Testimonials

Consulting | Coaching | Teaching | Music


CONSULTING

“Dorie has worked closely with me, and my team, as a strategic HR partner since 2005. She has facilitated management planning and company-wide implementation of significant culture changes that are very important to me, including:

• Articulating and integrating Radio Flyer’s Mission, Vision and Values
• Strengthening our Management Team as leaders in the company
• Promoting feedback as part of our daily work together – through workshops, modeling, and emphasizing follow-up
• Identifying and customizing competencies that will help us become world-class
• Coordinating our 360 feedback process, and providing feedback to all of us based on our Survey

What I value most about working with Dorie is her ability to coach me on how to lead more effectively, her willingness to give honest feedback to my leadership team on how to lead more effectively, her proven capability of earning the trust of the employees, management team and executives, her expertise in helping us turn our desire for changes into a well-paced implementation schedule, and her sense of humor.

If I were to summarize her contribution in one phrase, it would be:  Dorie is an invaluable resource if you want to take your people and culture from good to great and build a world-class company.”
Robert Pasin, CEO and Chief Wagon Office
Radio Flyer, Chicago, IL

“Dorie helped us with a major organizational change initiative.  A $20 million dollar project that impacted businesses processes, systems and organization structure went off with out a hitch.  It could have been very messy at the end if we did not focus hard on the right level of change management and with the right partner to get it done.  Thanks, Dorie!!!! .”
Debbie Lentz, Vice President, Process Design
Kraft Foods - US

“I have known Dorie for over ten years and have engaged her services at two companies that I have worked for.  Dorie has conducted training, facilitated strategy conversations and assisted me in developing ways to coach my organization to become more effective.  Her ability to grasp the dynamics of an organization, provide practical insight and pragmatic programs and solutions have helped me accelerate change management and build a more effective IT organization.”
Leslie Weber, Senior VP and CIO
True Value, Inc.

“Dorie has been an invaluable partner in our journey towards a high performing organization. We are proud of the tenure, commitment, and low turnover of our leadership team. To be truly effective that tenure also creates leadership and change management challenges. Dorie partnered with me and my CIO to assist employees in our Technology organization to adapt to new leadership approaches in order to facilitate a major change throughout our company. We wanted to make sure that our Technology group had the skills and talents to partner with the business and the client to deliver outstanding technology tools. What Dorie brings is a fresh perspective and approach. She is creative in developing solutions that fit our culture and values. She is caring, concerned, and confidential. Our management grew to trust her vision and guidance, therefore expediting the ability and desire to adopt change.”
Joan Richards, Vice President of Human Resources, Wheels, Inc.
Des Plaines, IL

“A cross functional group was facing teamwork, communications, and prioritization challenges. Dorie stepped in and was able to quickly and impartially provide the tactical tools (agendas, communication methods, facilitation services), the organization, and the energy required to get communication flowing. More importantly, she was able to provide strategic leadership and philosophical insight which allowed walls to be broken down between team members.  The end result was the team was able to properly expose, merge, and eventually, combine multiple issues, communication styles, and challenges into a consensus driven, group-accepted, prioritized series of solutions and next steps. I would feel comfortable in recommending Dorie to work with all levels of organizations, from CXO's to data entry clerks.    She is an easy person to work with, can deploy various levels of energy and discipline based on each situation’s needs, and strives to make sessions enjoyable and productive.”
Pete Scanlon, Director of IT Hu-Friedy Manufacturing
Chicago, IL

“Dorie worked with the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) to help develop a National HIV Prevention Blueprint and a National HIV Prevention Policy Agenda.  Unlike other, more tangible areas of HIV/AIDS work, prevention is oftentimes difficult to frame in a way that is perceived as compelling and effective.  Using her well-honed skills, Dorie was able to guide a group of national HIV prevention leaders in a multi-faceted process that honored their concerns, promoted their visions, gave voice to their knowledge and, ultimately, reasserted the value of the essential work they do.  Dorie’s mastery of group process and concept framing has helped position NASTAD to meaningfully influence the future of HIV prevention in the U.S.”
Julie M. Scofield, Executive Director
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, Washington, DC

