Business Communications Expert
and Founder & President of Candid Culture
Shari Harley is the founder and president of Candid Culture an international training and consulting firm bringing candor back to the work place, creating a safe haven for employees, managers, and clients to speak honestly. Candid Culture helps corporations, associations, government agencies, schools, and not-for-profits get and keep the right customers and employees by creating better business relationships.
Business
Shari is all about business. Her previous experience includes selling and facilitating for Dale Carnegie Training, conducting customer service training for American Century Investments, leading leadership training and successful planning for OppenheimerFunds, and managing operations across 21, nation-wide locations, with 200 matrixed employees.
Leadership Development
Shari started her management training business after a fifteen year corporate career. She left her National Director role in 2007 with no plan and no prospects. Her family and friends thought she was crazy. But even in one of the worst economic climates of all time, Shari’s business leadership development services have been in high demand. Organizations of all types and sizes, in seven countries, have gravitated to Shari’s simple communication and management training for forging long lasting business relationships.
Book
Shari is known globally as an engaging, fun, content-rich business speaker and trainer. She is the author of the book How to Say Anything to Anyone.
Education
She has an undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master’s degree in Applied Communication from the University of Denver, where she served as an adjunct faculty member and taught business leadership development courses.
Speaker and Trainer
Shari’s practical approach to improving business relationships has led her to speak and train throughout the United States and in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Dubai and Australia. And while she enjoys speaking and training throughout the United States and internationally, Shari lives in Denver, Colorado because it is never humid there.
AVOIDING THE QUIT AND STAY PHENOMENON: ENGAGING AND RETAINING KEY TALENT
During challenging economic times, when turnover is low, employees still quit, they just don't leave the building. Quit and stay is the phenomenon of employees becoming disengaged and less productive while waiting for the economy to improve and for other roles to become available. Quit and stay is an unfortunate but avoidable phenomena. Do you know which of your employees are engaged and committed to your organization? Do you have a plan for those who are not? Identify the key drivers of employee engagement, retention and performance and develop a loyal and committed workforce.
WHAT THEY SAY WHEN YOU'RE NOT THERE: MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL REPUTATION
You're only as good as people say you are. What are your internal and external customers saying? Do they want to work with you or do they feel that they have to? Take control of your reputation by knowing how you are perceived and managing what you put in front of others. Improve your and your department's reputation. Get more feedback enabling you to take control of the impressions you create. Build long lasting business relationships that outlast economic downturns, miscommunication and conflict. Take charge of your business and your future.
HOW TO SAY ANYTHING TO ANYONE: SETTING EXPECTATIONS FOR POWERFUL WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
You have a request for one of your co-workers but don't know how to say it, so you don't say anything. A project you worked on for six months has become a black hole. There is no information about the status. You're frustrated, but you don't say anything. Two employees aren't working well together. It's impacting the atmosphere in the office. You don't know what to say, so you don't say anything. Speaking up when we are frustrated is hard and, as a result, most of us don't. Instead, either we tell other people (aka gossip) or we say nothing, and relationships become strained. You can say anything to anyone and have it be easy. You just need to lay the ground work to do so, and most of us don't.
WHERE DID MY CUSTOMERS GO? GET MORE CUSTOMERS. KEEP MORE CUSTOMERS
Customers provide us with clear feedback. They hire us, or they don't. They return our calls, or they don't. They refer others, or they don't. Unfortunately when customers are dissatisfied, they don't tell us. They vote with their feet. 99% percent of customer turnover is predictable and preventable. The signs are everywhere. We just don't know what they are, because, for the most part, customers don't tell us. Customers leave and we never know why. Get to the heart of what your customers need and why they hire or fire you. Never get fired again and be surprised.
All Shari Harley Books
