People First

UMA NARAYANAN head - organization development & group facilitations

Dr. Uma is a Director and Lead Anchor at People First Consultants, a 28-year People Consulting Firm. She is the practice lead for the consulting and talent development verticals which primarily offer Coaching Services, Individual & Team Transformation Facilitation, Organizational Development, Inner Strengths 360-degree profiling and Integral Education interventions, among others. Prior to People First she has a 10-year stint in the corporate learning and development space for Ford (India & Asia Pacific)

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She is primarily responsible for Leadership & Professional Development strategy and programs where her facilitation / training experiences spanned across Asia Pacific and select global programs.

In terms of consulting, design and facilitation, her areas of expertise include managerial and leadership development interventions, designing and deploying OD interventions, core L & D consulting, people development processes, new leader transitions, team building and effectiveness, self-awareness, building resilience, personal effectiveness, communication and presentation skills, among others. She has led L & D cycle, program design and management, process and technology. Her niche skills lie in understanding and translating the needs into the right interventions & in designing facilitated group work.

As a certified coach, she offers her services to organizations and individuals as a Life and Leadership coach enabling personal transformation and manifestation. She provides coaching space to leaders and individuals who want to bring out their best potential at work and in their life. She facilitates ‘Coaching with Depth’ workshops and uses the framework and Life Fulfillment Coaching Methodology in her coaching and is a Certified Leadership and Life Coach from Coach for Life™. She brings deep listening, powerful questioning and co-holds the inquiry with the client. She uses an experiential reflective approach; at the same time hones it to practical actions, work and business results. She challenges, offers perspectives, and is committed to the client’s success.

She holds a doctorate from the Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras specializing in the area of Organisational Behavior and Positive Psychology. Her research topic was on Inner Strengths using an Integral approach applied for leaders and working professionals. Her interest and pursuit are to bring about an applicable holistic development framework / practice. She has also presented the model in National and International Conferences and received a special mention and an award. She holds a post-graduate degree in HRD Psychology. She is a guest faculty at Elite School of Optometry. She is a certified NLP Trainer, MBTI Administrator.

She is the co-author of the Instrengths Insight™ Profiling Tool and uses it in her personalized self-discovery coaching sessions. She is the creative anchor and co-author of the InStrengths Insight Cards and uses it extensively in her work spanning across teachers, students, parents, individuals and leaders. She also runs individual and team-based sessions leveraging individual and collective profiling of inner strengths applied to individual, team or work contexts.

An ardent learner, she is passionate about individual change and transformation that is positive, holistic and aligned to one’s unique self and rhythm.

Qualifications / Certifications

  • PhD (Management Studies, IIT Madras; Organisational Behavior & Positive Psychology – Inner Strengths for leaders and working professionals) | M.Sc. HRD Psychology | BA Psychology
  • Certified Leadership and Life Coach from Coach for Life™ (ACTP approved – Levels 1,2 & 3)
  • Certified NLP Trainer
  • Certified MBTI Administrator
  • Facilitator of Coaching with Depth Methodology

Psychometric and Diagnostic / Process Tools

  • Instrengths Individual™ Profiling and Team Profiling (Co-Author and Anchor)
  • Instrengths Insight™ Cards (Co-Author and Lead Anchor)
  • Coaching with Depth Matrix and Diagnostic Process
  • Core and Self Discovery process tools
  • CLF Life Fulfillment Coaching Process
  • MBTI

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