Information for Industry Partners

We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with businesses, government agencies, non-profits, teams, or individuals who would like to do research in leadership, innovation, or conflict management. Please email Dr. Lily Cushenbery through this link if you are interested in starting a project or scheduling a talk for your company.

Some of our previous consulting and research project partners:

Invited Talks or Workshops

Leading Teams for Innovative Performance

Innovation is the key to success in many industries, but leaders may be unknowingly inhibiting innovation in their teams in favor of producing short-term gains. Innovative thinking requires a break from the way things are typically done, particularly if current "safe bet" products are already performing reasonably well. Leaders can be the force that changes this natural trajectory by implementing the strategic guidance necessary for innovation to succeed. However, leading teams for innovative performance has some unique challenges.

Workshop Highlights:

• The specific, every-day leader behaviors that can enhance or diminish innovation

• Addressing setbacks and failures in innovative pursuits

• Creating a work environment that encourages innovation

Conflict Resolution for Managers

A manager’s key responsibility is to keep teams running smoothly despite deadlines, limited resources, and conflicting personalities. Understanding team conflict will enable managers to identify and resolve misunderstandings among team members, including when conflict may actually be beneficial. Furthermore, managers sometimes may themselves be the central cause of conflict - because of the greater complexity and responsibility of their work, they may be especially prone to making mistakes. Research suggests that leader mistakes may not be as important as the way that they are framed to their followers. 

Workshop Highlights:

• Managing conflict in teams

• Understanding when conflict may actually be beneficial

• Identifying strategies that managers can use to recover from their own mistake