Andrea Howe
As the founder of The Get Real Project, I am the steward of our vision and our service offerings, as well as a workshop leader and keynote speaker.
Above all else, I am an entrepreneur on a mission: to kick conventional business wisdom to the curb and transform how people work together as a result. I am also the co-author, with Charles H. Green, of The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook (Wiley, 2012).
I am an entrepreneur on a mission: to kick conventional business wisdom to the curb and transform how people work together as a result.
I’m a recovering information technology consultant who has spent more than 25 years managing projects, working with clients, and facilitating groups of all kinds and sizes. My focus for the last decade has been teaching people in consulting and consulting-like roles how to dramatically improve business results by getting relationships right. In that role, I have led learning programs and consulted with big companies like Accenture, Deloitte, and Price Waterhouse Coopers, as well as boutique firms. I have a BBA in Computer Information Systems, a MS in Organization Development, and certifications in team building and action learning.
When I’m not working, you might find me in my art studio taking a very long time to finish my latest mosaic project, or longing for time on the dance floor (swing and salsa are favorites).
My Get Real Services
I’ve got my hands in all of the services we provide, in some way or another, from diagnostics to workshops to follow-on programs. I specialize in leading our immersion workshops and mastery programs, including all of our signature offerings: Being a Trusted Advisor and Trust-Based Selling a/k/a “Business Development.” I also train and coach others to lead these programs. And I speak on strategic topics such as client loyalty, developing business with trust, and the dynamics of influence.
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My Trust Temperament™
The Connector
My Books
The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook: A Comprehensive Toolkit for Leading with Trust is a practical guide to being a trusted advisor for leaders in any industry. A follow-on to the classic The Trusted Advisor, Charlie and I wrote The Fieldbook with the aim of creating a practical, dog-eared manual that you can keep on your desktop or in your laptop bag as an instant helper.
What Clients are Saying
“Charlie said you would be a great match for our group and he was absolutely correct. You fulfilled every expectation we had for the two-day experience. Your skills and knowledge around Trust-Based Selling and The Trusted Advisor are clearly in your DNA, and your facilitation of our group—the top 35 leaders in our organization—was masterful. I saw so many people who had light bulbs going off over their heads, even those with dozens of years of experience who are already very good at what they do. Thank you for your personal commitment to us as an organization, and as leaders. I have no doubt that this program is going to make a significant difference for our business for years to come”
Who I’m Reading/Following
- The Trusted Advisor 20th anniversary edition
- Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
- Greg McKeown, Essentialism
- Dan Harris, 10% Happier
- Adam Grant, Originals
- TED Talks
My Get Real Story
When I was 23 years old I got my first consulting job working for a global information technology firm that within a few years grew to be $1b big. My first assignment was with the United States Navy. After just two weeks on the job, I was asked to join my team on-site for a kickoff meeting at a shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia. There I was, suited up and fully accessorized, in the midst of the dirt and grime of this very industrial locale, surrounded by experienced and grizzled men.
The client lead facilitated introductions by going around the table, asking each of us “how long we’d been on the yard” and “what we brought to the party.” I was panicked by the questions as the honest answers were “mere minutes” and “I’m not sure!” I decided to stall for time and positioned myself to answer last. By the time it was my turn to respond, I found out that every single member of the client team had been working in the shipyard longer than I’d been alive.
Of course it was obvious to everyone in the room that I was a complete newbie. I skipped the question about how long I’d been on the yard and, for the question about what I brought to the party, regaled them all with as much technical jargon as I could recall from my college curriculum in an attempt to sound qualified to be on the project.
They were gracious; and they weren’t fooled. Imagine my relief and their appreciation if I’d just told the truth: “I’ve been a consultant for two weeks, been on the yard 20 minutes, and, well, when you get me you get passion and commitment!”
What I know now that I wish I knew then: Honesty builds credibility as much as experience does.
Getting a Little More Personal
Words people often use to describe me
Passionate, real, “iron fist in velvet glove”
What inspires me
People who are authentic, creative, and courageous enough to stand out in the crowd. Children and their unbridled way of expressing themselves.
What brings me joy
Watching my husband play with his grandchildren
What anchors me
Time in the art studio making mosaics—it quiets my over-active brain
What drives me nuts
Ambivalence. Narrow-mindedness. Crumbs in the butter or mayonnaise.
My guilty pleasure
Binging on Netflix re-runs, especially smart comedy-drama series’ like “Parenthood” and “Doc Martin,” and comedies like “Schitt’s Creek”
A favorite quote
“We are all stumbling towards the light with varying degrees of grace at any given moment” —Bo Losoff
What I can’t do without
Music, sunshine and warm breezes, making a difference for others, Alan my spouse (not in that order)
My secret ambition
Writing a book that flies off the shelves of airport bookstores around the world
