Pros
I've been associated with Learning as Leadership (LaL) for almost eight years now, and hope to continue working with them for years to come. What draws me to this organization is the people and their passion and belief in what they do. People: The founding members of the organization are generous and caring, above and beyond what you find in business. Over the years there have been occasions where they've gone out of their way to help me personally and I've seen them do the same for others in the organization. Purpose Driven: LaL's focus is to help leaders create a different workplace, but the work they do has the potential to change societies. In the current climate of hate and blame, they offer people a way to look inward and not only take responsibility for their own situation/circumstance, but also see other people's point of view as just that, a different way of seeing things - something to be curious about and understand further. The methodology is a way to open up conversations, collaborate and inspire. Walk the Talk: They actually use their own tools. This can be seen in every meeting, casual conversations and over lunch. There are numerous other pros to working with Learning as Leadership: - Flexible work schedule - Remote, ability to work from anywhere - Collaborative, creative and supportive work environment - Coaching services offered to employees - Exciting client list - Impressive list of academic advisors/partnerships - Profit sharing - Nice office space - Free lunch (if you come into the office) - Fun activities (1-1 walks, group outing, community service, etc...)
Cons
Slow to make decisions: LaL is a very consensus driven organization. In addition, the most senior leaders have been with the company from the very beginning. So they are very attached to their roots and sometimes slow to make changes. It's an interesting paradox, because I do find everyone to be very open minded and focused on evolving the tools and the business. Looking back, you can also see how the business/tools have evolved. Lower compensation: LaL rates are lower than other companies in the area. It's very difficult to compete with the surrounding Tech companies and the Bay Area's booming economy. Personally I've chosen to work with LaL because I believe in what they do and love the people. Lack of defined development path: This is improving, but in general how a new coach or facilitator gets up to speed and masters the tools is not well defined. The resources are there, but it currently takes a lot of resourcefulness and persistence to get up to speed. The LaL methodology has evolved with the founding members and they are extremely busy with clients. So their ability to transfer that knowledge to new coaches/facilitators does not come naturally.