Common
Questions
We know your time is valuable, and taking the first step toward improving your team's health is an important investment. Whether you're exploring organizational health for the first time or looking for a new partner, it's natural to have questions. Scroll to read three of the most common questions we hear to help you better understand our approach, what to expect, and how we work alongside leaders to build healthier, more effective teams.
If you have been asked to fill-out one of our short assessment team surveys, click on the link below to get started.
Reach out to debbie@brianjonesconsultants.com
if you have any password issues.
Why can't you just give me a price by email?
Why do we have to have a call?
Fair question. A call is one more step than an email, and we don't ask for that time lightly.
Here's what 25 years of doing this work has taught us: the number that actually serves you comes after we understand you. And that understanding almost always comes out in a real conversation, with someone who's done this a long time. People tell us the real reason behind the request, the thing that's not working, that doesn't come through in an email thread. Because a number without that context is just a guess, and we don't want to guess with your organization's health.
Every team is different: different size, different starting point, a different mix of offsite work and individual coaching. When we take the time to understand your specific situation first, we can build a proposal that actually fits. That first conversation is often where the real value starts. Most clients tell us that first conversation is worth having on its own, whether or not they hire us. It's often the first time someone's asked the honest questions about the real health of the team.
So, here's what happens: a short conversation about what you're trying to solve, and then a real number built for your team.
I've been to terrible offsites before.
Are yours any different?
Yes, and we understand exactly why you're asking.
Here's what we've learned in 25 years of doing this: the offsites that actually change how a team works are the ones built around what's really going on beneath the surface.
That's why, before we design anything, we take time to understand your team: where trust is strong, where it's still building, what's being said privately that hasn't made it into the room yet. That's what shapes the two days. Nothing comes off a template.
In practice, that means real vulnerability, honest conflict worked through in the room, and a plan the team actually leaves with and uses. It can be real, hard, meaningful work over those two days, but that's exactly what our clients tell us made the difference. Not two fun days they enjoyed and moved past, but two days that changed how their team works together for years afterward.
We have a new team member joining soon. Can
we wait until they’re here before working with you?
That's a thoughtful question, and the instinct to wait makes sense on the surface, but it is worth another look.
Here's what 25 years of doing this has taught us: the teams that get the most out of this work are the ones who start with the team they have, right now.
Rosters change. Someone's always joining, leaving, or stepping into a new role. We've found that waiting for the "right roster" rarely works out the way people hope; there's usually always another reason to wait a little longer. The teams who've seen the strongest results are the ones who used the time they had to build real trust and good habits, so that when someone new joins, they're stepping into a team that already knows how to work well together.
If a new hire is arriving soon and stepping into a role like a COO, or someone running a major part of the organization, let us know, and we'll factor that into the timing. Otherwise, our experience tells us the best gift you can give a future team member is a team that already has its footing.