Barbara Giemza

Barbara serves AvoLead as an executive coach and Human Resource Development consultant for leaders who want to achieve significant personal and organizational results. Clients come to her committed to balancing the complexity of industry and organizational challenges with the need to effectively lead others. While examining these often conflicting priorities, Barbara helps her clients get clear about what is important and align their decisions and behaviors accordingly. Typically the stakes are high because the results of those decisions and behaviors may ultimately make or break their careers—or the careers of others.

Barbara has an innate ability to establish trust and rapport with people, which quickly creates a safe space to reflect upon the issues and behavioral patterns that are getting in the way of their success. She believes people must first come to know who they are, and how their behaviors impact others, before their organizations can fully benefit from what they know and why they were actually hired. Her thought-provoking questions set the stage for higher levels of thinking, clarity and focus. The client’s time at work can then be spent more wisely, paying attention to and doing what matters most. Barbara has a passion for helping people learn how to live and work more consciously and congruently. She brings to her clients what she knows best – methods and tools for having meaningful conversations and learning. This, in turn, equips them to make better decisions about what they know best: their business and their lives.

Barbara’s toolkit includes many assessment instruments and certifications, including the Hogan Inventories, MBTI®, FIRO-B™, Benchmarks 360™, Retirement Success Profile, Change Works, The CPI 260™, the Conflict Dynamics Profile, Team Management Systems, Human Synergistics and the Interaction Associates (IA) Method of Meeting Facilitation.

In addition to her work with AvoLead clients, Barbara is the Founder of Interactive Consulting Services, Inc., an affiliate of AvoLead, in Raleigh, NC. Besides running her own coaching and consulting firm, Barbara previously held an adjunct faculty position at North Carolina State University’s College of Management and was affiliated with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in Greensboro, NC for eight years as an executive coach and trainer. Her community involvement over the years has included multiple board positions as well as president for the Research Triangle Chapter of American Society of Training and Development (ASTD).

She holds a BA in Psychology and Human Resource Development from North Carolina State University.

Barbara lives near the Research Triangle Park, NC. Always true to her southern heritage, Barbara delights in whipping up a pan of homemade biscuits, sausage gravy and the world’s best grits for Sunday brunch for her two girls and their significant others. She plays the piano, reads, gardens, walks and spends quiet time with her friends on the weekends.

What clients say about Barbara:

“I wanted to thank you for all of your work with me over the course of our time together. I realize that I was never “broken” and with just a few tweaks I could be a better leader. I continually use the techniques that we discussed during our sessions and continue to see improvement in the way people interact with me because they are no longer worried about the “explosive” [me]. I know that I will continue to grow because of the work we have done and am confident that I will be a better leader and coach for my team.” –President and GM, Computer Learning Center

“I want to say thank you so much. The work you did helped frame the situation. I used a number of the things we talked about, which I really think helped a great deal. We were able to tackle/solve the issue and though we have lots of other things to do, this issue was standing in our way of moving on. We did it – and it was actually a fairly easy process, thanks to some of the ideas you gave me, and some of the work we have done prior. I am just thrilled. I just want to thank you so much again.”–Administrative Director, Large Medical/Healthcare Facility

“I recommend Barbara for coaching/facilitation work without hesitation. I have come to rely on her capability to bring diverse teams together under the most complex of situations. She has been instrumental in helping us mature our organizations months and months ahead of what we would have achieved otherwise. Barbara is highly talented, an expert in her field and a highly valued member of my team.” –David Roseberry, CIO, RTI International