How can I build a values-driven organization?

Building an organization that lives by its values is hard: balancing ambitious goals with limited resources, engaging employees, preventing burnout, and retaining top talent while scaling their impact. Without the right strategies in place, these challenges can hinder your ability to grow, adapt, and thrive.

Who am I?

Jimmy Pearson, M.S.Ed

The Navy views its sailors as their most valuable asset, and provides them with training, healthcare, and other benefits. But treating humans as assets can also look like use, taking advantage of their talent and neglecting their humanity.

McKinsey & Company has a dual mission to "help clients make distinctive, lasting, and substantial improvements in their performance and to build a great firm that attracts, develops, excites, and retains exceptional people." But it doesn't always grapple with how the client-facing and talent-facing missions can be in tension, or what to do when they conflict.

Google was famous for "Don't be evil," and encouraged employees to derive meaning and identity from their work. When it matured into a multinational corporation responsible for delivering shareholder value, these practices backfired in waves of outrage and employee disengagement.

As I made my way through each of these organizations, I developed an expertise in talent strategy while actively engaging as a student of the organizations themselves; what they owe team members, what team members owe in return, and what it means to run a values-driven organization. This work is difficult, but vital for all of us who want to make an impact on this world, and thrive while doing it.

If you’re working to build a thriving, sustainable organization that makes a difference, let’s connect—I’d love to help.

What I Offer

  • I’ll work with you to design tailored strategies that address your unique organizational needs. From upskilling programs to talent assessments, Job Descriptions, and Competency frameworks, I create actionable talent roadmaps to help you meet your goals.

  • I design, develop, and deliver practical, high impact training programs that empower your team to share and grow their skills, creating learning cultures whose impact exceeds narrow learning objectives.

  • I guide teams through periods of transformation, ensuring they adapt smoothly and remain engaged through forming, storming, and norming to reach peak performance.

  • If you're interested in inviting me to speak at an event please reach out - I can speak to

    • Veterans issues

    • LGBTQ+ inclusion

    • Leadership & Culture

    • Talent Strategy

    • Learning

    • The intersections of all of the above

Current & Previous Clients

How I’ve Helped Mission-Driven Organizations Thrive

  • Enabling Purposeful Talent Development

    Created a comprehensive, custom competency framework for a mission-driven boutique consulting firm to inform better career development conversations with junior consultants, identify specific upskilling opportunities for team members, and incorporate talent development goals into employee staffing decisions.

  • Leadership Training Design and Development

    Designed and developed of a two hour seminar for diverse audiences based on client leadership philosophy, including Facilitator and participant guides (seminar script, job aids, handouts), seminar presentation slide deck, facilitator coaching session and facilitation tips and best practices.

  • Global Health Nonprofit Governance

    Revised governance procedures, redefined leadership roles, and improved organizational processes (e.g. election of new board president, resolution of relationship with global health NGOs and funders.

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Spearheaded transgender inclusion training for human relations and compliance personnel; cultivated and coached high-potential veteran and LGBT prospective hires; served on In the Service, Out of the Closet panel at Harvard Graduate Schools’ LGBTQ Conference.

  • Public Sector Capability Building

    Led innovative capability building programs contributing to 34% reduction in processing times, 50% increase in service level agreement attainment, and a 75% decrease in unresolved customer issues.

  • Education & Workforce Subject Matter Expertise

    Provided subject matter expertise and advising on product road map, features, and design, including design and facilitation of “voice of the customer” R&D panel and assessment and interfacing with technical vendors on prototype mock-ups.

Kind words for my approach

  • "Jimmy was a mentor to me. He is one of the most well-spoken individuals I've worked with and has the strong personality to tell it how it is. I would recommend that anyone reading this work with him and place your trust in him."

    Mentee

  • "Thank you for teaching me and being patient with me all those years...Thank you for everything you do and all you continue to do. You’re inspiring others every day, just like you did on that dirty boat over a decade ago."

    Former shipmate

  • "There are a lot of leaders that I respected but only a handful that I admired. I admired your ability to deflect the BS of that atmosphere and keep a positive work attitude while treating everyone with dignity. It was impressive to observe, truly."

    Former shipmate

Contact

If you’re ready to address your talent challenges and create a sustainable, impactful organization, let’s connect. Together, we’ll craft solutions that empower your people and amplify your mission.

Use the form at right, send me an email, connect with me on LinkedIn, or schedule a complimentary call and let’s see how I can help.