“Our partnership with Dorie Blesoff helped our organization to become a leader in providing Capacity Building to Latino service institutions. With Dorie’s help in planning and then facilitating our team retreat, we focused on understanding better our organization’s purpose and identity, building a strong and effective framework to link Salud Latina and serve as a model organization to national and local communities and providers.”
Patricia Canessa, Executive Director,Salud Latina/Latino Health
Chicago, IL

“It has been a pleasure working with Dorie. She helped us channel our energy into some very realistic areas that I know will be productive in 2006 and 2007. In short, she restored my faith in strategic planning and I am grateful for that. ”
Christopher Brown, MBA, MPH,Assistant Commissioner, STD/HIV/AIDS Division
Chicago Department of Public Health

“Dorie Blesoff is an excellent organization development consultant. She has worked on two projects for us this past year. In both cases, the clients were delighted with her work and thrilled with the quality and creativity she brought to her projects. We highly recommend Dorie and look forward to working with her again.”
Michael Baker, formerly Senior Partner,Fulcrum Network

"Of all the consultants that I have ever worked with, Dorie Blesoff is the absolute best at partnering well with all the stakeholders. She is collaborative, smart, approachable and wise. Dorie understands change, people, organizations with a depth that makes her an asset to our organization. She was a key, valued contributor to the success of our initiative. I would hire her again in a heartbeat."
Rose Hollister, Senior Director, Leadership Institute & Global Talent Management, McDonald's Corporation
(worked with Dorie in her previous capacity as VP of Learning & Development at Equity Office Properties)

“Dorie is able to win the respect and trust of the people with whom she works. She has excellent facilitation skills that she successfully applies across all levels within an organization. I personally observed these skills as she helped establish the dynamic change required to move to a lean manufacturing organization.”
Rick Streicher, President, Richco, Inc. Chicago, IL
(worked with Dorie in his capacity as Executive Vice President, Fel-Pro).

“Dorie facilitated the leadership training for our trade association's Board of Directors and Committee Chairs to review and revise our Strategic Long Range Plan. Her facilitation techniques encouraged participants to interact with each other and have fun also. I would recommend her to others who have similar challenges. I also found it very helpful to come away with the notes to track and implement our discussions re: strategies and milestones, and committee best practices.”
Jeannie Bernard, Executive Director
BOMA - Denver Chapter

“Dorie combines several skills and qualities that you typically don't find in the same person. She is a strategic thinker, but also understands and is comfortable discussing complex details. She is a creative problem solver and is equally adept at leading and following in groups based on what is best for specific situations. She is a gifted and clear communicator and is at ease working with and discussing issues at all levels in an organization. She is very intuitive and can make key decisions about leading teams and groups so that much more gets accomplished and everyone feels that they were heard, participated fully and contributed to the best possible solutions and outcomes. Dorie is very bright and knows the organizational behavior and human resources fields better than most I have met in the industry. She is kind, empathetic, a great listener and facilitator, and a strong leader.”
Lois Haubold, colleague of Dorie's in 1998-2001, North American Leadership Team, Business Process Outsourcing, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

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COACHING

“Over the past year Dorie has provided coaching for two of the key players on my team. Both of these individuals are high level players who needed to develop the "little muscle behind the big muscle" to step up their game as leaders. As their leader and mentor I had taken them as far as I could and realized that I needed an expert to get them to the next level as leaders.

