Testimonials
Employee Handbook
“Working with Dena at Omni was great! She took a task off my desk, did a better job than I could of, in half the time. Plus I feel confident that our employee handbook is now up to date with current legislation and practices, and our staff have greater clarity around what to expect from our organization.”
International Trade
“We’ve worked with Cheryl Lockhart for three years to support small businesses from the UK expanding into Canada and the USA. She has become a trusted member of our team. She is extremely competent in export development, dedicated, full of good ideas, resourceful, and always willing to go the extra mile for clients. I’ve been in consulting for 24 years and she’s one of the most reliable people I’ve had the pleasure to work with. I can always count on her to deliver.”
Recruitment Services
“Initially engaged to support the recruitment of an IT Infrastructure Manager, Ms. Kimberley (Kim) Gladden quickly took a lead role facilitating all aspects of the recruiting process from advertising, resume review, telephone interviews, reference checks, and arranging and participating in candidate interviews. She was also instrumental in evaluating candidate skills and was able to provide an objective assessment of cultural fit and technical competence during in-person interviews, which were later confirmed by the results of Harrison Assessments conducted on the candidates.
Kim’s leadership allowed me to fill multiple positions quickly and efficiently. She was polite, professional and very effective.
I will not hesitate to call upon her for assistance in any HR related matter in the future.”
Employee Handbook
“I had worked with Dena Gillies in a prior business world and when the North Hill Curling Club was going through some internal changes, we identified the need to update/create an employee handbook for the organization. As a member of the board, I recommended using Dena and Omni Management.
As expected, Dena did not disappoint. She was very accommodating in coming to Calgary to meet the board to discuss our HR needs. Between myself and the board, we communicated predominantly via email and even though it took much time to implement (our fault due to the time and decision delays of a volunteer board), Dena kept us in check and we received a great handbook relevant to the Curling business and staff dynamic.
We had an employee and board session to present the handbook. Dena’s facilitation of this presentation was professional, concise and informative. She was able to provide a comfortable and engaging presentation to our team.
I would recommend not only Dena, but any partner or associate at Omni Management.”
Compensation Study
“Omni Management Consulting Alliance was great to work with. They took great consideration to our project and develop a strategy to delivery. We asked for a very tight timeline that was close to Christmas and they delivered the project prior to the final date. The communication was open and honest. They were very professional and delivered a product in which we have incorporated. They have also agreed to provide assistance as needed to ensure the strategy we had developed is properly executed for a lasting initiative. I would recommend Omni to others.”
Recruitment Support
“Kim was engaged to support the recruitment for our receptionist role. She was extremely effective, great to work with and frankly saved me a lot of time and energy. She efficiently placed the recruitment ad, reviewed 150+ resumes and phone screened several candidates providing us with a short-list of qualified individuals to interview. In addition to saving us time, Kim also provided education on the recruitment process and best practices.”
HR Presentation
“Dena presented on HR issues, trends and best practices at our Mosaic Spring Portfolio Partner Conference, In advance of the conference, Dena investigated the HR needs of our portfolio company leaders and effectively addressed many questions/concerns related thereto. She was also very good at providing additional follow-up information to address specific concerns/issues raised by the portfolio company leaders. I expect the work done will result in stronger communication and improved staff engagement within our portfolio companies. The overall experience was great and we hope to work again with Dena soon.”
Employee Handbook
“The team had the pleasure of working with Dena to revise our Employee Handbook to reflect recent changes in employment legislation and how it related to our business. We found Dena to be very knowledgeable when it came to employment standards and industry practice. As well, she responded quickly to our inquiries and worked closely with the team to create employment policies that were unique and tailored to our organization’s needs. We expect the updated Handbook will support more effective leadership, improved staff communication and greater employee engagement.”
Feasibility Study
“Cheryl Lockhart and the Omni Management Consulting team provided us with the knowledge, expertise, and support we needed to achieve success with a project at the Edmonton Humane Society. I was so pleased with their positive approach, responsiveness, and the quality of their work, delivered on-time and in multiple formats (research, report, and presentation). Should the need arise, we would undoubtedly engage Cheryl and the Omni Management Consulting group again for strategic research and planning purposes.”
