Diana Royce Smith, MA, provides executive coaching and management consulting to business, government, and private-non-profits. Her focus is on trouble-shooting, problem-solving, project implementation, program evaluation, and human resource management, including compensation and 360-degree feedback.

Before founding her Colorado-based management consulting firm in 1987, Diana headed organizations in financial management, public and private partnerships, management system development, behavioral research, human resource management, transportation planning, and consulting. Among her firm's clients, she numbers the Regional Transportation District, Colorado Enterprise Fund, The Atwood Company, City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department, Boulder County Bar Association, Native American Rights Fund, Peak Properties & Development Corp., YMCA of Boulder Valley, University of Colorado Alumni Association, Boulder Community Hospital's Mapleton Center, Clinica Campesina, The S. M. Stoller Corporation, and the Boulder County Health Department.

As a keynote speaker, Diana presents on corporate storytelling, the art of business small talk, and marketing. Diana has also taught undergraduate and graduate courses. An accomplished meeting facilitator, Diana's training engagements emphasize interpersonal communication, business and workplace relationships, strategic management, organizational change management, time budgeting, and related topics. Employing experiential learning, participant materials, role-plays and practice, peer support, and coaching for learning results, Diana's training presentations expect successful behavioral change in every participant. Diana's training sessions are noted for story-telling, memorable metaphors, humor, participant buy-in, and--the use of food!

Diana earned two master's degrees from the University of Wisconsin and her undergraduate degree with honors from Swarthmore College. She won a mid-career National Endowment of the Humanities Fellowship to Princeton University and has served as a board member for numerous business, civic, professional, and community organizations.

Sample Project

Project Service. Diana identified causes of revenue stagnation, and, through organizational analysis, executive coaching, and creating new systems and structure provided the company with the tools to resume revenue growth. The company's revenues remained at or below $25 million annually for several years in a growth economy despite investors' goal of growing the company to $30 million in annual revenues. The CEO identified lack of initiative and bottom-line orientation among senior managers as probable causes. Diana reviewed and revised all job responsibilities and accountabilities, mediating acceptance among employees and their organizational superiors; recommended and implemented a performance-based compensation system and a new organizational structure for the rental properties and administrative services divisions; and coached the president and rental properties division head in discharging their responsibilities through this period of organizational change.
Rental property staffing decreased while average monthly occupancy increased from the low 80% range to the mid 90% range. Annual revenues reached over $30 million in the second year following the project--a 20% growth in two years--with the previous three years exhibiting no revenue growth. The company's president adjusted his management style and level of involvement to achieve increased productivity through senior managers.