I’ve invested most of my career applying metaphors and images to build tools that help groups tell their stories and work better together. And I’ve told a few stories of my own. The tabs above describe my publications and tools and I’d be delighted for you to look through them and contact me with any questions.
Larry Raymond
More detail is listed at the bottom of this page.
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Experience
Author – Old Stories 2019
Author – Sawing a Hole through the Roof 2019
Author – The Condor and the Hippo 2019
Creative Director at Political Zingers! LLC
March 2015 – present
Developed a card game to poke fun at politicians. It’s in the style of “Cards Against Humanity” and “Apples to Apples”– but based on political cartoons. It sold through Amazon and independent bookstores.
Mentor at FOCUS Reentry Trainer at Boulder County Jail
December 2014 – Present
I mentor offenders at the Boulder County Jail to reduce the risk of recidivism, and coach groups of women in Life Turnaround
Consultant to UNICRI
Aided the United Nations Inter-regional Crime and Justice Research Institute’s project on CBRN Risk Mitigation (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear materials.) Task was to build a governance method and help ten countries in Africa, Eastern Europe and Eastern Mediterranean to improve internal coordination in the event of accident or terrorism.
Director at Metaphor Language Research Center LLC
April 2010 – Present
Metaphor Language Research Center offers visual symbol workshop tools to consultants for strategy planning, process quality improvement, organization development and training. Developed a full set of metaphoric tools to aid group collaboration, creativity, operation
Consulted to a wide variety of U.S. and international organizations
Development Director at The River – Leadership Resources
2010 – Present
Not-for-profit. Develop leadership skills in developing countries and led projects for United Nations and other agencies in Italy, Iran, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Montenegro, Serbia, Morocco, Moldova, Albania,Senegal, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kuwait, Dubai, Bahrain, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Banglasesh.
Integrated Supply Chain’s ‘Green’ Initiatives at IBM 2000 – 2010
Reduction of environmental impact. Previous responsibility for software distribution.
Member, Board of Directors at Boulder Chamber of Commerce 2003 – 2007
Global Software Manufacturing and Fulfillment Director at IBM 1999 – 2007
Managed up to 800 people to:
– Prepare software for replication
– Distribute software worldwide
– Migrate from physical to internet delivery Achieved dramatic cost reduction by consolidating sites and improving processes, with virtually no layoffs
Reengineering Director at Lotus Development
1995 – 1999
Process optimization and quality improvement projects, including global deployment leadership of a SAP software license management system.
Managing Consultant at Newbase International 1988 – 1995
Consulted in process optimization, re-engineering, government re-organization, health system improvement and export development in least-developed countries. Clients included: Du Pont de Nemours, Union Carbide/Dow, Sandoz/Novartis, Swissair, Unisys, Boehringer Mannheim, Northwestern Mutual Life, Hewlett-Packard, Agilent, Compaq, Business Man’s Assurance, Neste, NASDAQ, The World Bank, The World Health Organization, GATT/UNCTAD International Trade Center, Government agencies in Zambia,
Iran, Sri Lanka, Syria,Egypt
Digital Equipment Switzerland 1984 – 1988 Geneva, Switzerland.
Management Consultant, Channels Marketing and Sales management
World Wide Information Technology Director at Union Carbide 1968 – 1984
Leadership to USA and International I.T. organization. Also served as Director Business Services Europe, including strategic planning, economic analysis
Volunteer Experience
Park ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park 2005 – 2009
Languages
English – Native tongue
French – Working proficiency
Projects
CBRN Risk Mitigation (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) Center of Excellence project funded by EC and executed by UNICRI, U.N. Inter-Regional Crime and Justice Research Institute. Tasks included participation in design of national team functions and governance, teambuilding workshops, preparations for need assessment. Countries included: Lebanon, Jordan, Montenegro, Serbia, Morocco, Moldova, Albania, Senegal, Uganda, Kenya. Zambian Public Sector Management Reform Programme
Government of Zambia and World Bank sponsored this project that resulted in a major government decentralization. The cornerstone was an 80 person Metaphor Mapping workshop that included central and local government officials, tribal chiefs, military, IMF, international aid agencies.