Dorie came in and was able to engage them and drive the results I was looking for. They trusted and respected her and were willing to work with her. She was able to get them to take an introspective look at their leadership and managerial style to see what was holding them back from great leadership. She empowered them to develop and implement a plan that worked for them and helped them to achieve their goals and also gave them the tools necessary to sustain their new found level of great leadership. I have seen outstanding results in both of these individuals and strongly endorse Dorie's coaching ability.”
Karen Baker, Vice President of Operations, Boston Region
Equity Office Properties

“I wanted to reiterate for you what I found so valuable:
--you emphasized core values as the nucleus of the discussion
--you SUPERBLY mirrored back to me my ramblings, honored the emotions and added insights and connections, your quick capture of my values and succinct summarization was particularly powerful
--you were willing to be patient and silent after you asked tough questions
--you asked tough questions
--I felt like you "got" me--I felt like you really understood my stories (and what I meant by telling them) and honored my frustrations but didn't let me wallow
--my overall affect from coaching with you: I felt respected, valued, cared for. ”
CL, Chicago

“With Dorie as my coach I was able to reach my goals and stay focused.  She held me accountable in areas that needed to be addressed.  I was able to find and stayed centered on my own sense of values and purpose, and grow both personally and professionally with Dorie's guidance.”
NT, Chicago

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"This program has helped me to (re)discover my purpose. Your class gave me a roadmap—the Cs of Change—as a way to help me gauge the impact I'm making. You have been instrumental on this journey, primarily because it is your class materials, notes, and feedback that I STILL find myself referring to. I don't know what it was about the Change course, but it made me realize that I have the potential to be a change leader. Thanks again..."
Rashaun Sourles, student in Dorie's MSLOC 441
(Designing Sustainable Strategic Change class in Summer, 2009)

Read about the award given to Rashaun Sourles

From Members of the Northwestern University Softball Program
2006 Big Ten Champions and Women's College World Series National Runner's Up

“After enrolling in Professor Blesoff's course, ‘Learning Organizations for Complex Environments’ we were pleasantly surprised to discover that we had already encountered many of the philosophies and practices of ‘systems thinking’ as members of the Northwestern University Varsity Softball team.  Our coaching staff had been actively integrating such practices within our team dynamics. Approaching our team as a ‘complex environment’ enabled the creation of an open environment that encouraged our individuality while allowing us to be committed and dedicated to our collective purpose.

Most powerful in the ‘systems thinking’ approach to coaching was the development of our shared vision: ‘To win the national championship by creating an environment that calls forth  the greatness in each of us, and as a team, as we live and learn commitment, passion, unity and Growth.’  Having this shared vision has greatly contributed to our team's continued progression and success over the last six years.

Taking Professor Blesoff’s course really helped us to frame and identify the ‘magic’ behind our team's unique dynamic as well as its ongoing success. We highly encourage anyone who has an interest in developing positive team dynamics with a greater sense of purpose to enroll in this course.”
Kristen Amegin, Eileen Caney, Ashley Crane, Jamie Dotson, Erin Dyer, Courtnay Foster, Sheila McCorkle, Erin Mobley, Darcy Sengewald

Dorie with Pat Allen, MS LOC Program on April 18, 2007
"When Is Change Transformational?"

“I just wanted you to know how often I refer back to my binder from Strategic Change and to Transitions.  As I once again pulled it out this morning to work on a client deck, I felt much gratitude.
Thank you for being a wonderful teacher and friend.
Best Always,”
LB, Student from Strategic Change course

“Thank you for an eye-opening experience this quarter.  The beginning lessons about ‘I don’t know’ and shifting paradigms will forever shape the way I interact with people and identify myself.  Lessons from this class have impacted me in ways greater than my initial expectations.  I went into this class anticipating to learn how to analyze corporate complex systems, leading me closer to my career.  But by the end, I was learning more about myself.  I’ve become far more conscious of my words and actions in group settings.  Furthermore, Senge will not stop talking to me in my head every time I make an assumption about a person or his/her ideas!!  I am making myself step back to see a bigger picture.  And this feeling is quite interesting because while stepping back “should” be a step forward into understanding the ‘whole’ of things, I kind of feel as if I’ve tumbled backwards into a state of not knowing what is going on.  And of course, that too – not knowing – is not a bad place to be.  What I’m saying, I suppose, is that I DON’T KNOW about a lot of things lately and I’m trying to make that into a good thing – an exciting start!  So, thanks, Professor Blesoff.  I’m in a state of delightful confusion.”
HK, student from Learning Organizations course

From Northwestern University undergraduate students, “Learning Organizations for Complex Environments.”

