Part 2: Close-Up Talk Radio spotlights Cheryl Anne Lampshire

Upton, Massachusetts – When telling a story, all the elements must work in harmony for the story to be truly effective and elicit the desired response.

The same is true of the work we do; business processes are simply another way of telling a story. Cheryl Anne Lampshire is an author and business consultant specializing in quality assurance and business process management and improvement.

“I would describe myself professionally as a problem solver and a story teller,” says Lampshire. “The bigger the problem, the more interesting it is to me. I address everything as an opportunity to help people succeed because deep down everyone wants to succeed.”

In the last decade, work has become so complex managers no longer understand what their employees actually do. As a result, the modern work environment no longer provides incentive for employees to emerge into leadership. According to Lampshire, the new role of a manager is to be a collaborator and a facilitator, keeping the path smooth.

The companies Lampshire consults typically know they have a problem but they don’t know what it is. More often than not, their stories aren’t aligned with their culture. They want employees to assert themselves as leaders and share their innovative ideas, but the existing business processes don’t promote that kind of engagement. Lampshire will develop technology channels to enable teams to feel safe and empowered such that innovation, creativity and leadership will emerge.

“Respect is the only cultural value all humans share,” says Lampshire. “In the culture of successful, innovative teams, all the team members feel respected; they feel listened to and trust the other members of the team. When they have all of those things, they share their creativity and innovation runs.”