About

Aren’t you tired of unsatisfactory results?

My name is Éllia Ryan and I’m the founder of The Potential Center. As a staff and organizational development professional, I’ve worked with organizations in different countries, but the problems are similar.

For example, most people I talk to agree that their work relationships could be better, but they don’t know how to improve them. Or, when times are tough it’s hard to keep people motivated, so managers simply give up trying.

I find the lack of determination to fix these problems odd – aren’t employees an organization’s most valuable resource for achieving goals?

To make it easier for you to resolve these problems, I’ve based my services  on the three P’s: I help people improve their performance through improved communication, leadership and problem-solving skills so they can power their organization forward. My ultimate goal is to build a learning environment so staff can continue to move forward without me.

Clients often tell me I help them see what is possible. Skeptical to begin with, they are surprised at their capacity to think creatively and solve problems collaboratively under my guidance. When they see the possibility of doing this without me, it gives them a huge amount of confidence.

    For over five years, I have helped a wide range of organizations improve their bottom line. My specialties are:

  • Strategic Development Training
  • Strategic Group Facilitation
  • Strategic Learning Advice

I am experienced in providing cost-effective solutions and adding value:

  • By enabling your organization to do more with fewer resources, which means that staff work smarter and become even more talented.
  • Emphasis on collaboration, co-creating, and follow-up with managers means that skills are transferred to your organization rather than disappear with me when the project is finished… giving you a higher return on your investment.
  • I help create and promote a climate and culture of learning, innovation and informed risk-taking, which provides new solutions, a renewed sense of confidence, and resiliency. I understand the nature of informal learning and how to leverage it for organizational development.
  • An insightful and creative thinking partner, solution-oriented, flexible and quick-footed. I get to the heart of the matter quickly and deliver effective solutions in a timely manner. I am trainer, facilitator, coach or cheerleader as needed.
  • A member of the American Society of Training & Development, I have experience using a range of training and facilitation techniques.
  • As you would expect from a communications specialist, I create rapport quickly, and work well with small or large groups, senior executives, and staff at all levels.
      • I have developed innovative programs such as:

    • RelationAbility™, the art of successful relationships at work (click here for more info)
    • (S)ELECT, a specialist leadership coaching and training program for busy for-profit and social enterprise leaders
    • Conversations That Matter, a monthly conversation ‘salon’ open to the public

    Previous leadership, management, marketing and fundraising experience, in and with US and UK nonprofits, for-profits, and public agencies, means that I can also relate to challenges such as:

  • Being forced to do more with less
  • Prioritizing, when everything is a priority
  • Getting more out of stakeholders, for more years, when everyone is already feeling stretched
  • Being nervous about asking board members to step up and do more
  • Lacking leadership experience, and development opportunities for potential leaders

    • I currently work with organizations in the Pacific NorthWest that see a gap between where they are and where they want to be, and who want to make some kind of change.

    See organizations I’ve worked with here

    Community and Voluntary Service

  • Board President of Elderwise
  • Leadership peer coaching facilitator for Executive Alliance
  • A member of the Association of Fundraising Professional’s Education and Professional Development Committee, where she created the format for and leads ‘Martini Mondays’, a facilitated networking and conversation event.
  • Created and host monthly “Conversations That Matter” in Seattle

    • Call for a free, no obligation, 30 minute consultation:
    206-453-4033

    This is a footnote