Michael Goran

Michael Goran

Summary

Professional coach, mentor and facilitator with over 20 years experience. Substantial experience designing communication training workshops for teams.

Deep knowledge of Roleplay and improvisation applications for training productive conversations that reduce workplace stress and improve productivity that speeds time-to-market and increased customer satisfaction.

Successfully serving a variety of clients in Telecommunications, College & Universities, Financial Services, Social Service Agencies, Media & Advertsing.

Specialist in Team interventions, customer service and Group Innovation.

Specialties

Rapid Mentor training programs, coaching and consulting for Teams and Individuals. Using a unique hybrid of Solutions Focus, Improvisation, Roleplay and a variety of proprietary techniques, we help people and organizations achieve their 'future perfect' state FASTER and more enjoyably than they thought possible

Experience

Director, Business Development at Uhlig Communications (Uhlig.ca)

January 2013 - Present (3 months)
Uhlig.ca helps transform renewable energy companies into recognized industry names.

We help our clients tell the right story to the right people. With over 15 years of renewable energy marketing experience, we know that the right marketing can:

- Help you move one step closer to a power purchase agreement - Help you attract the right investors
- Help you attract the right talent

Whether you’re starting out, going public or have recently gone public, you need a story so compelling that everyone will want to tell it. Give us a call today to learn how we can help you get the message out.

My role as Director, Business Development is to evangelize and spread the word to potential new clients about the enourmous necessity and benefit of using the expertise of Klaus Uhlig and co. to help them build business, connect with stakeholders and surmount obstacles toward creating successful, sustainable power

projects for the ultimate benefit of all stakeholders.

Business Mentor (Volunteer) at Canadian Youth Business Foundation

January 2008 - Present (5 years 3 months)

CYBF supports and funds young entrepreneurs with startup loans, one condition of which is the assignment of a professional mentor.
1 recommendation available upon request

Professional Mentor, Ryerson University Trimentoring Program (Volunteer) at Ryerson University

January 2007 - Present (6 years 3 months)

Guiding, coaching and advising upcoming graduates towards their desired career or life path, always with a Solution Focused and positive approach. Empowering my mentees by emphasizing 'there's nothing wrong with you that what's right with you can't fix'.
2 recommendations available upon request

Domain Sales Specialist at Tucows, Inc.

July 2009 - August 2011 (2 years 2 months)
Primary duties: inside sales for highly intangible yet valuable aftermarket internet domain names via direct

and social media channels. Secondary: sales process improvement for the business unit as a whole.

Chief Creative Coach at CorpJesters

December 1999 - January 2010 (10 years 2 months) http://www.corpjesters.com

9 recommendations available upon request

General Manager at Beyond the Box, Inc.

April 2008 - February 2009 (11 months)

Beyond the Box is a wildly successful and rapidly-growing Team Building company, founded in 1999 by Order of Canada recipient and renowned Canadian Arts Educator Lola Rasminsky. We use the energy, talent and critical thinking skills of professional artists to help business and organizations build trust, build teams, for leadership development, foster creative thinking and brainstorming.
1 recommendation available upon request

Part-Time Faculty, Theatre & Drama Studies at Sheridan College

January 2000 - April 2008 (8 years 4 months)
Teaching 1st Year Theatre & Drama Studies Students the art of Improvisation.

Roleplayer / Performance Coach at e-roleplay

2001 - 2007 (6 years)

Successfully delivered performance coaching for over 5000 banking professionals in the subtle art of effective telephone communication. Delivered in a call centre environment, consistently received accolades and praise for providing succinct, targeted and concise feedback while conforming to client coaching models and tight time constraints.

April 1998 - May 2001 (3 years 2 months)
Improvisation instructor for public classes. Successfully delivered introductory levels of instruction and

curriculum to a wide variety of adult learners, in accordance with Training Centre protocols and guidelines.

Project Manager, IT Specialist at Arnold Worldwide Advertising (formerly Vickers & Benson)

August 1995 - March 1998 (2 years 8 months)

# Provided supervision of subcontracted teams of programmers and external vendors
# Successfully set and managed tight deadlines for delivery and integration of new software # Wrote and edited installation and support documentation
# Reviewed software solutions to determine viability for enterprise needs
# Introduced MIS workflow improvements, which increased response time by over 60%
# Improved lines of internal communication by administering intranet technologies

Mainstage Performer at The Second City

March 1990 - February 1991 (1 year)

As an member of the ensemble cast, co-wrote and performed in three original shows, performing to sold-out houses, 8 performances weekly. Improvised nightly in post-show improv sets, taking audience suggestions and creating spontaneously entertaining scenes based on current events. Regular participant in out-of-town shows for corporate and civic clients.

Publications

57 SF Activities for Facilitators and Consultants

Solutions Books May 9, 2008
Authors: Michael Goran, Peter Roehrig, Jenny Clarke, Dominik Godat, Paul Z Jackson, Mark McKergow, daniel meier, Yasuteru Aoki, Klaus Schenck, Anton Stellamans, Björn Johansson

A collection of Solution Focused activities for workshops and team events.

It helps readers to maximise the effectiveness of their workshops, team meetings and projects, use creative stimulating activities with confidence and precision, and create even more ideas and processes for their own situations.

Facilitators and consultants from all over the world share their experience in this rich collection of Solution Focused activities for workshops and team events. Clear step-by-step instructions let you use them straight away - or adapt and combine them as you wish.

This book helps you to maximise the effectiveness of your workshops, team meetings and projects, use creative stimulating activities with confidence and precision, and create even more ideas and processes for your own situations.

