Carolyn J Rivera

Services

Five ways to work together.

Most engagements start with one and grow into another — a keynote that becomes a workshop, a program that becomes a standing relationship. Every one is scoped and priced before we begin, so you know exactly what you're buying.

Carolyn J Rivera speaking to a conference audience
Most popular

Fractional Chief Learning Officer

Best for
Companies of 100–1,000 people with no dedicated head of learning
Commitment
Two to three days a month, on a monthly retainer

You need someone who owns leadership development: who decides what your managers need, builds it, delivers it, and can tell the leadership team what it returned. You can't yet justify a full-time executive for it. This is that role, part-time.

I've held the full-time version at MetLife and H&R Block. This is the same discipline, sized for a company that doesn't have a $24 million budget.

What's included

  • A leadership needs assessment and a competency model built for your business
  • A multi-level development plan — new managers, experienced managers, senior team
  • Design and delivery of the programs themselves
  • One-to-one coaching for your senior leaders
  • Succession planning and a view of your leadership pipeline
  • Regular reporting on what's working, tied to the measures your business already uses

What it looks like in practice

My longest engagement of this kind has run for four years: annual needs assessments, a training plan, culture and principles work, town hall facilitation, coaching across the leadership team, and a thirteen-module operational excellence program. Read more on the Clients page.

Leadership Development Programs

Best for
A cohort of 15–25 managers
Length
Typically six months, one module a month

A structured program built on the seven competencies that decide whether a leader is followed: vision, influence, communication, trust, open mindedness, relationships and yielding results. Each one is assessed at the start, taught, practiced between sessions, and assessed again at the end.

What's included

  • A pre-program assessment of every participant against each competency
  • Monthly facilitated modules, with practice assignments between sessions
  • Manager toolkits and facilitator materials, which you keep
  • A post-program assessment and a report comparing the two
  • Measures tied to the business outcomes you care about — retention, engagement, promotion readiness

Executive Coaching

Best for
Senior leaders and high-potential managers
Length
Typically six months, twice a month
Credential
ICF Associate Certified Coach

One-to-one coaching for a leader who needs to grow into a bigger role, fix something that's getting in their way, or lead through a significant change. Sponsored by the organization and confidential to the leader.

What's included

  • An intake conversation with the leader and the sponsor to agree goals
  • 360 input and stakeholder interviews where they're useful
  • A written development plan with measurable goals
  • Twice-monthly sessions, in person or remote
  • Progress updates to the sponsor that don't break the leader's confidence

Workshops & Team Assessments

Best for
An intact team, or a management group
Length
Half day or full day
Certified in
Everything DiSC and MBTI

A focused session on one problem, with one team. Often the easiest way to start working together, and a useful way to find out whether a longer program is needed.

Popular topics

  • Leading Without Authority — influence, trust and communication across functions
  • DiSC or MBTI team profile — every participant's assessment, and a facilitated debrief on how the team works together
  • Leading Through Change — keeping a team effective while the ground moves
  • Operational Excellence — finding and removing the work that shouldn't exist
  • Train-the-Trainer — building facilitation skills in your own people

Keynotes

Best for
Conferences, leadership summits, company meetings
Length
45–60 minutes, with breakout options

A leadership keynote with an unusual proving ground behind it — and a practical framework the room can use the following Monday. Works best as the opening to development work rather than a standalone hour.

See speaking topics, video and past events →

How it starts

A conversation, then a written proposal.

We talk about what's happening with your managers and what you'd like to be different. If I'm the right person for it, you get a short written proposal with the scope, the timing and a fixed price. If I'm not, I'll tell you — and usually who might be.

Not sure which fits?

Most people aren't at the start. Describe the problem and I'll suggest where to begin.

Start a conversation