WHAT IF COMPANIES MADE DEVELOPING THEIR PEOPLE’S CAPABILITIES CORE TO THEIR MISSION?

Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute: A Fable: How Employee Development Can Become the Highest Form of Social Contribution

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ABOUT THE BOOK

And what if equipping people with the intellectual, emotional, and social capabilities they need to thrive and contribute in the world was a recognized and incentivized form of social contribution?

Leadership development experts Ed Offterdinger and Catherine Allen know from years of professional experience that higher profits, happy, engaged, and productive employees, better relationships away from work, and a better world are the result when companies put people development at the center of their strategy.

Now more than ever, employers and employees know that embracing continuous learning and development is the single most important way to adapt and succeed in a fast-changing, complex, and technically driven world. But the challenge for leaders is how to change their organization’s culture and practices to support more conscious people development in the flow of everyday work. This book is the inspiration to change and a practical guide to show you how to connect all the dots and make real culture change happen at your organization. Your team is already spending more time at work than just about anywhere else—why not harness that time for the betterment of your company, people, community, and world?

GIFT WITH PURCHASE

For a limited time only, everyone who orders the hardcover edition of Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute will get these BONUS gifts:

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Early access to Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute

Receive a pre-release chapter of Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute and get started on helping to provide your people with the capabilities that they need to thrive.

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Conscious Development Cheat Sheet

In this new PDF, you will discover three ways to consciously invest in your people to have a fully engaged workforce.

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Simply purchase a hardcopy of Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute at your preferred retailer and use your receipt number to complete the form below.

    PRAISE

    What if your workplace culture reinforced learning and development in ways that grew capabilities for communicating, and strengthened emotional and social intelligence while contributing solid value to your key stakeholders and bottom line? Read More

    LLOYD RAINES

    Executive Coach and Principal, Integral Focus

    What if your workplace culture reinforced learning and development in ways that grew capabilities for communicating, and strengthened emotional and social intelligence while contributing solid value to your key stakeholders and bottom line? And what if you discovered those same skills nourished a sense of meaning and purpose to the lives of your employees? What might your organization gain? Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute: A Fable tells the story and shows the way to unify our human needs for meaning and value with a company’s need to survive and thrive—while making a positive contribution to the world.

    LLOYD RAINES

    Executive Coach and Principal, Integral Focus

    Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute: A Fable is not an ordinary business book. Read More

    ANNELI WERNER

    President and Creative Director, The Jake Group

    Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute: A Fable is not an ordinary busi- ness book. Instead, Offterdinger and Allen use a fictional story to demonstrate the practical need, yet profound impact, of developing people in the workplace. A must-read that follows a CEO’s journey to passionately invest in his employees—it will make you think differently about how we’re all responsible for contributions for the greater good.

    ANNELI WERNER

    President and Creative Director, The Jake Group

    As a TV reporter for fifteen years and now the president of a corporate coaching and content business, I believe strongly in the power of stories to define leaders and organizations. So I love the innovative storytelling Ed and Catherine use… Read More

    JENNIFER DAVIS

    Founder and President, Jennifer Davis Media Group

    As a TV reporter for fifteen years and now the president of a corporate coaching and content business, I believe strongly in the power of stories to define leaders and organizations. So I love the innovative storytelling Ed and Catherine use in the first half of this book to allow readers to see themselves and their own challenges and envision a path to success. The second part of this book is incredibly valuable, too, because it offers a detailed road map on how to weave humanity, compassion, connection, and learning into the workplace, rebrand so-called soft skills to stress their critical importance, and foster and prioritize critical communication skills for individual and organizational success.

    JENNIFER DAVIS

    Founder and President, Jennifer Davis Media Group

    A compelling vision that employee development is the highest form of social contribution. The authors provide us with a solid framework for embedding conscious people development right into your organization’s culture. They invite us to consider… Read More

    GINA HAYDEN

    Executive Coach
    Author of Becoming a Conscious Leader: How to Lead Successfully in a World That’s Waking Up

    A compelling vision that employee development is the highest form of social contribution. The authors provide us with a solid framework for embedding conscious people development right into your organization’s culture. They invite us to consider that developing your people might just be a core part of why your organization exists, and that growing employees who achieve not just success but also significance might be a key part of your company’s purpose.

    GINA HAYDEN

    Executive Coach
    Author of Becoming a Conscious Leader: How to Lead Successfully in a World That’s Waking Up

    The workforce is evolving. Those that create a culture of consciousness and cohesion will thrive, and those that don’t will fall behind the eight ball. This book takes you on a journey to discover what sparks world-class contribution to thrive. Read More

    BRIAN LEVENSON

    Executive Coach, author of Shift Your Mind

    The workforce is evolving. Those that create a culture of consciousness and cohesion will thrive, and those that don’t will fall behind the eight ball. This book takes you on a journey to discover what sparks world-class contribution to thrive. It’s a must-read for those interested in developing teams and people in the workforce.

