About Us
Executive Director
Christopher (Chris) Hanes has over 25 years of coaching, consulting, leadership, and training and development experience and has worn all the instructional design and delivery “hats” over that time. Chris is especially passionate about personal, leadership, and organizational development which dates back to his undergraduate days where he had the honor to serve as president of several student organizations and the privilege to attend multiple leadership conferences and programs.
Chris studied Psychology, Business, and Education at the undergraduate and graduate level and earned a Master’s in Education focused on adult learning and training & development. He is a lifelong learner and continues his learning journey by regularly reading articles and books on leadership, business, and other topics of interest. Chris is also a Certified Customer Experience(CX) Expert, a Birkman Certified Professional, and will become an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and a Board Certified Coach (BCC) in 2024.
Chris worked jobs in the not-for-profit and for-profit sectors that gave him many opportunities
to coach, consult, and train individuals and groups in a variety of leadership and business skills
and topic areas. He has managed and led teams of colleagues, contractors, direct reports, and
volunteers of all demographics, and in many countries, both in person and remotely. Chris applied everything he learned from his education and experience in his corporate training and development roles which led to great success in designing and delivering world-class learning solutions that exceeded quality standards and met the needs of modern learners. Chris now works directly with individuals and organizations who expect transformation and a return on investment from coaching, consulting, and training & development.
Why the Birkman Method?
The Birkman Method is a powerful tool to help people develop Emotional Intelligence and understand personality characteristics that influence behaviors, motivations, and perceptions. It is grounded in over 70 years of research and considered a top tier psychometric assessment in terms of reliability and validity. Results Oriented Learning uses The Birkman Method for three main reasons:
1. The Birkman Method provides the perfect balance of scientific proof and simplicity.
Most of the reports shared with clients and program participants include narrative statements that make it easy for people to read, reflect, and then act. In addition, The Birkman Method makes use of colors as an easy way to talk about your unique personality type measured by four benchmarks: Usual Behavior, Interests, Needs, and Stress Behavior. By understanding your behaviors, expectations, and stressors through four easy-to-remember colors, you can better develop your communication and decision-making skills, increase your self-awareness, and enhance your performance. Of course, underneath all those colors and statements is A LOT of data and a Birkman Certified Professional can guide you through both the data and narrative portions of your reports to facilitate a transformative learning experience.
2. The Birkman Method focuses on Needs.
Most other behavior/personality assessments focus on productive behaviors and strengths. It’s easy to see how people show up in a situation, but much more difficult to understand the hidden needs that drive behavior. Relationships suffer when needs are not met and only The Birkman Method prioritizes understanding and meeting your needs and the needs of others in order to build and maintain healthy relationships.
3. The Birkman Method provides unique comparison and insights reports.
No other behavior/personality assessment provides the type of reports used in the services offered by Results Oriented Learning.