"Dorie Blesoff is truly an inspiring professor. She made her material come alive and really had a visible passion. She knew how to keep us engaged for a 3 hour long class. Her subject matter was also very interesting and was presented in a creative, comprehensible manner."

"The most engaging, approaching and interesting prof I've had. She really cared for subject matter and for students' understanding it. Her very direct and creative approach helped me learn the material quickly and well."

"I will ask all...to take this course in order to bring the theories in the education sector to life; it's an integration of the best ideas of school and workplace learning. Dorie is the best! She really cares about the students and designs her class with them in mind."

From Northwestern University MS LOC graduate student in “Strategic Change: Methods for Practice.”

“Dorie provided a truly engaging, experiential learning environment. She kept our attention with her creative applications of concepts. I enjoyed her approach so much that I volunteered myself to assist her in teaching another class!”

From Loyola University, Chicago, graduate student in “Strategic Change: A Systems Perspective.”

"Dorie did an excellent job of providing enough structure for learning the fundamentals and enough flexibility for each of us to explore that which was most meaningful."

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MUSIC

[ CD ] [ LIVE PERFORMANCES ]

CD: "Handin' Down the Love"

“You were so very kind to send me the music to your song  ‘This Day’ so I could sing it to my son at his Bar-Mitzvah.  Well, that was yesterday and we are still reeling from the day!  Everyone, and I mean everyone, loved the song, not a dry eye in the house.  My son was so touched that he cried as he stood with me while I sang it to him.  It really conveys the true meaning of what a Bar Mitzvah is, the beginning of a journey in life.  I can not thank you enough for allowing me to share your very special song with not just my son, but my friends and family.  I did copy the sheet you sent me into his program book so everyone could follow along the words and also so we can have that as a warm memory. ”
Michelle Goldstein - Bradford, MA

“My daughter gave me your CD, Handin' Down the Love as a gift and I have enjoyed it over and over. It has become my favorite driving CD, as it has a restorative quality following a day of dealing with the consumerism of America. I have a granddaughter who has just completed fifth grade, and also a friend who has a daughter the same age. I would like for both of the girls to have a copy of the CD, as I think there are some messages in your music that would be appropriate to their ages and places in becoming young women. Having raised four daughters, I found that time spent in the car listening to music led to some meaningful conversations, and summer time is the perfect time for those trips. I also have a young friend who has completed college, and joined the work world, and I think your music would be a good source of reinforcement for the admirable values and goals she has already set for herself.”
Amy Barnes - Chester NY

“A friend introduced me to your music about two years ago and I have been listening to it constantly ever since. I love your poetry--I have used it (with proper attribution!) on many occasions. I am considering singing ‘Handing Down the Love’, ‘This Day’ and/or ‘The Ones Who've Gone Before Us’ for one of our Sunday garden services at church this summer. I enjoy your whole CD – the wide range of styles in both music and lyrics, witty, hypnotic, compelling. Your music has really meant a lot to me--almost every song has specific meaning in my life, and sometimes it means different things at different times. I’m always finding new nuances. It's really incredible, like you're in my skin.”
Carol Meynen, MD - Evanston, IL

“My favorite song is Boomerang.  When I listen to Dorie's music I feel good and happy inside. I have loved Dorie's music since I was a baby!”
Evelyn ( aged 7)   -  Gurnee, IL

“Your music beautifully expresses the feelings that many cannot put into words. I particularly like 'Angelina's Song'; it comes alive for me and seems ancient. My other favorites are 'The Ones Who've Gone Before Us,' 'Sins of the Parents,' and 'Promises.' Your songs are reminders to me that I am not alone in my feelings; there are universal themes that connect us all. Thank you for saying it for us.”
SG, Veroqua, WI

