Feedback on Leadership Coaching of an Administrative Team

Ann Dinan, Ph.D., M.S.S.A., C.P.C.C., and founder of
The Personal Leadership Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio
You are incredibly focused, very intuitive, and courageous in terms of helping people make sense of what they experience. You’re not only self-aware but you are very aware of what is going on in the room. To do this kind of work, that’s imperative.

Your professionalism is combined with the ability to be personal; it’s very clear that you can and do carry a room while establishing relationships and rapport with the individuals. You have an energy and a passion for the work; you know your stuff!

I think you’re an amazing designer of program. I don’t know if it comes from past work experience or what but you bring a lot to the table around that. The day was upbeat, fun, interesting, and highly experiential in the sense that there was a lot of physical movement involved so that people could get it in their bones. Your ideas were spot on. You were in the flow. Nothing needed to be added or changed. It was entirely about creating a rich experience for the participants.

What is it like to work with you? Delightful! And easy, very easy.

Feedback on the Teleclass Series Relationship Wisdom: Highlights for Happier Connections

Tricia Ramsey, Vancouver, British Columbia
Janet's tele-classes were very informative and enjoyable with just the right blend of information, real life examples and input from participants.  Janet's warm and inclusive leadership style held the agenda and maintained space for engagement and learning.

Feedback on the Workshop Relationship Tools

Cynthia King, Cincinnati, Ohio
What’s so beautiful about this program is that all my relationships have shifted because the core of how I communicate has shifted. It has affected how I speak to my partner and my mom as well as how I speak to the guy standing behind me in the grocery store. (I used to get into arguments with him too!)

I really believe that it saved my marriage. I was on the verge of moving out; we had broken up. And because of the work we did and the awareness we both gained from going through the program, our relationship is healthier than it has ever been and our friendship is stronger than it has ever been.

I now realize the role that I played in the unsatisfactory relationships that I have had, whether at work or with my family. I realize how much I contributed to not getting what I wanted out of life. My communication was always about protecting myself and it was often unconscious. Now it can be more about being authentic, understanding what my needs are, and figuring out how to get them met. It is a choice now instead of a reaction.

The workshop leaders were professional and really cared about what they were doing. That contributed to how well they worked together and how well they were able to communicate with us. The exercises were fantastic; a few key exercises really helped us grasp the concepts.

I remember that phrase that sets you free: “Every behavior is that person’s best attempt to get their needs met.” That has come up in my life so many times since the workshop and it leads to instant forgiveness. Like if someone is acting crazy on the street, I realize that for whatever reason, today that is their best attempt to get their needs met. I have less judgment now and more observation. That’s what I loved about the program.

I am not yet exactly where I want to be, but I know now that I have the tools and the awareness to take me where I want to go with my communication. This program is one of the best seminars I’ve ever been to and I crave more.


Karen Hoskins, Cincinnati, Ohio
What I learned in the workshop created a lot of freedom for me. My relationships are lighter now. The way you guys worked with each other and with us flowed easily. You both have very calm energy. I felt comfortable working and sharing what was going on with me; the environment for the course felt very safe.

I learned that I was aggressive in the way I talked with people and that it caused me to get reactions that I didn’t want. Now, when situations occur or people behave in a way that in the past would have upset and offended me, I’m able to recognize that it’s something going on in them. I don’t need to react or push back. Before, I always wanted to push back.

When people snap at me, now, I think about how dogs bite out of fear. When dogs growl or are aggressive or bite it’s usually triggered by some kind of fear in them. So now if someone is short or snappy or mean or hateful with me I’m like, “Oh, fear biter!” They are just scared of something and it doesn’t have to be about me. When I approach things differently, the way people deal with me changes.

My partner and I did the class together. We’re not necessarily applying our new ways at the same time but we are more willing to come back and talk about things when we act in ways we don’t really want to. One of us will say, “I acted like this and the truth is that’s not really what was going on with me.” In my relationship with my mother, it has freed me up to not own a lot of the stuff that I used to own.

I have gotten very good in my life at not feeling. Since the workshop, when I don’t act in a way that I want to, I look at what I need and actually try to name it. It is a very helpful stretch because a struggle of mine is knowing what it is I want and what it is that I’m feeling. I am learning more about what I want. Sometimes it may not be until the next day when I realize “Oh yeah, that’s what was going on.”

And if I don’t use the tools in the moment, I realize later, “Wow, I could have handled that differently.” Yet I don’t beat myself up about it. I’m more gentle on myself and more cognizant that I am learning.

To take what I’ve learned from Life Success Seminars and layer this on top of it is the perfect complement. This workshop gave me specific things I can do every day and in every interaction. It gave me specific little changes that create the large changes I’m looking for in my life.



Margie Rohrer, Cincinnati, Ohio
This workshop helped me realize that people do not do things vindictively to hurt me, to harm me, or to get even with me. They do things because they are trying to meet their needs. When you give me a reason why someone does something, it’s easier for me to be more compassionate, to accept them, and to forgive them. It is so much sweeter.

I liked practicing the skills with other people in the workshop. I really, really enjoyed being able to contribute to the group and I felt acceptance when I struggled or made mistakes. We all learned together and it was step-by-step learning that made sense to me. I appreciated so much that I got something from each person in the group, either a view of where I have been at one time or a part of me that I would like to bring out more fully.

I’ve been challenged with my son’s hyperactivity. Now I know that’s just him. I try to love and accept him for that and not stifle it. He’s not intentionally trying to frustrate me. I look at my needs and my kids’ needs on the same scale. I can see that, OK, maybe my needs can’t be met right here but they can be met over here. Maybe I have to wait until the boys go to bed and then honor and cherish that time as my time. When I take care of myself, I am better at being there for them.

I have made progress also with making requests rather than demands of my husband. When I ask him for something and he says “no” I might first feel upset, but then I realize I want to allow him that freedom. My new outlook has taken the sting out of “no” for me.

One insight of mine came through the activity of writing a letter to a person who caused me pain and looking at what was going on for her. I’ve been able to forgive her for the hurt because I see she’s really just trying to contribute.

I think your program is awesome. It gives the tools to discovering how life could be. It’s just such a freeing thing. And it brings in a new brightness. I’ve learned so much from both of you. I think this workshop is the key to the “how to” of general messages I've learned elsewhere.