    BRIAN LEVENSON

    Executive Coach, author of Shift Your Mind

    Our global community finds itself at a moment in time when we need people operating at their highest levels of consciousness. Read More

    BILL PULLEN

    Academic Director, Institute for Transformational Leadership Georgetown University/President
    BPA Coaching and Consulting

    Our global community finds itself at a moment in time when we need peo- ple operating at their highest levels of consciousness. In Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute: A Fable: How Employee Development Can Become the Highest Form of Social Contribution, Ed and Catherine share a powerful vision of the role organizations can play and practical guidance on how to build an organizational culture that helps employees grow in order to meet the rapidly changing needs of our complex world.

    BILL PULLEN

    Academic Director, Institute for Transformational Leadership Georgetown University/President
    BPA Coaching and Consulting

    If you want to grow as a leader, develop better relationships with your colleagues, and mature your business, Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Con- tribute: A Fable is a must-read. Ed Offterdinger and AO People Partners… Read More

    JOE PUNARO

    CEO, IronArch Technology

    If you want to grow as a leader, develop better relationships with your col- leagues, and mature your business, Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Con- tribute: A Fable is a must-read. Ed Offterdinger and AO People Partners have helped me personally and professionally over the last four years. Catherine and Ed practice the Conscious Capitalism principles in their business and set a great example for all of us to follow. I am recommending this book because I know they will help you and your business grow as much as they’ve helped me and IronArch.

    JOE PUNARO

    CEO, IronArch Technology

    After twenty-five-plus years as a newscaster, I grew tired of telling viewers every day about the worst of the worst happening in our world. I founded my own company because I wanted to work with change-makers showcasing good news and… Read More

    LAURA EVANS

    CEO and President, Laura Evans Media

    After twenty-five-plus years as a newscaster, I grew tired of telling viewers every day about the worst of the worst happening in our world. I founded my own company because I wanted to work with change-makers showcasing good news and driving solution-based stories and projects.
    Reading Ed and Catherine’s book has helped me appreciate that conscious leadership is another way of defining my purpose, mission, and work—and that of my clients. There’s nobody better than Ed and Catherine at showing how and why using your business for good is good business.

    LAURA EVANS

    CEO and President, Laura Evans Media

    Aligning individual vocation, work, and company purpose is a key objective of the Economics of Mutuality approach championed by my organization. Allen and Offterdinger move companies in a similar direction with their very readable take on how companies that consciously help enable their employees to fulfill… Read More

    DR. JAY JAKUB

    Author of Completing Capitalism: Heal Business to Heal the World
    Chief Advocacy Officer, Economics of Mutuality Foundation

    Aligning individual vocation, work, and company purpose is a key objective of the Economics of Mutuality approach championed by my organization. Allen and Offterdinger move companies in a similar direction with their very readable take on how companies that consciously help enable their employees to fulfill their purpose will keep them and their businesses more resilient, and even more profitable. It’s all about the people, and without conscious development and nurturing, today’s employees will wither rather than flourish; they will simply move on if their purpose is not met through their work.

    DR. JAY JAKUB

    Author of Completing Capitalism: Heal Business to Heal the World
    Chief Advocacy Officer, Economics of Mutuality Foundation

    World-class education is the cornerstone of the Chief Executives Organization, and my team supports a membership with an insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge and experience. Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute… Read More

    JENNIFER LEHMANN WENG

    President and CEO, Chief Executives Organization

    World-class education is the cornerstone of the Chief Executives Organization, and my team supports a membership with an insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge and experience. Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute: A Fable has inspired me to reconfirm my commitment to ensuring my team also has opportunities for heightened individual achievement.

    JENNIFER LEHMANN WENG

    President and CEO, Chief Executives Organization

    As someone who has spent almost thirty years in the human capital space, I was excited to read Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute: A Fable. Being very fond of the authors and the subject, I was prepared to learn… Read More

    TODD DORFMAN

    KA Partners Executive Search

    As someone who has spent almost thirty years in the human capital space, I was excited to read Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute: A Fable. Being very fond of the authors and the subject, I was prepared to learn. What I was not prepared for was to learn and at the same time be absorbed by an amazing fable that made the learning enjoyable and relatable. I recommend this book to anyone focused on taking their orga- nization and people to the next level!