Business Excellence Project
“Aseniwuche Winewak Nation (AWN) engaged Omni Management Consulting Alliance for two significant projects between 2014 and 2017. AWN needed expert advice and professional support to restructure its administration, streamline operations and increase leadership capacity to meet the changing needs of its companies and mitigate the impact of the economic downturn in the Alberta economy. During the entirety of the project work, Omni displayed the highest level of integrity and professionalism to ensure timely progress towards our goals while being adaptive to our changing needs. Despite a large turnover in senior management, significant budget cuts and considerable changes in economic conditions, Omni was able to successfully navigate our leadership team to achieve the project objectives and effect positive change within our group of companies. Omni Management Consulting Alliance was not only professional but personable. Their personal investment in learning about our company, values, and people not only added value, efficiency and practical wisdom to the project, it has created a long term relationship between our businesses that continues to lead towards long term success. AWN would highly recommend Omni Management Consulting Alliance as a premier business consulting group.”
Strategic Planning Facilitation
“Developing a strategic plan for a not-for-profit, social purpose organization can be a complex exercise, due to the many stakeholders involved. Cheryl and Rodger had a strong understanding of good governance and their role in interacting with and working with our Board of Directors was appreciated. I feel that the organization will also benefit, in the long run, from some of the more detailed information that they provided during and after the planning process. The detailed analysis and face-to-face meeting to review the survey results (from surveys they developed, delivered and analyzed) was rich with information that will assist with future planning. I also appreciated the constant follow up of ideas, connections and feedback on aspects of the organization not directly related to the development of our strategic plan but related to other information uncovered by them during the process of assisting us.”
Transition Plan
“Dick and Dena of OMNI Management Consulting Alliance really took the time and effort to understand our business as if it were their own. Their efficient planning, information provided and organization resulted in completing our strategic planning goal in a timely manner as well as made it easy to execute. They always were and continue to offer professional support and guidance long after the completed project. I would strongly recommend The OMNI group to anyone and am honoured to have worked with such an amazing team of professionals.”
Employee Manual, Job Descriptions and Compensation Structure
“The CPA Western School of Business engaged the services of the Omni Management Consulting Alliance to develop an Employee Manual, new position descriptions for 80 staff and develop a salary grid for equal positions. Ms. Dena Gillies was assigned to work with the School. The project was a complicated one in that the School had recently experienced major changes including a three-fold increase in the student population, two new education Programs, the conclusion of the anchor education Program and a decentralized environment from one main office to four offices in western Canada.
Ms. Gillies is an experienced professional who clarified the project objectives and established target dates for major milestones. Consultation with all employees is paramount to the project’s success and Ms. Gillies undertook this consultation and engagement without any hesitation. Normally, an organization would plan on some obstacles for such a project; however very few issues arose. The staff embraced the initiative and sent unsolicited e-mails to the senior leadership about the positive experience.”
Business Coaching
“Omni’s business coaching program has helped our business plan for the future. We are more focussed on moving forward with our business than ever. They have really helped us keep on track with obtaining our business goals. I would highly recommend Omni (Cheryl) to any Arctic Spa dealer that wants to take their business to the next level.”
International Trade Action Plan
“Cheryl Lockhart’s work that delivered our 3 year Trade Action Plan was excellent. In terms of product, the thinking behind the work, the flexibility in approach and iterative process in development created a robust, purpose built solution for the Edmonton Metropolitan Region and Edmonton Global. Great work and I would highly recommend Cheryl.”
Strategic Planning
“Cheryl and her team at Omni are responsive, knowledgeable and detailed. She worked with our growing company to form a strategy for the future, and we benefited from her professional expertise, organization, and common sense. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her for anyone in need of HR services.”
Business Coaching
“Nerdvana Inc, is a Comics, Collectibles and Hobby store in Fort McMurray, Alberta. I was lucky enough to receive mentorship from Cheryl Lockhart through the Back to Business program as part of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s plan to help small businesses in the region after the devastating ‘Beast’ wildfire of 2016. Cheryl is an incredible source of crucial information for a small business like ours. Fort McMurray has a very turbulent economy as is, without the effects of the wildfire, but thankfully Cheryl was able to guide us in best business practices to get back to business. Through a series of coaching calls, we were able to establish a comprehensive Marketing Plan, even with a small marketing budget, which had been a major concern for us. Not knowing how to utilize a small budget for marketing was holding our business back, and I am so pleased with the results after working with Cheryl. She was an absolute pleasure to worth with. Kind, courteous and very professional, speaking to us from a place of experience and ensuring she had researched our niche market in order to find the ways to help us best. I would highly recommend Cheryl Lockhart to anyone looking for thorough, professional service. She certainly made a great difference to the way we do business, for the better.”
Transition Plan
“From start to finish our transition plan was well done. To replace a COO and minority owner who ran the company for 16 years was daunting. To finish with no voluntary staff loss and better morale is a big win. I feel we are well positioned for the next phase of growth and would not be in this place without Omni. Excellent business support available behind the transition plan allowed us to handle the inevitable unpleasant surprises. Overall 5 of 5 stars… well done.”
