About 10 years ago, I set foot in a distribution center in rural Indiana and experienced one of the most powerful moments of truth in my career. I was there to conduct leadership development workshops and deliver 1-on-1 coaching for frontline supervisors. My first session was with a 3rd shift supervisor who had recently been promoted to a managerial role. Let’s call him James. As James strolled into the conference room, he looked more like a linebacker than a warehouse manager. He was easily 6’4” and 250 pounds with a big, burly beard. I immediately thought, “Oh boy, I have my work cut out for me. James is not going to want to talk about his feelings with me.”  

I was wrong.  

By the end of our 30-minute meeting, James shared his struggles transitioning from being “one of the guys and gals” to the burden of managing them. He had been ostracized by people he considered his good friends. He was lonely. He was sad. He was losing sleep. He told me the previous day, he had to walk out one of his best friends who had shown up late for work too many times and had to be terminated. As James re-told the story, tears rolled down his cheeks.  

When our time was over, I was overcome with emotion. I was ashamed that I had judged James based on his appearance. But I was also overwhelmed with a sense of purpose and impact.  As a result of our discussion, he felt heard. He felt validated. And he felt empowered with a new mindset and plan to move forward in his career and his life.  

You see, as Maya Angelou famously said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” And my experience with James reinforced the power of tapping into human feelings in the workplace.  

In the ever-evolving landscape of consulting, The Bridge stands out by redefining what it means to support the people within organizations. Our mission is clear and resolute: we strive to “bring the human back into consulting.” In a world driven by data, metrics, and performance, it’s easy to overlook the most crucial component of any successful enterprise—the people who make it all happen. 

At The Bridge, we believe that real, sustainable success is born from more than just strategic frameworks and operational efficiencies. It comes from fostering an environment where individuals feel heard, valued, and motivated. Our offerings are rooted in understanding and addressing the human aspects of the workplace—emotions, motivations, and aspirations—to help people thrive and perform at their highest potential. 

Organizations Don’t Change. People Do.

We understand that real organizational change does not happen by flipping a switch and turning on new technologies or drawing a new org structure. Change happens when people start doing things differently. We understand that, like James, emotions drive behavior, and behavior, in turn, impacts outcomes.  

Our Change Enablement solutions are designed to put people first to help organizations navigate transformations with empathy, clarity, and purpose. By focusing on the human side of change, we ensure that transitions are not only executed smoothly but also positively embraced by the workforce. We work collaboratively with our clients to architect change strategies that put people at the center and measure success with tangible business outcomes.  

In addition to helping our clients maximize adoption of business transformations, we also help them build enterprise change capability to foster an organizational change mindset and muscle to navigate change. We created The Bridge Change Academy, which features a range of learning assets and experiences and tailors them to the unique needs of our clients and their people. Some workshops aim to enhance emotional intelligence across teams, equipping leaders with tools to foster empathy, communication, and trust. Other programs take a more rigorous approach to provide leaders with the skills and tools to operate as change practitioners, resulting in more confident leaders guiding change for their teams and leading the way for the organization’s most transformational initiatives. The Bridge Change Academy effectively bridges the gap between personal growth, professional development, and organizational change readiness. Participants emerge feeling not only more capable and confident, but also inspired to operate as change trailblazers for the teams and most transformational initiatives. 

Results That Speak to the Heart and Mind

At The Bridge, we are not just consulting on the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of business operations; we’re guiding organizations to rediscover the ‘why’ that motivates their people. This shift not only enhances performance but also ensures that employees remain engaged, fulfilled, and aligned with the company’s mission—essential for successful change management. 

Bringing the human back into consulting isn’t just our motto—it’s our commitment to shaping a workplace where people matter and thrive. Because when people flourish, so do their organizations.