In 2018, Reshma led two separate team effectiveness workshops with our senior leadership team at CARE Ethiopia, using the Herrmann Whole Brain Dominance Instrument © . In the second workshop she successful managed to get over 60 staff to better understand their dominant ways of thinking, and therefore being, and more importantly, in understanding each other, and what led them to either collaborate effectively or be disconnected. As a facilitator, Reshma led the workshops with finesse, inclusive understanding, and respect for the various cultures present.

In 2019, I joined a team of global experts based remotely in their countries of origin. My role was to manage this team of 6 and to generate consensus on our 10 year strategy and their individual roles in the same. I struggled to understand the dynamics within the team and to push each team member to understand that their roles on the team were evolving. Being new to the team and not knowing any of the people I manage, it was nearly impossible for me to understand what their challenges were and what strengths to leverage.

I asked Reshma to help me understand the team and to facilitate an in person workshop, which was my first time meeting the team in person. As we gathered together for the first time, Reshma immediately inspired a sense of calm and camaraderie among the group. She suggested a location and organized a survey ahead of time to understand the apprehensions of each team member. She also facilitated a discussion around HBDI which was a transformative session for me, personally. She walked us through how each person on the team understands information, responds, and where their strengths lie. Then she facilitated an exercise to see how the differences among individuals actually added up to a balanced team, and how each member offered specific strengths and capabilities to the team. This was enormously illuminating to me, as a manager. But it also fostered a common understanding among the team of how our differences actually contributed to our success as a team. I doubt that I would have been able to generate such good will and common understanding among the team without Reshma’s thoughtful and incredibly organized facilitation. What I anticipated as being a tough day with a apprehensive team became one of the best days I have had with my team before or since. I am truly grateful to Reshma for helping me understand how I could be successfully in my role, but more importantly how I could support my staff to be successful in their roles.