Doug Sundheim is a consultant and executive coach with over 20 years of experience in growing businesses and helping others do the same. He works with leaders and teams of Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial firms to help them maximize their effectiveness. No stranger to the firing line of business, Doug started a 100-person catering company in his early 20′s, followed by several years in the marketing consulting field where his clients included Sony, M&M/Mars, Mattel, and Motorola among others.

In 2000, Doug co-founded Clarity Consulting to help leaders and their teams break through the barriers that stifle performance in themselves and their organizations. A frequent speaker on a variety of business topics including leadership, organizational culture, & strategy, he has delivered talks at Columbia University, New York University, The Society for Human Resources, and The World Research Group conference.

In 2005, Doug co-authored The 25 Best Time Management Tools and Techniques, which has been translated into 5 languages and continues to be a bestseller. His latest book, Taking Smart Risks, was published by McGraw-Hill in January 2013. Doug’s clients include Time Warner, The Chubb Corporation, University of Chicago, Harvard Management Company, SAP, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, International Baccalaureate Organization, Prudential Douglas Elliman, Altria Group Inc, Bertelsmann, DoubleClick & WisdomTree among other companies.

Doug holds a BS in Environmental Psychology from Cornell University and an MA in Adult Learning & Leadership from Columbia University.

Case Study 1:

PREMIER US CONSULTING FIRM

Background This 500 person firm has been a leader in its consulting niche for more than twenty years. In the last 5 years the business has gotten tougher. Several forces, including the financial downturn and new and more aggressive competitors, have created strong headwinds. These headwinds have required the firm to get smarter about how to grow the business and where to place its bets.

The CEO of the firm engaged Clarity to help align the partnership on a strategic path forward and accelerate decision-making and execution. How we supported the client Identified internal-facing strategic priorities – Through interviews and surveys, we identified the team, leadership, and organizational issues most pressing for the firm. The three biggest challenges were: (1) slow, ineffective decision-making (2) poor execution once decisions were made (3) lack of communication around the firm We wove solutions to these challenges into everything we did. Identified external-facing strategic priorities – We also helped facilitate a process to create a firm-wide perspective on highest-value business opportunities for pursuit.

By creating a coordinated picture of the best opportunities in the market, partners were better able to prioritize focus and collaborate on topics that mattered most. Facilitated annual partner meetings – We used annual partner meetings as the primary venue to discuss and align new strategic directions. As well, we created a safe environment for difficult and contentious issues to be raised and addressed. Supported “on the ground” execution – We provided direct support to teams tasked with executing some of the new strategic agenda items. This included project coordination, meeting facilitation, and leadership coaching and advising.

Results: There has been significant positive momentum at the firm in the past two years. Examples include a stellar 2013, significant inroads at key clients, decisions on key new hires, and increased collaboration and communication across the partnership.

Case Study 2:

SOFTWARE STARTUP

Background A software startup found early success in selling mobile application tools to corporate IT departments across many industries. Unfortunately, after a few years it became clear this was a tough business to scale and grow. It was too diverse and customers were looking for finished solutions not tools. The leaders realized they had to niche their focus on a specific industry and build out a set of products in order to survive and thrive. Signs pointed to the commercial security market as a good target.

The leadership team engaged Clarity to help them get on the same page, make tough decisions, and accelerate execution of this new direction. How we supported the client Strategic Planning + Team Building – We started by designing and delivering a series of facilitated planning sessions to help the senior team clarify priorities and a plan of attack. The sessions got unresolved issues out into the open and out of the way so that much needed strategic dialogue could happen. Most importantly, these sessions helped the team take several options off the table so they could focus on the ones that could provide the greatest impact.

Execution Support – We provided direct support to the product and business development teams as they executed the new plans. Specifically we helped them improve project leadership, communication, and decision making in order to accelerate time to market. Leadership Coaching and Advising – Throughout the engagement we coached and advised members of the senior leadership team. The engagement spanned one year.

Results: Within a year, the firm had established a strong foothold in the commercial security market putting them in a solid position to capitalize on government contracts – which they were able to do 18 months later. Two years after that they successfully sold themselves to larger software firm.