Daniel Robin & Associates

Making Workplaces Work Better

What We Do

Click here for information on retaining our services.

We help organizations run more smoothly and productively by focusing on interpersonal and organizational performance, providing the tools people need to work together, form clear agreements and accountability systems, and thus obtain improved results. Our programs and services help develop leaders, turn goals into commitments, improving individual, team and organizational results. We stand for healthy and workable workplaces because it directly benefits companies, employees, customers and suppliers, as well as the communities in which the companies operate.

If you are looking for effective onsite training, browse our COURSE CATALOG where we highlight some of our more popular workshops on people skills, leadership, and communication.  Contact us for custom or online programs. In addition to these proven programs, we also provide "a la carte" services and custom programs to assist with any situation where results depend on people working well together, such as leading change, coaching or facilitation and mediation.

We specialize in handling sticky situations where relationships are breaking down and there's an obvious need to move forward, but ... gridlock or escalation takes over.  Involvement of a neutral third-party such as Daniel Robin & Associates could quickly unblock the logjam and get people back on track.

Professional facilitation is often an important first step for any workgroup where tensions are high or people are at risk of putting up barriers to collaboration.  Our facilitation and mediation services have helped some of the most "at risk" groups put aside their differences and come to agreements about the way ahead.  For examples of our track record of success with large, diverse groups, click here

Type of Service

Summary of Specialization

Organizational Development Consulting

Helping organizations make smoother transitions, continuous process improvement, management communication and leadership, and the human relations aspects of quality and customer service.

Leadership Development

Custom-designed and field-tested workshops & seminars (skills trainings), facilitated negotiation, and coaching.

As an introduction or "audition," our principals are often invited to give short talks, lead interactive sessions or mini-workshops. Preview Daniel Robin's video sample for speaking and facilitation (4-1/2 min; 2.73Mb). 

See list of topics.

Dispute Resolution and Team-building Services

Confidential mediation services and "shuttle diplomacy" to resolve personnel issues; group facilitation and team-building issues to sort out conflicts or problems with team morale, help people deal with change, or handle patterns of dysfunction.
Individual Development Services Instrumented or observational coaching, Tele-coaching, individual counseling and one-on-one consulting.  Here's how to purchase these services.

Available FREE on this website: Sample programs and course descriptions, more than 130 Healthy Workplace article reprints, toolkits and countless tips and ideas to manage and lead more effectively.  We also host a discussion forum where registered guests can post their ideas, questions, or get helps with workplace-related issues and challenges.

Synopsis of our approach and philosophy:  We emphasize the skills of participatory and collaborative management (as opposed to autocratic or dictatorial), thus we inspire and assist leaders at all levels to use an inclusive style that balances assertiveness (focus on goal or task achievement) with cooperation (flexibility in relating to others, dealing with differences, finding out what others think and know...).  This approach, nicknamed "go slow to go fast," doesn't require extra time or giving in to other people's wishes. This is not "soft" leadership.  Quite to the contrary, in fact; with practice, collaborative approaches can be more powerful and can lead more strongly and quickly toward the desired outcomes.  There's more of a win-win when the other person feels included, consulted.  Interpersonally, you can be more directive once there's an increased awareness of the unpredictable and chaotic nature of human interactions.  We think we're rational and sensible animals, but even seasoned professionals can, at times, become "distracted" their own reactions brought on by other people having a will of their own, or by stress, conflict, change, or unreasonable expectations of self and others.  

Also, having an awareness of one's natural style helps gain additional perspective and increases our chances of success.  As each person's style is slightly different, our focus is on helping people to make the most of their strengths while building new skills and abilities.

Outline of Services We Provide

Organizational Development Services

  • Improve the bottom line: Business Process Improvement consultation, organizational learning strategies, emphasizing the "human elements" of total quality leadership.  

  • Getting people to work together: Executive management and enterprise-wide leadership, teamwork, and communication issues.

  • Handling workplace conflicts: Guidance on dispute management strategies, interventions, and implementation

Leadership Development

  • Interpersonal and people skills training for line managers, executives, salespeople, trainers, mediators, lawyers, legislators, consultants, therapists, and other professionals. Refer to course descriptions for details.

  • Team development -- Group dialogue, mediation, and problem-solving.

  • Private coaching in handling interpersonal differences, personal communication style challenges, presentation and influence skills, negotiation and mediation techniques, and overcoming limiting patterns.

  • Group or individual "tele-coaching" to focus and integrate skills learned in workshops.

Alternative Dispute Resolution and Team-Building Services

  • Confidential mediation services including, but not limited to employer-employee disputes, manager/supervisor and employee style clashes, departmental turf wars, and executive team conflicts.  Mediation is a human and highly-effective alternatives to litigation and arbitration.

  • "Shuttle diplomacy" (similar to facilitated negotiation) where each party agrees to enter into a process of working it out through a 3rd party "diplomat."  This can be helpful when the issue is too hot to handle, but management wishes to see some resolution.  See case studies and success stories.

  • Team-building and team development services, included instruments to help people gain perspective and open dialogue.

Individual Development Services

  • One-on-one coaching, counseling, mentoring, or consulting, in person or by phone (the choice depends on the goal and the situation): communication, habit change, relationship difficulties, and overcoming limiting patterns.

Speaking, Keynote Presentations and Facilitation

  • Speaking:  Both principals, Daniel Robin and Karin Leonard, are available to speak at conferences, meetings, or presentations on any of the topics described on this website.  

    Daniel has received rave reviews as a keynote speaker, panelist and panel moderator at the following recent events:

    • Presentation Skills, Driscoll's Berries, Watsonville, CA, 2006
    • Commercial Sustainability Network, Panel Moderator, Central Coast of CA, 2002-2006
    • Keynote Presentation and Panel Moderator, Commercializing Bioresins, Atlanta, GA, 2005
    • Keynote Presentation, Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), Northern California Chapter, 2003
    • Keynote Presentation, "Toward a Sustainable Economy," GaiaSong Conference, 2003, Santa Cruz, CA
    • Panel Moderator, Agricultural Technology Investment Forum 2002, Marina, CA

    Audition principal Daniel Robin as a speaker/presenter or facilitator (4-1/2 min video, 2.73Mb, RealPlayer format)

  • Facilitation:  With solid mediation experience under his belt, Daniel Robin has had great success in working with "at risk" groups that wish to achieve a result, but could benefit from professional facilitation. Examples of recent successes.

Click here for information on retaining our services.

Click here for an overview of our most popular workshops

Click the E-MAIL button below or call us at (831) 761-0700

Toll free in the USA: 800-96-AGREE (1-800-962-4733)

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