Interaction Associates (IA) introduced the concept and practice of group facilitation to the business world in the early 1970's. During the revolution of Total Quality Management (TQM) in the 1980's, IA developed Facilitative Leadership® to help senior leaders empower teams to "think beyond the box", innovate, and achieve mission-critical goals.
For over 50 years, IA has provided thousands of leaders and teams with practical, simple, and effective programs, tools and techniques for working better across functions, viewpoints, and geographies.
More than 1,000,000 people have learned The Interaction Method™, a facilitated process for building understanding and agreement so that people can take informed, concerted action.
Today, IA is helping people work better together from a distance -- leveraging collaborative technology, process thinking, and interpersonal behaviors to produce outcomes that matter most to them.
Learning can be enjoyable and relevant. Practical and transformational. Challenging and fun. These are words clients use to describe their learning and team experiences with Interaction Associates.
The Interaction Method™ is a proven approach for making better group decisions and
You'll learn to tap the power of collaborative action. Engage the right people on mission-critical tasks. Empower them with skills and tools. The result will be a better ROI: Return on Involvement.
With disco at its peak and innovative technologies on the horizon, IA began its journey in 1969, introducing the world to a revolutionary approach to meetings with The Interaction Method™, a cornerstone of everything we do at Interaction Associates.
In 1976, founders Michael Doyle and David Straus authored 'How to Make Meetings Work,' a pivotal guide that transformed the dynamics of meetings.
IA also raised the bar by incorporating the roles of facilitators and scribes into the business environment, initially with Quality Teams at Ford.
With the electric pulse of the '80s and the advent of the personal computer revolutionizing the workplace, IA introduced Facilitative Leadership®, blending inclusive management with expert facilitation to amplify leadership impact.
We also presented clear, practical strategies with Facilitating Change™ and The Principles of Collaboration, reshaping how leaders and teams connect and succeed.
Notably, IA's influence reached DuPont, where we played a key role in enhancing teamwork and driving innovation through Total Quality Management.
Teams in Action™ & Team Sponsorship™, integrating shared responsibility and personal accountability with team collaboration.
Managing with Impact™ & the book How to Make Collaboration Work.
Advanced Facilitation Skills
e.g., GE Black Belts.
Entering the new millennium, with the dot-com boom and a global focus expanding, IA embraced the challenge with Collaborative Design Thinking and a renewed emphasis on Global Teams.
Our Collaborate to Innovate program combined creative problem-solving with team collaboration, igniting new pathways to innovation.
The introduction of Blended Learning answered the call for adaptive and diverse educational approaches, exemplified by our work with Roche Research Teams.
The 2010s, marked by social media's rise and mobile technology becoming ubiquitous, saw IA address the nuances of a dispersed workforce.
We launched virtual instructor-led training to master the art of leading from afar, adapting The Interaction Method™ for an increasingly online world.
Our expertise in encouraging virtual teamwork shone through in partnerships with global players like GE, proving that team spirit knows no borders.
As the decade began with the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, the nature of work underwent a seismic shift. Remote collaboration became the lifeline for businesses, and IA was at the forefront, helping navigate the new normal.
Our Action Accelerators emerged as a response to urgent learning needs, providing quick, effective online education in a time of widespread uncertainty.
IA continues to guide leaders and teams through these transformative times, ensuring that, even when physically apart, we're collaborating closer than ever.
Our Mission
We help people work together better to achieve the things that matter most to them. We do that by demonstrating the power and transferring the skills of conscious collaboration. Conscious collaboration is a mindful approach for working with others to produce mutually beneficial outcomes.
What We Value
Client Service
To understand client needs and aim to exceed their expectations.
Professional Excellence
To demonstrate competence and aim to continuously improve.
Principled Action
To speak truth to power and aim to do the right thing.
Shared Responsibility
To help the team succeed and aim to add value at all times.
Stakeholder Voice
To include people in decisions that affect them and aim for maximum appropriate involvement.
Social Responsibility
To be an active citizen and aim to stand for inclusion and fairness.
Human Dignity
To respect others in daily interactions and aim to assume the best about their intentions.
Diversity and Inclusion Declaration
Our mission at IA is to help people work better together to achieve the things that matter most to them. In our work, we facilitate authentic and productive human connections. We’ve witnessed how honest conversations, however difficult, can foster more equitable policies and inclusive behaviors in the workplace.
IA aims to provide equal opportunities to, and prevent discrimination of, any aspiring L&D and administrative professional regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, citizenship, or any other personal situation or aspect which makes them unique.
We strive to build a company culture where inclusion and engagement is our way of operating day-to-day, not an initiative.
As a company, we have a long way to go to reflect the wonderful diversity of our American community. We invite our employees, partners and clients to support us in our efforts through, feedback, audit and encouragement.
As a U.S. company with global reach, we commit to using our skills and position in the learning and development industry to amplify the practice of conscious collaboration as a tool for equity and justice.
Together, we can build more inclusive, just, and equitable workplaces.
