Consulting Services
Peak Impact Consulting was built from the desire to change the world, one conversation at a time.
Allison O'Brien
THE COMMUNICATION LANDSCAPE
THERE IS A HUGE COST TO POOR COMMUNICATION
70% of small to medium sized businesses say “ineffective communication” is their primary problem. They spend 17.5 hours per week clarifying miscommunications, resulting in rework, lost sales opportunities, missed deadlines, budget miscalculations, and frustrated team members. These misunderstandings translate into annual losses of $420,000 for small companies and $62.4 million for large companies and $37 billion in Fortune 500 companies.
While many companies spend valuable resources on technical skills training, few budget for formal training in listening and communication skills. The common misconception is that these are "soft-skills" and don't directly drive profit.
The stats prove that listening and communication ARE NOT "soft-skills." They are hard business skills that drive productivity and profit. When companies develop a listening culture within their organization, they save time, money and stress, make high quality collaborative decisions, better allocate resources, reduce supervision costs and improve engagement and employee retention.
The secret sauce is LQ™ Listening Intelligence: the awareness and capability we develop over time to shift our listening based on the situation, the context and the people involved. The greater our Listening Intelligence, the greater our impact and influence.
SERVICES
LISTENING AND LEADERSHIP
Exceptional communication skills are paramount for becoming a highly effective and trusted leader. My approach to leadership development and individual coaching is through the lens of communication, transforming listening from a passive soft-skill to a measurable, strategic and foundational skill for performance.
I use the ECHO Listening Profile® as a foundational component of my work. ECHO is the only scientifically validated tool that measures how people listen—revealing the cognitive habits that shape how individuals filter, process, and respond to information.
What we habitually listen for influences the way we think, how we speak and share information, and the criteria we use to make critical decisions. Becoming acutely aware of our own communication style and listening habits is the stepping-stone for enhancing our leadership capabilities and influence. As we gain a greater self-awareness, we develop an agility to communicate with purpose and value with anyone, in any situation.
MANAGER TRAINING
The most successful individual contributors are generally those elevated into leadership positions. However, being successful individually doesn't inherently translate into being an effective manager. Peak Leadership Communication is a three month long program designed for new to mid-level managers, as well as high potentials soon to be elevated into leadership roles. It was developed to build exceptional leaders by equipping participants with the communication skills needed to be an influential and trusted leader. Learning modules include:
-
Becoming a Trusted Leader
-
Listening for Leadership and Performance
-
Creating Systems of Accountability
-
Making Clear Requests
-
Giving and Receiving Performance Enhancing Feedback
-
Emotional Agility
-
Conflict Management
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Individuals and teams that do not successfully embrace and manage conflict waste valuable time and resources, risking innovation and profit. As a Certified Trainer of Workplace Conflict Resolution, I use The CONFLICT DYNAMICS PROFILE® (CDP), an assessment instrument that measures conflict behaviors to help individuals and teams understand how they respond to conflict, which triggers can escalate conflict, and how to manage conflict more effectively; ultimately improving collaboration.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Brittany Kloss, Head of People
"Choosing Allison to lead our manager training program at PopSockets was one of the best culture decisions we made. Allison's professionalism, emotional intelligence, and natural ability to coach are traits that set her apart from other leaders. PopSockets employees (myself included!) would look forward to her trainings and also found her one - on - one coaching sessions to be extremely valuable. Any organization would benefit from her skills and expertise and without hesitation I would partner with her again in the future. Thank you, Allison!"
P. Levis, Dir. of Manufacturing & Quality
"For me, the most valuable thing Allison's training provided was an insight into how people on my team approach or avoid conflict. Learning their hot buttons and which behaviors can be constructive or destructive. I found the Conflict Dynamics Profile assessment to be very accurate. It is one thing when people tell you something and it is another for you to see it in a detailed and scientific way. Since the training, as a manager, I know I have concrete things I can work on and tools for coaching individuals that are doing well or need correction."
Chris Geer, Founding Partner
H2 Capital
"Allison has been a fantastic resource for me and my company. The skills she teaches and insights she provides are must-knows for all business leaders, as they are offering insights that I have not come across anywhere else. What I have learned has improved my relationships with my business partner, my team, my clients and even my family! As a result, I highly recommend Allison to all businesses. I am sure you will find significant value and benefit, just as I have."
"I still reflect and use learnings from the leadership training I received from Allison, almost daily, I would say. Both in managing up and down, in conflict management and resolution, and in identifying different listening styles and catering the way I communicate with different people to meet them where they are most comfortable. It’s one of the most useful self-improvement courses I’ve ever taken.
My team performs at an extremely high level and all tell me how much they appreciate me as their manager. I recently had an employee move to a new opportunity, and he told me the only reason he stayed as long as he did was because he enjoyed working with me so much. I couldn't have done this without Allison and her guidance and I am forever grateful!"
“As someone who specializes in engineering process consulting, I know that communication, and listening in particular, are critical factors in the success of a technical team. I recommend Allison to leaders at tech startups, software development agencies, and investors in the community. Her training is incredibly valuable and absolutely has the potential to improve the productivity of your business.”
Khaled Allen, Sr. Developer
"When I began working with Allison, I knew that I can be stubborn and argumentative, and that a coach would have to be both patient and willing to push me. Allison revealed great depths of understanding and held me accountable, even when I was at my most stubborn. She coaches from her heart and brings a lot of wisdom from her own journey of growth. I went to her to wrap my head around professional challenges, but of course we untangled challenges in relationships and self-image. People have repeatedly told me that I show up differently, and all my relationships have significantly improved."
S. Mangold, Dir. of Business Intelligence
Sean Helvey, Founder Lifework LLC
ABOUT ME
Allison O'Brien
Allison O’Brien is a communication and leadership development consultant who helps individuals and companies transform how they work through culture, communication and the science of listening. She works across all levels, from high-potential contributors to C-suite executives, helping teams navigate conflict, improve collaboration and enhance high-stakes decision-making.
For over a decade as a Master Trainer of the ECHO Listening Profile® and Director of Training and Development for LQ™ Listening Intelligence, she has built a worldwide network of listening experts, certifying consultants, coaches, HR professionals and L&D leaders to deliver the ECHO Listening Profile® in 12 countries and across 4 continents.
As a subject matter expert and thought leader in the field of LQ™ Listening Intelligence, Allison is a featured guest on numerous podcasts and panels, authored countless articles and blog posts on listening and leadership and speaks on global stages with the primary goal of helping people uncover the crucial insights needed for shifting the way they engage in conversation and manage their emotions in challenging communication scenarios.
“My genuine interest in people and what makes us tick, has paved the way for a career helping individuals and companies transform how professionals listen - to peers, to information, and across departments- so that leaders, teams and organizations can communicate with clarity, fostering increased collaboration and psychological safety for stronger decision-making and enhanced productivity and innovation.
For decades I’ve been intrigued by human interaction, and the question of 'What is it that creates connection and how or why do we withdraw and disengage from each other?' As I got deeper into my career and had many more interactions in business settings, the follow-up question became, 'How does the way we communicate impact how we work with others, lead, make difficult decisions collaboratively, and also show up for the people that we love?' In asking these questions, it became very clear that my life’s purpose is to change the way people live, love and do business, for the better.”
For Allison, the power of listening is the key to changing the way people live, love, and work.
CONTACT ME
Please reach out to start a conversation about your company's specific needs, customized program options and pricing.
