Leadership, Strategy and Client Development Consulting Testimonials
Retreat Planning, Facilitation & Speaking Testimonials
Out of respect and to maintain confidentiality, we do not name our clients directly in our testimonials. Please contact us for a list of references.
Leadership, Strategy and Client Development Consulting Testimonials:
“Robert Fortunato is one of those rare management consultants who possess the unique ability to clearly and concisely translate his clients’ vision and underlying strategic objectives into language and initiatives that an entire organization can understand, support and implement. Robert’s methodologies for facilitating integration of business units and organizational and leadership skill development within our law firm, have proven to be exceedingly valuable.”
Managing Partner, Firmwide Operations
“Robert possesses substantive business and management skills along with strong organizational and interpersonal abilities. This combination is providing my firm with clear breakthroughs and improvements in several key strategic initiatives.
He has assisted me personally in establishing concise goals and methods to improve my day to day performance. Robert has also provided leadership on several particularly unique and gnarly initiatives which the firm considers key to our future growth and the engagement of our employees.
Robert is a patient coach and facilitator. Our ability to achieve substantive results in the areas where he has assisted us has increased significantly because of his leadership and guidance”.
President and CEO
“We were successful as a result of your leadership and facilitation in helping us set goals and implement the planning process. We did it differently and got different results. Our chances of achieving long term results have been increased as a result.”
Managing Partner
“Robert assisted us in the firm’s effort to integrate several hundred lawyers and staff in its four California offices. I was given the daunting task of heading up this integration effort. During the process, Robert has become my advisor, my mentor, my coach, my critic and my friend. Any success we achieve will be due to his skillful assistance.”
Partner in Charge of California Integration
“With Robert’s guidance and team building skills, our Management team and Board of Directors are now working together better than ever before to define benchmarks of success. I believe he has put us on an upward path that will help us define and stay focused on our objectives. By helping the organization clarify its purpose, I feel Robert’s work will benefit not just our team, but our existing clients and our clients yet to come.”
President and CEO
“As a result of our work together, we have successfully melded a number of diverse practices in various locations into a single fully functioning office. The firm also developed of a sense of pride and ownership on the part of lawyers and staff, along with a genuine, widely held belief that the mergers have been a success.
I credit you with keeping everyone involved in the integration effort focused on the strategic opportunities presented by mergers. Without your coaching, I am pretty sure the Integration Team would have devolved rapidly into ‘The Complaint Department’.”
Partner in Charge of Southern
California Merger Integration
“Robert’s training and coaching have been invaluable. He has helped me to understand and use management tools to get things done while building a supportive and engaged group. Not only am I a better manager, but the response of my group has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Executive Committee Member in Charge of IP Group Turnaround
“With Robert’s help, we have honestly appraised our organization over the past two months, and have begun to believe in ourselves and reverse the negative trends of the past several years. Rapidly, we are learning how to communicate, exploit our strengths and develop confidence in our organization at all levels.”
Partner in Charge of Turnaround Committee
“Thank you for renewing my love for learning. I feel as if I had been looking at the surface of the water for quite some time, and seeing the same tired, old reflection. Now, I feel as if am seeing below the surface, understanding the dynamics of the business world, and seeing tremendous opportunity.”
Partner
“I have known Robert professionally for four years and find him to be of high moral character with the utmost regard for ethics and integrity. He is also committed to the highest standards of quality and excellence in carrying out his professional responsibilities.
Robert is extremely knowledgeable in all areas of management consulting, and has exhibited particular expertise in the following: leadership development, business management, change management, organizational management, organizational development, meeting facilitation, and executive coaching.
Robert is dedicated to achieving success for his clients and will work as hard as necessary with his client’s management to bring about the desired goals. He uses a combination of academic theory, intellectual framework, and practical application to facilitate changed behaviors and drive projects forward.”
Partner in Charge of Operations Task Force
“Robert has been an invaluable resource to the firm. He guides key players in the firm to develop and own their own solutions, for more complete buy-in and organizational cohesiveness.
Already, the firm is functioning at a higher level with better communication and a more strategic focus.”
Chief Marketing Officer
“You have been a superstar to work shoulder to shoulder with, from your endlessly considerate style to your invaluable skills, insights and substantive contributions.”
Nationally recognized Author, Speaker and Consultant
Retreat Planning, Facilitation & Speaking Testimonials:
“In three short days the level of true communication between partners increased to levels never before achieved in the firm. Robert’s incredible planning and organization allowed us to learn and realize what we needed to do to achieve our goals.
In the past we had consultants make presentations to the partnership that consisted of the consultants telling the partners what they had to do. Robert’s approach is totally different. He gave us the tools to evaluate ourselves and let us decide what we needed to do to move forward. There has never been so much excitement in the firm
Robert has given us a realistic framework within which to evaluate where we are and where we want to go. The information has enabled us to more clearly articulate who we are and what we want to be. He has provided us with the methodology to enable us to achieve the goals we have defined.”
Executive Committee Member
“Have you ever been in a meeting or negotiation that stalls and accomplishes nothing at all? Have you ever wondered how you could be a better leader no matter the situation? While most of the sessions I attended at the conference were outstanding and useful, the most dramatic for me was the session called, “Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way – Is That Any Way to Speak to Your MP?” led by ForStrategy Consulting principals Robert Fortunato and Mindy Danna.
