Adding team-building to events. (Corporate Gifts & Event Planning).

Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand.

That philosophy is one of the guiding principles of a newly formed business and organizational development consultancy in Sudbury.

Founded last April, partners Gerry. Labelle and Kelly Wharton of Angelis Consulting, will step into your workplace, pinpoint the cause of friction or conflict as to what is hampering personal and company growth and mediate a solution.

Change is an ongoing facet of the workplace. And how we communicate that from the top down, between departments and employees, policies and processes makes all the difference between a seamless transition and near chaos, says Labelle.

"People are scared of change," says Labelle. "The status quo is always so comfortable."

Through individual interviews, research and investigation they pinpoint the root cause of conflict or problems and design group interventions with "tactile" learning exercises to tackle it.

Labelle, 50, who was previously employed in the group insurance business for 19 years, has a business and training background that includes teaching, the Ministry of Correctional Services and development work for training boards.

Wharton, 39, a registered nurse, has extensive experience in conflict and dispute resolution management and organizational training.

The two met while taking a United Way leadership development program.

They offer a wide menu of half-day to three-day workshops which incorporate team-building techniques, better communication skills building, managing conflict, leadership development, negotiating, problem solving, process and project management, effective meetings, building workforce commitment, dealing with difficult people and managing change.

Quite often these processes can take months before the lessons take hold.

Both describe their tailor-made-for-client sessions as interactive and engage challenges that extend even outside the classroom.

Through a partnership with a Sudbury adventure outfitter - Natural Highs Outdoor Adventure Program - they offer what they call "experiential learning" involving high-ropes and wall-climbing courses integrating elements of trust building or problem solving to the exercise.

"People learn quicker by doing," says Wharton.

Many of the problems they encounter revolve around simply a lack of communication in the workplace, of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

The dynamics of the workplace breaks down, efficiencies fall off and morale drops resulting in open or closed hostility.

They find contributing factors affecting change involve the fluctuating and unsettled economy, information technology, a transient workforce which can lead to stresses and heavier burdens filtering down to employees.

"All organizations need to keep abreast of emerging trends and adapt to them," says Wharton.

Quite often, the source of workplace problems can stem from a lack of role clarity, inconsistent policies and practices, and a breakdown in communication.

In the case of one client, a large educational institute of 250 people, preparing to move into new digs, some of the fears revolving around change were very basic.

"What's my office or classroom going to look like?" says Labelle. "They were packed like sardines in an organizational workplace for so many years that when they finally got out of their old building they were spread out all over the place and a depression set in because the people content was missing."

Though reluctant to disclose a rate card, they do charge on an hourly and daily basis after conducting a series of fact-finding interviews to diagnose a problem.

Their confidential client list includes mostly school boards, colleges, the insurance industry and financial institutions.

They also have plans in the works for a small-business component, offering their range of services through a pre-paid subscription fee.

www.angelis.ca