Sri Lanka Service Export Development, sponsored by WTO/International Trade Centre (ITC).Goal was to help Sri Lanka gain hard currency and build its economy by developing a services export sector, starting with I.T. services. I built a task force of Sri Lanka’s small data entry, programming and telecommunications industries, academia and the
government. We devised and executed a strategy for building exports.
Service Export Opportunity Evaluation: Nepal, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Tanzania. WTO/International Trade Centre and ILO sponsored this investigation of export opportunities in all service sectors. In each case, national capacity to provide services was inadequate for export and there was no justification for the extensive training and infrastructure that would have been needed to continue.
Strategic Plan for National Health in Guinea Bissau
WHO sponsored the project because it was concerned Guinea-Bissau lacked a plan to guide its poorly resourced and funded health sector. I led a two day workshop with the full Ministry of Health management team. WHO held up the plan as a model for the region and Guinea-Bissau featured it in a national television special report.
Health System Management Effectiveness Programme (MEP)
WHO initiated this program because health indicators were in decline in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. I developed process and quality portions of the management training program for local health system leaders and contributed on issues related to the role of women, compensation for medical professionals, listening to patients, moving from re-mediating illness to promoting health.Training rotated with practice periods. Syria
was initial focus and then Egypt, Kuwait and Iran.
Regional Management System for HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe
WHO sponsored the project to address an absence of coordination between the Health Ministry at central and regional levels and the communities most affected. The goal was to assess weaknesses and recommend improvements in processes and facilities. Activities included interviews with three levels of government health officials, observation visits to health centers, hospitals, towns and meetings with local leaders. The drivers of the local epidemic were perfectly clear. Recommendations had little if any impact.
Laboratory Management Assessment – Iran
The Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute had aspirations of becoming provider of animal vaccines to the entire Islamic world but were held back by sever problems of test animal deaths. I was member of a multi-function team to analyze and recommend corrections to the problem. My focus was lab processes and included a Metaphor Mapping workshop with lab leaders to define future operational processes and controls. The lab director and Agriculture Minister were delighted with results.
Project team alignment / Process transformation
Many business consulting assignments for companies including Du Pont, Hewlett-Packard, Union Carbide, Lotus Development, International Atomic Energy Agency, Novartis, Neste, Unisys, NASDAQ, Boehringer Mannheim, Northwestern Mutual Life, Business Man’s Assurance
Alignment of Sponsor, Users, I.T. project team
A USA Insurance company with a history of I.T. projects missing objectives needed to reduce risk of recurrence by ensuring clear, detailed understanding of the new system’s objectives and how it would impact company operations and individual jobs.. A Metaphor Mapping workshop resulted in both a successful project and an enduring change to a more collaborative culture.
Chemical company supply chain transformation
Transatlantic bulk materials handling approach was fragmented and product-oriented. Performance was erratic and the number of tank containers had grown more than 300 percent. A series of Metaphor Mapping workshops led to greatly improved U.S.-Europe cooperation and immediate savings of over $5M. The mapping process was then applied globally on dozens of projects.
I.T Operations quality improvement in several U.S. companies
Skills & Expertise
Change Management
Leadership Development
Strategy
Organizational Development
Process Improvement
Leadership
Team Building
Training
Supply Chain
Program Management
Strategic Planning
Business Strategy
Business Transformation
Management Consulting
Organizational Design
Business Process Improvement
Executive Coaching
Government
Consulting
Management
Performance Management
Coaching
Start-ups
Workshop Facilitation
Process Optimization
Organizational Effectiveness
Governance
Publications
Reinventing Communication – A Guide to Using Visual Language for Planning, Problem Solving and Reengineering – ASQC Quality Press 1994
Describes the extraordinary increases in perception, innovation, teamwork and results that have been achieved when a team uses visual, metaphoric languages.
Metaphors for Alignment – 2013
This eBook shows how to energize and align a team when setting strategy, improving quality and kicking off programs.
Education
Pace University-Pleasantville/Briarcliff Campus MBA, Professional Management, 1974
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, BA, Government, 1964 – 1968