-
SkaareWorks
Think Differently, Communicate Confidently
Innovation is more about rethinking
and re-engineering what you have
than creating clever ideas
that are unlikely
to be implemented or to last long.Richard Skaare helps executives move
outside the box
to better see what's inside the box.
WHAT You Need ... WHAT I Help You Do
Listen to Yourself
Talk Like You Write
Write Like You Talk
Share What You Know
Choose the Best
Communicate Smart
WHO I Am ...

RICHARD SKAARE ... I consider myself a head-smart, street-wise communicator. I have two Masters degrees, one in communication. Both taught me how to look, listen, think, and learn. Equally important, I have a lifetime of experience in defining and resolving diverse, difficult business issues that impact corporate profitability, organizational efficiency, and communication. I understand people, processes, and possibilities.
WHAT People Say ...
"Richard is able to extract the essence of virtually any project or initiative … brings individuals and organizations to that rare state called ‘shared vision'."
William Saverance ... Global Executive Development Leader, SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation)
"… solid ethics, incredible depth of knowledge, organizational skills and all with a touch of humor."
FRANK NAVE' ... VP Museums & Environments, Lynch Exhibits
"… indispensable counsel in a high tension, very delicate situation … understood the predicament from all angles … dealt with the situation calmly, with the utmost integrity, and very competently."
TOM DICLEMENTE ... Managing Partner, Gran Sasso Ventures LP ; Former President/CEO – Europe, Middle East & Africa, AMP Incorporated (now TE Connectivity)
"Deeply insightful and intelligent … brings the best out of people and organizations."
MARK HARTMAN ... Former EVP Business Transformation, Cardinal Health
WHAT I Have Done ...
- Convinced and showed SABIC (Saudi Arabia) senior management how to capture and convert internal expertise into content for the company's new learning portal.
- Globalized employee thinking by creating a communication strategy that repositioned AMP Incorporated (now Tyco) from a U.S.-centric manufacturer to a global solutions provider.
- Reshaped, through a comprehensive communication program, the profile of Allegheny International from a specialty steel producer to a multibillion-dollar conglomerate.
- Reformulated the traditional management (Tollgrade) business plan into an accountability system that linked the plan to departmental/individual performance plans.
- Imagined and helped create high-tech, interactive exhibits, including a locomotive simulator (Norfolk Southern), for trade shows and museums.
- Persuaded and demonstrated to management at two companies (KnowledgePlanet and Lynch) how to build pride and credibility by using employees in advertising/marketing.
- Crafted corporate messages and positions on various public issues through speeches written for CEOs and other executives (Alcoa, AMP Incorporated, SABIC).
- Shifted management's defensive approach (AMP Incorporated) to environmental issues that established a corporate reputation for proactivity, credibility, and transparency.
- Helped ease employees through traumatic change: workforce reductions, plant closings, hostile takeover, environmental contamination, health scares, workplace violence, etc..
- Taught many executives/managers how to change media interviews from a Q&A to opportunities to communicate corporate messages.
What I think
Build an A-team from (presumably) B-players
Exceeding the expected used to be exceptional; now it seems commonplace. Do the job well and, at some companies, the annual performance review could rate the individual as “exceeds expectations.” Perhaps expectations are too low, or do you simply not have enough A-players in your department? They are not difficult to find, but do you […]
Mistakes are Just Mistakes
Mistakes at work are not what they used to be. They once were black and white, intimidating, and your fault. Now a mistake is more oops than ouch, encouraged as leadership development, touted as a growth opportunity, and not completely your fault. Errors do not have to be painful experiences, we’re told, but rather passages […]
Afraid to Decide
When was the last time you waffled on making a decision and, by default or design, let someone else make it for you? Maybe last night? (“What restaurant do you want to go to,” she asked? “I don’t care, he replied. “Wherever you want to go.” “I don’t care either,” she responded. “You decide.”) Decisions […]
Conference Perk … Seminar Investment
Who doesn’t enjoy getting out of the office for a couple of days at the company’s expense to a previously unvisited city — usually in a warm climate — for a conference where you’re promised big-name speakers and networking opportunities? Count me in. But also count the cost – travel, lost productivity, possible loss of […]