pulled together into a simple Leadership/Management/HR system that could be quickly and easily implemented - A system that measures the GAP, engages the Team, and shows EVERY Team Member how valued they truly are!

The CONNECTIVE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION was born!! 🤩

FROM THE FIRST SESSION we will work TOGETHER, to connect with your Team and build your unique Connective Blueprint - in real time.
The Connective Blueprint

Together We Build Success

Building your Connective Blueprint is how you get what you REALLY want – A team of – connected and healthy people working toward common goals on the daily. It is the culture that you and your team co-create – that empowers your team to produce maximum results where EVERYONE feels VALUED.

As business owners or managers, of course we might WANT our team to perform “just because it’s their job” or because we provide them with great benefits or even because we “REALLY NEED THEM TO”, but guess what? Maximizing performance in today’s multi-generational workforce requires more. More connection. More authenticity. More communication.

Truth be told, most managers assume that their team IS performing at peak UNTIL they witness the transformation the Connective Workplace brings. To be clear here, this transformation has to do with organizational HEALTH – NOT pay (though equitable pay is vital) not benefits (though these can be very important), it has to do with how your team FEELS about your company, their work, and their individual contribution to the group!
The Connective Workplace process at a glance...

Step 1: Measure Communication Safety - Our Connective Assessment Tool will determine the current level of "Communication Safety" in your organization. 

Step 2: Pursue EVERY Voice - Our proven Connective Review / Discussion processes will
confidentially collect perspective from the members of your Team.

Step 3: Create the Blueprint - Our proprietary Connective Blueprint process uses the information from the Connective Review / Discussion to build an actionable plan for improving your organization. 

Step 4: Shape Your Culture - Once your Connective Blueprint is complete, all that's left is to follow the blueprint toward improved organizational health!

Step 5: Rinse and Repeat! - Now that the Connective Processes are part of your culture and organizational DNA, use them over and over to leave behind stagnant culture and move into a new era of continuous improvement and engagement!
What our clients are saying...
"David is great at doing things the right way."

"There is the right way and the other way. The other way is not always wrong, but the right way has less headaches. David is great at doing things the right way. Sometimes when managing we have a hard time finding a way to solve problems when we are in the middle of them. At those times it’s great to have him as a 3rd party - who has had plenty of experiences - guiding us and allowing us to see different possible paths to finding resolutions." - Steven T.


"Employees can be personally fulfilled"

"Even though we've been in business for over 40 years, Vision Consulting Group has benefitted our business in a dynamic way. Their Team implemented a program with our leadership team. This has helped place people in their ideal place of passion- (not to mention saving money by knowing how to hire the right people!) - so that employees can be personally fulfilled, and we can all enjoy growing and prospering together. Vision Consulting walked us through the process -- hands on, teaching us and then giving us the tools to continue on our own. Now that’s true leadership! I highly recommend Vision Consulting Group for the growth of your business." - Mary Lou E.


"He is so good with people, provides unbiased & logical advice & mentorship..."

"David has been instrumental to our company in so many ways! Having him as a part of our HR process, has taken a huge load off of us especially with the knowledge, and expertise that he brings in the areas that we truly lack. He is so good with people, provides unbiased & logical advice & mentorship, and really has been the missing glue that we’ve been searching for all this time. Thanks for always holding us all in place 😉 Lastly, as hard as it is to share you, it would be selfish to not let others know what a great addition and resource you are to our lives and organization. - Rany A.

The Connective Workplace is the world’s simplest and easiest to implement communication strategy but it’s much more than JUST a communication strategy. 

It’s a full circle organizational health improvement system!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What does the Connective Workplace actually certify?
A: The SHORT answer is that the Connective Workplace certifies that you as a leader care enough about your Team to implement an "accountable" communication strategy that pursues EVERY individual voice AND provides every individual a regular opportunity to safely contribute in their workplace!

The longer and more specific answer is that you are actively and visibly creating an environment for safe communication and engaging your team by pursuing each individual voice on a regular basis. Further the Connective Workplace certifies that the organization is actively utilizing the information learned from the communication process to create a blueprint for organizational health and development. The process of the Connective Workplace creates and maintains a connective, communicative, culture which places a quantifiable weight on the contributions of EVERY Team Member.
Q: How long does it take to see results?
A: Results typically emerge almost immediately as one of the key factors in the Connective Workplace Certification is helping employees FEEL valued. (Remember this isn't about whether they ARE valued it's about how THEY FEEL!) Even a glimpse of an increasing commitment to them as individuals will cause an immediate professional "endorphin release" and that drives all types of engagement metrics from day one!
Q: What’s the difference between a Connective Workplace Certification and a Connective Manager Certification?
A: The Connective Workplace offers two Certification options. The first is an individual certification for you as a leader or manager – this is called the Connective Manager. The second option is the result of ALL of the managers in an organization becoming certified. When this occurs, the organization qualifies to be designated as a Certified Connective Workplace
Q: Will it be a good fit for me?
A: The Connective Workplace Certification is a great fit for any leader or manager who has a genuine desire to create a communicative, engaged, and highly productive Team! 
Q: How does the accountability portion work?
A: As a Certified Connective Workplace (Or Certified Connective Manager) you agree to engage your Team using the Connective Workplace process a minimum of twice per year. In other words, you agree to DO THIS. ;) In order to remain certified we will annually confirm that you are "doing the thing".
Q: What impact does the Connective Workplace typically have?
A: The Connective Workplace is designed to impact your organization across multiple metrics but in THREE specific categories: 

