Client Testimonials
“Efficiency is what we were seeking; consensus is what we got as a byproduct. This is a very focused way of getting people on board.
The Board really liked it. Comments like ‘this is exactly what we needed’ were the rule vs. the exception.
Take any task – eliminate the what we are not here to address – outline what we need to do – get at the ‘to do’s’ and get everyone to literally sign on for their role.
We have a construction project and a capital campaign – this process is very useful for both. We used the process for our Board retreat – the Board really liked it.
Focus – keep everyone on task.
You won’t find a better group of people with whom to work and their experience makes the process extremely efficient and cost effective. It will save you a lot of meetings.”
Raymond B. White
Chief Executive Officer
The Watson Institute
Sewickley, PA
“Jerry not only helped me to create a relationship with a group of people I had no experience with, but also turned that session into a results-oriented meeting that will generate benefits for some time to come. He did an excellent job of staying on task to make sure we accomplished what I had intended from this session and then generated a document that helped us follow-up in the weeks and months ahead. Thanks Jerry!!”
Scott Schrank
Vice President
Hampton Brand Management
Hilton Hotels Corporation
Memphis, TN
“Jerry McNellis and Compression Planning allowed us to develop a team and transition our small company from a crisis-driven managed organization to a proactive, growing international company. Using Jerry’s techniques, we opened up communications across all lines of the company and destroyed those ‘silos’ that get in the way of being great.
Compression Planning not only gets your team excited to change, but forces you to execute that change. We are a small food company with great products in a niche business. We were structured to react to customer needs. We lacked the controls and standard operating procedures to grow profitably.
Compression Planning helped us implement needed controls to strive to obtain our corporate vision, while living under our values and mission. With controls in place and the right team, we have had significant growth. Jerry McNellis and Compression Planning laid the groundwork to allow us to achieve our success.”
Edward H. Schaefer
Former President/C.E.O.
Silver Spring Foods/Bookbinder Foods
Eau Claire, WI
“We’d been through a very difficult transition in our college, and felt the need to begin healing the institution. We decided that strategic planning was to be the vehicle for bringing people together, and we chose Compression Planning with Jerry McNellis as the model for our process. We trained 17 people as Compression Planning facilitators and this group evolved into the institution’s Planning Council.
With Jerry’s assistance, we conducted a series of external focus groups and ultimately, decided the best approach was to put every employee in the college through Compression Planning simultaneously. We did 14 sessions concurrently, for more than 300 people in one day. It was a way to demonstrate across the college that we were serious in our commitment to transform the institution and that we were serious about our employees being part of the process.
We were so pleased with the outcome that we now use Compression Planning in a variety of ways, other than just strategic planning for the institution. We’re using it in work with our Advisory Committees, working with some of our internal committees and councils and in curriculum planning. We’re starting to use it in work we do with some of the external organizations in our communities. We are adapting the process to our institution and are extremely pleased with the successes we are having.
We’ve given voice to a group of people who felt they did not previously have a voice in the organization. Compression Planning created a framework allowing us to address thorny issues in a positive, productive manner. Very quickly, people realized they were being given power and they demonstrated their commitment by taking ownership of the process and outcomes. It kept them in an active role. We’ve had members of the staff stay they’ve never worked in an organization where they felt as valued as they do now. That’s a powerful statement.
I’ve been in the administration of higher education for over 30 years. The day the Planning Council presented the Vision, Mission, Values and Goals developed through the Compression Planning process to the College’s Board of Trustees was probably the single most emotional day in the life of an institution that I have seen in my career. I have never felt prouder of an organization in my life.
I knew intuitively there would be a strengthening of the institution resulting from our experience with Compression Planning. I don’t think any of us expected the power, strength and commitment we’ve seen. We’ve gotten far more out of the experience than we anticipated. We’re now in a good place and we’re becoming a stronger institution through our work with Jerry and Compression Planning.
Trust the process of Compression Planning. At the end of the day, if you stay with the process, it will get you where you want to go.”
Dr. Joe Forrester
President
Community College of Beaver County
Monaca, PA
“Jerry and his team have done several strategic planning retreats for our clients, who are comprised of physicians and researchers primarily in academia. If any of our clients ever wants an outstanding, reasonably priced team to lead their strategic planning efforts, Jerry McNellis and Compression Planning are at the top of the list of our recommendations.
Jerry spends a fair amount of time interviewing participants in advance of the meeting, reading the association’s literature, and is extremely prepared for the retreats. The design that goes into planning a retreat is so well thought out, and collaborative, that, in the end, we’ve always gotten a phenomenal product that has helped moved the organizations to the next level. The systems used are simply
outstanding.
We recently had a retreat with Jerry and his team that involved some very complex issues. Jerry’s firm, yet warm style, helped us work through these issues. And, it was actually quite fun in doing so! I consider Jerry a top-notch facilitator and a friend whom I highly
respect.”
Laura Degnon, CAE
Vice President
Degnon Associates
McLean, VA