Andrea P. Howe, Principal

As a Principal at Trusted Advisor Associates, I develop and lead our workshops and webinars. My goal: to spark the “aha moment” that fundamentally alters the trajectory of a business relationship. I am also the co-author, with Charles H. Green, of The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook, published October 2011 by Wiley, and the founder of The Get Real Project.

I’m a former information technology consultant who has spent more than 20 years managing projects, working with clients, and facilitating groups of all kinds and sizes. Working out of Washington, D.C., I have a BBA in Computer Information Systems, a MS in Organization Development, and certifications in team building and action learning. I have led learning programs and consulted with Accenture, Blackboard, Deloitte, Great-West Life and Price Waterhouse Coopers, among others.

My Trust Story

I was at lunch with the Managing Partner of a successful boutique firm in Washington, D.C. My colleague and I had just begun a large project involving 360-degree feedback on all of his leaders.

Midway through the meal we discovered a big disconnect in expectations. He thought he would have access to each person’s detailed feedback, which we couldn’t provide because of confidentiality — something we thought we had communicated clearly, but apparently hadn’t.

He was angry when I raised the dilemma. I told him as respectfully as I could that we would regretfully abort the project — well underway and paid for in advance — rather than compromise confidentiality. He reluctantly agreed to continue. While I felt the project as a whole was moderately successful, on a relationship level I felt it was a failure.

Six months after the project ended he invited me to another meal, and completely surprised me early on in the conversation when he said, “You know, Andrea, I’ll never forget how you stood your ground that day at lunch. I didn’t like hearing what you had to say. But you were right not to give in. And I knew right then and there you were someone I could count on.”

My key takeaways: stand up for what you believe in, in spite of how it might feel in the moment. And don’t rely on your own assessment to judge the quality of your relationship with someone.

My Services

Trusted Advisor and Trust-Based Selling programs. I also train and coach others to lead these programs. And I speak on strategic topics such as customer intimacy, client loyalty, the dynamics of influence, dealing with conflict and developing business with trust.

My Trust Temperament:

The Connector