Testimonial:

Cissy Bowman

I was introduced to Forté from UNCW which was achieving amazing results with the tool. We in Mt. Lebanon had recently gone through a reorganization and wanted to see if it could help us through this period to understand how best we could communicate with each other. It was used by our leadership team and the results were life and cultural changing. A treasure trove of information about each other was revealed that previously we just did not know. It broke the ice and allowed people to really open up and discover the most effective way that we could communicate to achieve results. These types of conversations as a team had never happened before and that “Aha” moment occurred.

Being educators, most of us are centered around that cluster line of patient and conformist but through Forté we discovered that our main leader who set the vision and goals was an extrovert and a great risk taker. We had opposite communication styles and strengths and every member of the team now knew how to communicate effectively to achieve what was needed. The motivators and demotivators of the team were also revealed. For example one of my colleagues was struggling as she was not involved in all the meetings, so once we saw this and understood it was a demotivator, we remedied it. Something that could be so small to one person is so important to another and Forté reveals these facts.

As a team-building venture, it was extremely successful and a game-changer. It builds trust and empathy, as the foundation of the tool allows you to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. From here, a growing structure of brilliant communication and solid relationships are formed. We have used other communication tools since but Forté always stands apart. Most others are a once-and-then-done assessment or tool and are something that you do in the moment but Forté is about building and understanding each other and gives you a roadmap for success.

My advice for any business that wants to start using Forté is to start with leadership as it creates a ripple effect. As an educator, if taking on graduates in your business if you implement Forté into your growth strategy, it will be a gift. Social-emotional learning is a needed 21st-century skill in the workplace and Forté fits perfectly with this.

Cissy Bowman headshot