While I do not wish to give away the punch in their presentation or surrender the techniques they use to achieve incredible results I have to say that their take on how to move people toward leadership is amazing! In the session they did a demonstration, on-stage, with random volunteers from the audience. It was astounding the way they used very simple demonstrations to reveal both leadership challenges and uncover individual capacities (of the volunteers) to deal with emotional situations.
I recommend that you take my course of action — call ForStrategy and start a conversation that will definitely produce results for your firm. Leadership is a hard thing to teach. These folks have it figured out.”
Chief Marketing Officer
“From my very first conversation interviewing Robert for the job, he demonstrated an uncanny ability to lead the discussion in a positive and constructive direction. His guidance in developing a strategy and an agenda for focusing on leadership training and empowerment skills for our all attorney retreat was invaluable to me. Additionally, his presentation and facilitation skills impressed our attorneys (not an easy task) and got them to think differently about themselves, their role in the firm, and their career potential. ”
Director of Marketing
“At first I thought Robert was going to be like Dr. Phil. Telling us “feel-good” crap we already know, like how we have to communicate (I am hearing your resistance and I value your concerns, but you need to hear me as well…). That kind of babble makes me nauseous and I tend to tune it out.
However, I really did find Robert’s work exceedingly useful and his paradigms accurate. Then, I came to appreciate how he participated in the whole retreat. He was there, everywhere, all the time. He moved easily (and purposefully) amongst the groups. He didn’t just give us his canned lecture for a couple of hours and that is it. He preached his message (often in not so obvious ways) the entire weekend. That was impressive.”
Attorney Retreat Attendee
“The members of our leadership team accomplished a sense of professional empowerment and renewal. We learned the power of leadership in affecting change and making a difference. We also benefited in looking at leadership outside the context of operations and task accomplishment.”
Director, Financial Management Services
“In a short amount of time, Robert had the complete attention of the audience and everyone was involved and interacting. His message had an impact on all attendees – no matter what their level within the firm.
As a result, he was the highest rated speaker at the conference. On a personal level, Robert’s talk helped me better understand leadership and management in a way that makes me more effective in my firm.”
Conference Committee Co-Chair
“Robert is a dynamic speaker on the topic of management v. leadership. His teaching method is engaging. I thought I knew and heard it all. However, I was able to gain a better understanding of the subject through his diagnostic exercises. These exercises provided me with a different perspective on a very old and much debated subject. Thank you for your fresh approach!”
Conference Committee Co-Chair
“I just wanted to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed your session. You and Mindy have a very strong and dynamic approach to how you deliver your material and I was intrigued from the moment I walked in.
Working through the hands on experience really opened my eyes…I look forward to applying this strategy at my firm. Well done and thanks again.”
Conference attendee
“I have to tell you…You and Mindy did a great job engaging the audience and keeping our spirits alive, especially since I think you had one of the toughest time slots in the conference. After two days of non-stop seminars & networking, most of us had a severe case of jetlag and information overload. The video was a riot! Thank you for the great learning tools you both shared. Now I’m more conscious of what leadership role I’m playing while interacting at work and at home – and more importantly, when I need to switch roles!”
“Thank you for renewing my love for learning. I feel as if I had been looking at the surface of the water for quite some time, and seeing the same tired, old reflection. Now, I feel as if am seeing below the surface, understanding the dynamics of the business world, and seeing tremendous opportunity.”
Conference attendee
“Your presentation was worth the trip. I will forever be viewing conversations in a new light – primarily due to the visual impact of your presentation. Excellent use of audience participation, humor, excellent content and a great no BS format. And how can you go wrong with Power Bars?”
Conference attendee
“Robert is a very good motivator – Best session all day – Loved it.”
Conference attendee
“Robert is a dynamic speaker who appeals to an audience of all skill levels. His presentation on demonstrating leadership was informative and practical. Through a short group exercise we were able to identify our own leadership styles and how we can best utilize them in the workplace. Robert’s presentation gave me insight on my own leadership style as well as tools to identify the styles of those that I work with closely. It is clear that Robert is a passionate and knowledgeable expert who will add value to professionals at all levels.”
Conference Attendee
“I used some of your thoughts in my board meeting today! Thank you– it really works!”
Conference attendee
“A great change of pace at the conference!”
Conference attendee
“I have definitely found the tools presented useful and your session was one of the best at the conference!”
Conference attendee
“Your presentation was both entertaining and informative. You gave some very tactile ideas which we could take away and use immediately, while at the same time not doing a hard sell. As a marketer, I understand that presenting at conferences and seminars etc. is a business development opportunity, but there are subtleties there that not everyone grasps. It was nice to see some real content. In my humble opinion, you are a very good speaker and facilitator.”
Conference attendee
“Best session of the conference. Excellent speaker and the interactive role plays got the point across.”
Conference attendee
“Thank you, Robert. I really enjoyed your session and am sitting in meetings in a much different way!”
Conference attendee
“Thank you for such an interesting and informative presentation. Yours was the best break-out session of the entire conference.
Your energy and enthusiasm about your job is contagious.”
Conference attendee
“Great session, I’m already utilizing what I learned.”
Conference attendee