Compensation & Variable Pay Review
“The primary objective of the project was to review our current compensation structure to ensure we are competitive and within the ranges we would like to be. Dena and Dick took the time to understand our culture and philosophy while collecting all the relevant information required to complete the review. Throughout the process they challenged our thinking and provided the necessary feedback. In the end, the summary they provided was insightful and provided the necessary information.”
Voice of the Customer Survey
“Cheryl was a pleasure to meet and work with. The survey was not an individual effort and key team members worked with Cheryl to put the questions together which supported the relevancy of the survey. Cheryl went above an beyond to accommodate our customers and I truly believe this promoted the positive feedback and the engagement we received from our customers. Through both the employee and customer service, the partners believe no price tag can placed on the value we received.”
Future Directions Plan / Strategic Planning
“Dick was a pleasure to work with. He took the time to get to know our company and our lead team. The authenticity of Omni was apparent through Dick’s words and actions. When you engage Omni, you know they have your companies best interests at heart and truly are there to represent you and your team to move forward in positive direction.”
Human Resources Review and Human Resources Plan Implementation
“The HR review was very comprehensive. The review provided priorities to focus on in the short, mid and long term. After 4 months of work Dena has supported EmployAbilities to develop a new compensation plan, employment positions, revised a new employee handbook, reviewed and developed new job descriptions and developed new HR policies. Dena is very professional, timely, and is excellent at developing templates, documents, policies and procedures. She is open and direct in her communication and staff enjoy working with her.”
Interim Management
“We required an interim manager to immediately assume day-to-day management of our radiology clinic, as well as someone who could think strategically to plan for long-term growth. Cheryl quickly brought profitability to the clinic by putting into place marketing and business development practices and operating efficiencies. She was also instrumental in ensuring the proper accreditations, registrations and certifications were achieved in our first year of operations, a human resources management system was developed, financial controls were instituted and policies and procedures were drafted. Her organizational skills allowed for an easy and seamless transition of clinic operations to a full-time manager at the end of the assignment.”
Business Coaching
“Having Cheryl coach us over the past year has really enabled us to see all our of strengths and weaknesses. Not only has the Omni Business Coaching program helped us to outline and clearly define all of our goals, but it has allowed us to create an easy plan to achieve these goals. I would strongly recommend Cheryl and the Omni Business Coaching Program to any Arctic Spas Dealer to help in building your business for the future.”
Human Resources System
“Dena has done a wonderful job for us. She has improved the overall management of our Human Resources function including the quality of our new employees. We are very pleased to have Dena and the level of support provided.”
Strategic Planning
“Working with Omni to develop our first ever strategic plan was a real treat. Their representative (Mr. Frenz) had an abundance of knowledge and insight and led us through a very challenging exercise in a respectful and efficient manner. We are thrilled with the outcome but actually believe the process itself may have provided greater benefit to our company as it resulted in an aligned and more mature group of leaders. Thanks Omni for the tremendous support, encouragement and guidance over the last few months.”
Strategic Planning
“Dick Frenz is a great listener! And that matters when you work with a consultant. One of the biggest challenges of bringing a consultant in to work with your small business is feeling like they don’t understand what your business requirements and challenges are. From the very first meeting Dick instilled a level of confidence through his ability to truly “hear” what we needed. He asks lots of questions and he will make you do lots of work but at the end of the day you feel that working with him you are able to achieve significant change for your business. We worked with Dick to improve how we managed the people side of our business, developing position descriptions, clear expectations and aligned reward systems. Dick worked with us to implement structures that are sustainable and help to better manage the organization as a whole. He is able to provide a balanced perspective in all discussions, advocating equally for the employee perspective and the business perspective. He also brings a wealth of experience to the table, with real life examples to draw on and life based advice. Dick was always cognizant of the size of our company and made recommendations that were appropriate for our current size but that would also allow us to grow. He was flexible, veering from the work plan when it made sense and getting us back on track when we needed it. Dick is an absolute professional and a real pleasure to work with.”
Strategic Plan, Partnership Charter & Business Advisory Services
“Cheryl Lockhart reached out to us in early 2013 when we were a fledgling company. We required assistance to grow as an organization and were unclear how to embark on the complex task of creating a medical device. Cheryl began by creating a strong, comprehensive strategic plan for us to follow, along with a partnership agreement to guide our decision making. She introduced us to companies, consultants, and funding streams that we would not have known to access ourselves. The growth of our company and the progress that we have made toward creating our own device has been largely due to Cheryl’s expertise and assistance. We continue to retain Cheryl as a Business Advisor and look forward to our continued work together.”