    TODD DORFMAN

    KA Partners Executive Search

    Catherine and Ed are true practice leaders, driven by their vision, passion, and experience unlocking the power of people development. Their book illustrates the compelling case for a conscious, strategic, integrated approach, and then lays… Read More

    DAVID SPACH

    President, North America; The Leadership Circle and Full Circle Group

    Catherine and Ed are true practice leaders, driven by their vision, passion, and experience unlocking the power of people development. Their book illustrates the compelling case for a conscious, strategic, integrated approach, and then lays out tangible, practical considerations for how to implement it in your organization. This is a valuable resource for leaders who want to make a bigger contribution to society.

    DAVID SPACH

    President, North America; The Leadership Circle and Full Circle Group

    Now more than ever, our country and communities are looking to businesses to be forces for good, and to do more than simply deliver value by providing goods and services. Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute: A Fable not only… Read More

    BRIAN L. SCHWALB, ESQ.

    Partner-in-charge—Washington, DC, Office, Venable LLP

    Now more than ever, our country and communities are looking to businesses to be forces for good, and to do more than simply deliver value by providing goods and services. Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute: A Fable not only makes the case for why successful business leaders must focus on the professional and human potential of their employees, but it is chock-full of thought-provoking anecdotes and ideas on how to do so. Focusing on the “employee life cycle”—from recruiting and onboarding to skills development and performance management [to] retention and ultimately onboarding—Offterdinger and Allen’s clear, authentic storytelling and insights make this book not only an enjoyable read, but an essential read for every business owner and leader.

    BRIAN L. SCHWALB, ESQ.

    Partner-in-charge—Washington, DC, Office, Venable LLP

    A perfectly crafted fable, expertly wrapped around real life and woven into a narrative packed with lessons learned and tangible how-tos and whys. The newest addition to the required reading . . . for my team.

    DAN SIMONS

    Cofounder, Founding Farmers Restaurants

    The story of an organization verging on either collapse or transformation draws you in and takes you deep into a world of inspiring and practical ideas. Kudos to Ed and Catherine for showing us how to move beyond implementing… Read More

    TODD STOKES

    Managing Partner, People Solutions, Baker Tilly US

    The story of an organization verging on either collapse or transformation draws you in and takes you deep into a world of inspiring and practical ideas. Kudos to Ed and Catherine for showing us how to move beyond implementing learning programs to building a true culture of development.

    TODD STOKES

    Managing Partner, People Solutions, Baker Tilly US

    Conscious leadership with a mission to develop people for the benefit of themselves, their organizations, and society—it seems almost too good to be true! In this immensely readable book, Ed and Catherine bring to life a story that… Read More

    PAM KRULITZ

    Founder and CEO, Optify

    Conscious leadership with a mission to develop people for the benefit of themselves, their organizations, and society—it seems almost too good to be true! In this immensely readable book, Ed and Catherine bring to life a story that illustrates why development is vital and how leaders can embed such learning into the fabric of their organizations for the good of all. The authors seamlessly tie together the individual development journey and the systemic forces that accelerate development. As a leader of a coaching company helping organizations scale their learning culture, I consider this is a must-read for organizational leaders, HR professionals, and coaches alike.

    PAM KRULITZ

    Founder and CEO, Optify

    MEET THE AUTHORS

    ED OFFTERDINGER

    ED OFFTERDINGER

    Ed Offterdinger is a strategic advisor and leadership coach with more than twenty-five years of leadership and client service experience as managing partner and CEO of large advisory companies.

    As Co-Founder and Chairman of AO People Partners, a leadership development and people strategies firm, Ed spends much of his time helping leaders improve their performance and do what’s best for their team, their business, and society. As Co-Founder and Chair of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of Conscious Capitalism, Ed has been helping spread the message about the power of business to do good. He also helped grow the DC chapter into the largest chapter in the US.

    CATHERINE ALLEN

    CATHERINE ALLEN

    Catherine Allen is a leadership coach and the Co-Founder and CEO of AO People Partners, a company that helps transform organizations so they can take their people and their business to the next level of growth.

    Bringing over twenty-five years of industry, government, and nonprofit experience to the table, Catherine has a master’s degree in conflict analysis and resolution as well as extensive experience in communications, leadership and team development, change management, strategic planning, and intergenerational workforce matters. Catherine is a Founder’s Circle Member of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of Conscious Capitalism, and she advocates for businesses interested in doing good in the world.

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    AO PEOPLE PARTNERS

    AO People Partners is a premier leadership development + people strategies firm.

    Our team of experienced coaches and consultants bring strong business, leadership, organizational, strategic, and people development expertise to help leaders and their organizations create the cultural conditions and sustainable practices that enable their talent and their businesses to grow, flourish, and succeed.

    CONTACT

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