Spanish

Skills & Expertise

Mentoring Training/Mentoring Coaching
Executive Coaching Staff Development Coaching Staff Teaching

Sales Coach
Workshop Delivery
Mock Interviews
Group Collaboration Presentation Coaching Problem Solving
Educational Outreach
Social Media
Business Process Improvement Team Building
Social Learning
Business Simulations
Creative Problem Solving Solution Selling
Value Based Selling
Creative Content
Domain Registration Edutainment
Arts Integration
Microsoft Office
Developing Staff
Public Speaking
Writing
Team Leadership
Customer Relations
Customer Service
Change Management Organizational Development Team Management
Teamwork
Leadership Development
Mac OS X
iCal
Word
PowerPoint
Workshops

(Limited working proficiency)

(Expert, 5 years experience)

Conference Sales
Sales Presentations Role-play
Constructive Feedback Sales

Education

University of Toronto - Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Cert. Adult Ed. (in progress), Adult Education, 2006 - 2007

Ryerson University

B.A.A., Radio & Telelvision Arts, 1980 - 1983

Newtonbrook Secondary School

Ontario Scholar, 1976 - 1980

Interests

Sales, Mentoring, Coaching, Improvisational Theatre, Emergent Thinking, Adult Education, woodworking, problem solving, perpetual home renovator

Michael Goran

Director, Business Development at Uhlig Communications (Uhlig.ca)

13 people have recommended Michael

"Michael has been a business mentor with CYBF since 2008. He has shown consistent commitment to his mentees and has been an active contributor and participant at CYBF events and functions. With his sense of humour and out-of-the-box thinking, MIchael is a valuable member of our CYBF community. Thanks Michael!"

— Linda Morana, was Michael's client

"Mike's energy and ability to help others qualify their experiences made him an exceptional mentor. Having observed the results of his mentoring and seen positive impacts, I can attest to his skill in advising and supporting development in others. He is a skilled and interesting presenter in addition to his ability to build positive relationships."

— Lesley D'Souza, Program Facilitator, Tri-Mentoring Program, Ryerson University, was with another company when working with Michael at Ryerson University

"Michael has a passion for helping graduating students. As a long-serving Career Mentor with our program. Michael has conducted several workshop sessions that I found extremely valuable to the professional mentors in our program. He demonstrated a high degree of expertise and his presentation was relevant, practical and creative. He was inclusive of all who were present. In addition, his style was open and inviting to questions and he willingly gave his time to respond to questions thoroughly. Michael has a passion for helping graduating students and in addition to giving great career advice he is an outstanding mentor that we are fortunate to have in our program."

— Marsha Serrette, MENTORING Program Facilitator, Ryerson University, was with another company when working with Michael at Ryerson University

"Michael is a strong and very knowledgeable mentor. He continues to provide future graduates with insights, advise and opportunities to develop into strong leaders."

— Kabir Abdurrahman, Coordinator, Mentoring Programs and Community Projects, Tri-Mentoring Program, Ryerson University, worked directly with Michael at CorpJesters

"Michael was assigned as my Career Mentor in my time as a student in the Tri-Mentoring Program. He gave me incredible new perspectives on not only my career path but life in general and has changed my mind set on the way i approach challenging situations. While our time was limited I gained a lot of insight from our relationship and highly recommend him."

"Michael helped us a design a workshop for senior managers that includes role-playing with an actor. He also trained the actors for the session. Our client still talks about the effectiveness of this ongoing workshop, three years later."

— Louise Grummitt, was Michael's client

"Michael is innovative, enthusiastic and courageous. Step in with Michael and you will discover things that are exciting and worthwhile."

— Paul Z Jackson, Co-founder, Applied Improvisation Network, worked directly with Michael at CorpJesters

"Michael is a skilled & insightful performer and corporate consultant who looks for the best in people & groups and then leverages those strengths to make them even better. Michael hired me & 5 other roleplayers to do a live roleplay session for Corpjesters at a conference in Banff in November 2004. Michael ensured that we were relaxed and well-prepared, and that we engaged our clients to focus on the positive and take the next challenge to improve their work. He ran the roleplay session for over 200 of the client's top performers with zest and humour, and the session was rated the best of the conference by the participants. I would hire Michael in an instant for help with perfomance, motivation or team-building."

— Michael Whitehead, roleplayer, e-roleplay, reported to Michael at CorpJesters

"Mike is practical, imaginative, and professional with his clients. He keeps abreast of new ideas in training and management, and is one of the minority of people who can apply these ideas to the specific needs of his clients. He is absolutely passionate about providing his service with excellence. I would be confident to work with Mike again, and strongly recommend him."

— Ian Chaprin, Lead Business Analyst, Intellact, was with another company when working with Michael at CorpJesters

"Mike is an engaging facilitator who effectively helps his workshop participants learn new skills and change behaviours, is fun to work with, and a real "stand-up kind of guy""

— George Anastasopoulos, Owner, Leadership Fundamentals, was with another company when working with Michael at CorpJesters

"Mike's fresh insight and innovative approach makes a world of difference to traditional problem-solving models. His brand of 'thinking-on-your-feet' is a real asset to any situation where a non-traditional approach is necessary to make progress quickly. I highly recommend him and his methods."

— Stefan Eyram, was Michael's client

— Jane Luk, President, Cool Hand Productions Inc., reported to Michael at CorpJesters

"Michael is awesome: his energy and smile are both contagious. He's that guy that walks into a room and you immediately want to sit up straight and pay attention. Michael has this ability to take your mind down a path of creativity no matter what the topic. Igniting that creative spark within you so you can view how you do business a different way. If your looking to put that creative 'spark' back in your business...Michael Goran has the ignition system."

— Giovina Lobozzo, Relationship Manager, Toronto Board of Trade, was with another company when working with Michael at Beyond the Box, Inc.