"Dorie's music is not only soothing, but moving. I cherish it. Even though it's hard to put on the CD, because the music goes right to my heart, and I become aware of feelings I didn't know I had. Even though the music sometimes makes me cry, I'm glad that I can now release all the feelings I was holding inside. My 19 year old daughter liked it so much, I had to buy one for her so she'd return mine!"
BA, Berwyn, IL

"Thought you'd like to know your song 'It Takes Courage' that I played for my daughter at her Sweet 16 was a big hit. My friends had tears in their eyes when I was dancing with my daughter to that song. It was a moment that neither she, nor I, will ever forget. Many people complimented me on the song that I chose. The party was a success and the music was a big part of it. Thank you.”
KP, New York

"An Oak Park community treasure. Treasure it."
Val of Val's Halla music store
Oak Park, Illinois

"Dorie's music is affirming, honest, real, and stays with you."
EH, Milwaukee, WI

"Her lyrics truly resonate with me. She's easily expresses the essence of what it means to feel."
JB, Seattle, WA

"Thanks for the gift. It's inspiring and healing."
JK, Colorado

"Listen for the movement in her music; make personal meaning of her words; incorporate her messages and melodies into your daily living, sharing with others who reside within your communities. Her music hides a treasure chest of jewels to deepen your view of our world and and awaken your 'soul' to your place in it.”
CH, Shorewood, WI


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LIVE PERFORMANCES

I was touched by Dorie's ministry in a powerful way as she led a group of United Methodist leaders in a session on "Leading Through Transition,"  about supporting people effectively through change.  The presentation was enriched through singing of her original music, the reading of Scripture, and the invitation to share stories and dialogue with one another in small groups.  A friend whispered "How refreshing to engage the right brain!"  Yes, how refreshing to engage our spirits, our souls, our hearts, our minds.  Dorie is a gift.  She is the change she seeks in the world.Bishop Hope Morgan Ward - United Methodist Church, 2008

“Your music leadership at the August 15, 2006 Clergywomen's Luncheon was wonderful. Your presence blessed and enriched our time together and we could not have achieved the same level of celebration without your help. Thank you so much for the time, creativity and depth you provided our gathering.”
Rev. Nancy Twichell, Assistant Director of Field Education, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Evanston, IL

“Your voice and music make my heart sing and the community joins in!  Your music speaks of life--all of it--and because she sings truth my own life is enriched.  Thanks again for your gift to the clergywomen's gathering.  What joy you brought to all of us.”
Bishop Sharon Zimmerman Rader,
United Methodist Church

“As Medical Director of the comprehensive Breast Center of Mercy Hospital & Medical Center in Chicago, IL, my colleagues and I were interested in designing an event especially for women. We were extremely fortunate to be able to have Ms. Blesoff as the feature performer. Not only is her voice beautiful, her piano and guitar playing wonderful accompaniment, but her words are incredibly inspirational. I had many women telling me that within minutes they were brought to tears. The feelings were so powerful and at the same time provided great strength. Everyone is looking forward to next year's concert and we will reach out to bring others whom we know will thoroughly enjoy the experience.”
Paula Grabler, M.D. Medical Director of Breast Center,
Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, Chicago, IL

“The audience thoroughly enjoyed Dorie's performance at our fundraiser. She was able to incorporate our message into her performance, creating an engaging show that both entertained and moved those present at the event. Inclusive, commanding and heartfelt.”
Mary Carlson, Special Events Coordinator,
VITAL BRIDGES (AIDS/HIV support) Chicago, IL

“At your concert we could feel the underlying 'you' coming through strongly, especially in the deep, inward songs when you were playing piano under your singing. The tables around us were often singing along with you, and your choir was relaxed and very much in spirit with you.”
EC, Evanston, IL

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