FIRST, the Connective Workplace tools improve communication. I have seen in my own experience as a manager, that the people who DO the job every day KNOW the job best. To make it plain - the team member DOING each job has unique and valuable insights on HOW the position, tasks or organization could be improved. The Connective Workplace provides a simple agile process to initiate a conversation which in turn creates the opportunity – the forum – the safety – etc, for EVERY Team Member to contribute their unique insights. 
This "culture of communication", combined with the information it collects allows teams to quickly and easily create actionable blueprints to improve the organization. These blueprints are VERY practical and VERY useful for driving consistent organizational improvement and for doing so in a way that is NOT a burden on the management but a shared burden with the TEAM. EVERYONE contributes to the solutions.

SECOND, organizationally speaking, once the information has been organized into the Connective Blueprint, the document itself becomes a short-term and repeatable strategic plan for organizational / operational improvement. At the SAME TIME the overall Connective process is communicating to EVERY TEAM MEMBER that THEY are valued, their opinions are valued, their insights are valued, and THEY are an integral part of the success of the group. The impact these “intangibles” have on a group is PROFOUND and improvements in ALL “Employee Engagement” type metrics will be the result. Often, metrics such as productivity, morale, shrinkage, absenteeism, accidents/safety, etc. will improve even before the Connective Workplace system has been fully completed! The mere suggestion of being valued as an individual contributing to the group in a meaningful way can improve a HOST of micro-decisions almost immediately!

THIRD, the Connective Workplace Certification gives your organization a competitive advantage in recruiting and of course retention in this extremely challenging labor market. Depending on your choice of support level - We can provide you with a digital badge for use on your website and recruiting materials which will link to a landing page SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION – which explains to prospective candidates exactly what the Connective Workplace IS and how they will be treated, valued, and inspired in their new position should they choose to engage with your organization. For Connective Managers, we will also provide a linked-badge for use on your resume and in any place you'd like to advertise your people-centric and high EQ Management Philosophy and training.
Q: Do I have to renew or accumulate Continuing Education to keep my Certification as a manager or an organization?
A: The ONLY thing you must do to maintain your Connective Certification is to continue to use the process a minimum of twice a year. That's IT! :)
Q: What makes the Connective Workplace different from other leadership certifications?
A: Most leadership/management certifications focus on motivating productivity or "improving the Team members' Skillsets" rather than inspiring action. The Connective Workplace not only focuses on the systemic piece of inspiring action but ALSO incorporates a collaborative loop which concretes buy-in during the process of creating the Blueprint!
Q: How is the Certification Priced?
A: Certification is determined by group size and is priced on a sliding scale to make sure that smaller groups and organizations can access it. Scholarships are also available - Schedule a discovery call today to see if you or your organization qualify for one of our special programs!
Q: Is there any cost to maintain the Connective Certification?
A: For Connective Managers, there is a small annual investment to cover the accountability management and some annual coaching (this includes annual survey work we do on your behalf, a measurement of your communication "needle" and 1:1 coaching to help you analyse your results and chart a course for continuous improvement). The investment amount is very nominal and, as with the certification pricing, we use a sliding scale to maintain affordability for everyone. Third party neutral HR support is also available as an option. Contact our Team for more details!

For Connective Workplace Organizations, there is a small annual investment to cover the accountability management and some annual coaching (this includes annual survey work we do on your behalf, a measurement of your communication "needle" and 1:1 coaching to help you analyse your results and chart a course for continuous improvement). Also available are packages including third party neutral HR support from our Team and other service offerings such as Annual Handbook/Policy and Procedure Review, etc. Contact our Team for more details!
Q: What if I don’t have much time to spend on it right now?
A: The Connective Workplace Certification process was developed as a lean process for leaders and managers. The training is concise and delivered "audit style" as our Team works through the Connective process with yours.
What my clients are saying...
"David is honestly a joy to be able to work with."

"David is honestly a joy to be able to work with. He creates a comfortable and honest environment, which is crucial in this type of work. Could not have had a better experience and my coworkers agree!" - Vanesa V.


“Using Vision Consulting's services has been a game changer"

"Using Vision Consulting's services has been a game changer in my company. They have helped reignite the passion inside of me that had gotten buried underneath tedious work that I did not enjoy, while at the same time focusing me on what I love. When I started working with Vision Consulting, I could not believe how dedicated they were to my company. It was almost like gaining a partner that I so desperately needed. I appreciate all they do, and I will continue to work with them as long as possible.” - Ryan B.


"I have since referred their services to a number of fellow business owners"

"When I first spoke with Vision Consulting Group, I really didn't understand how they could help me. However, when all was said and done, the project went very well, they were easy to work with, and I have since referred their services to a number of fellow business owners." - Stephen M.

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