People Strategy

Aligning people strategy with business goals to accelerate growth, reduce turnover, and enhance productivity.
Hybrid Profile ToolContact Us

Our Services

SOAR Community Network specializes in transforming organizational cultures into strategic advantages by empowering talent leaders to foster engaged teams and provide ongoing staff and leadership development programs. With a focus on creating compassionate leaders, cohesive teams, and a collaborative (C3) workplaces, SOAR offers solutions tailored for a range of sectors including government contractors, CDFIs, nonprofit organizations, public schools and higher education institutions.

Our services – spanning executive coaching, workshops, staff retreats and strategic mapping – have been pivotal in enhancing engagement, culture, and leadership. As certified Talent Optimization, Executive Coaching and DEIAB leaders, our team of experts leverage behavioral insights to align talent with business objectives, ensuring engagement, innovation, professional growth, leadership success and sustainable organizational growth.

Why Do I Need to Implement my People Strategy?

What is a People Strategy?

A People Strategy is a forward-thinking approach that aligns human resources practices with long-term business goals. It involves identifying, developing, and retaining talent that can drive innovation and growth, while also fostering a workplace culture that supports collaboration and adaptability. By focusing on employee engagement, leadership development, and strategic talent management, a People Strategy ensures that the workforce is not just a support function but a central driver of organizational success and sustainability.

How do I know if SOAR's C3 methodology is right for our organization?

At SOAR Community Network, we understand that choosing the right methodology to enhance your organization's culture and leadership is a pivotal decision. Our C3 Framework—centered on cultivating Compassionate leaders, developing Cohesive teams, and fostering Collaborative cultures—is designed to resonate with organizations seeking a profound transformation towards a more connected and purpose-driven workplace. If your organization values a holistic approach to growth, emphasizing not just the "what" but the "how" of achieving success, and you're ready to embark on a journey to deeply embed these values into every layer of your operations, then our C3 methodology is likely an excellent fit. We encourage a dialogue to explore your unique challenges and aspirations, ensuring that our approach aligns seamlessly with your vision for change and growth.

Do you offer ongoing People Strategy consultation?

Yes, we are committed to offering ongoing talent strategy consultation. Understanding the dynamic nature of talent development and employee experience, we engage with internal business leaders through monthly or quarterly strategy sessions. These sessions are meticulously designed to keep your leadership team aligned with evolving talent needs, ensuring that your organization's talent strategy remains robust, responsive, and results-oriented. By maintaining a regular cadence of strategic discussions, we ensure that your talent development efforts are continuously supported, adapted, and optimized to meet both current and future organizational goals.

Do you work with rapidly growing small to midsize organizations?

Yes, rapidly growing small to midsize organizations represent our primary focus. We recognize the unique challenges and opportunities that rapid growth presents, particularly in terms of employee and talent management. Without proper support and development during these critical phases, businesses may face challenges that hinder their growth trajectory and lead to negative outcomes such as decreased employee engagement, talent retention issues, and misaligned team dynamics. We specialize in crafting strategies that support your growth, by enhancing leadership capabilities, fostering cohesive team environments, and building a collaborative culture.

Who We Are

At SOAR Community Network, we are transforming organizational cultures into strategic assets, creating customized solutions that cultivate compassionate leadership, cohesive teams, and collaborative cultures tailored for government contractors, CDFIs, nonprofit organizations and public schools.

Since 2015, our blend of coaching, workshops, and strategic mapping has been enhancing engagement and leadership, fostering success, and ensuring sustainable growth. As a hub of Talent Optimization Leaders, certified facilitators, and coaches, we leverage talent optimization frameworks, coaching and validated behavioral insights to provide clarity on strategic directions, develop robust people strategies, and align talent with business objectives.

Our C3 Framework is at the heart of our services, designed to elevate employee engagement, spur innovation, and achieve exceptional organizational results by nurturing compassionate leaders, fostering cohesive teams, and promoting a culture of collaboration across the entire organization. Partner with SOAR Community Network for a transformative cultural journey that prioritizes your most valuable resources, your people, while working together to drive business and mission success.

Who We Serve

At SOAR Community Network, we are dedicated to empowering organizations that are ready to grow and evolve. While the following sectors represent our primary focus, we are passionate about supporting any organization that is driven to enhance its culture, leadership, and overall impact. Explore our services to discover how we can help your organization thrive.

Government Contractors

We support government contractors in navigating complex regulatory environments, fostering leadership, and optimizing talent strategies.

Financial Advisors and Insurance Companies

We assist financial advisors and insurance companies in strengthening their organizational culture, leadership, and client engagement.

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)

We help CDFIs enhance their impact, streamline operations, and develop resilient leadership teams.

Nonprofits and Expanding Organizations

Whether you’re acquiring new entities or expanding your leadership team, we provide the tools and strategies needed for seamless integration and growth.

 

 

Client Organizations

“SOAR provide exactly what we needed for our first cohort of executive coaching.”

The SOAR team put together a wonderful workshop for our Organization on a very short notice. It was amazing how it was tailored to the needs of our team and how useful it was for the personal and professional interactions among our personnel.

The way we all learned about the strengths of each other and the importance of the clear interactions between each other was key to keep having great results at work. Topics such as conflict resolution/ management, empathy, compassion, team types, etc. were addressed and learned on a very dynamic and interesting way. The whole team was very happy with the team-building activity, and we look forward to our next session. Fully recommend Mali for any team-building activity.

Frank Zavala

Project Manager, IOM

SOAR has interacted with my Leadership Team and separately with my full team. They are focused, engaging, and prepared speakers. They helped encourage dialogue and moved us forward to look at short- and long-term objectives, our Guiding Principles, and what type of team we are, to name a few.

They also worked with me individually on my leadership style. The feedback from my team was very positive. I highly recommend SOAR’s programs to develop yourself as a leader and improve engagement with your senior team and your organization.

Jill Eaton

President and CEO, National League of Cities Mutual Insurance Company

Ted Shanahan

Partner, Blueprint Financial Group

SOAR services supported our Ascend.Her Beauty cohort and provided them with business coaching during a pivotal time in the life of their businesses.

Working with the SOAR team has been fantastic! Their work with our clients was excellent and your communication with our team about the work has been very enlightening and helpful. We look forward to final reporting about the cohort.

Marisela Rodela

Program Director, Enterprising Women of Color, Washington Area Community Investment Fund

It has been a great experience working with the SOAR team. They answered all of our questions in a timely manner and working with them has been very easy, seamless and fun.

It was an excellent program! We will want to continue this work and show our employees that we’re going to invest in their leadership development.

Kathy Sullivan

Chief Financial Officer, The Boon Group

Bridget Cahill

Strategic Commercial Business Manager, Industrious

Jennifer Farrell

Director, Learning and Development, Aptive Resources

Such a pleasure to work with Mali Phonpadith – Founder/CEO of the SOAR Community Network. Mali has been engaged with our Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Costello College of Business (George Mason University) – most recently she and her team at SOAR helped us detail out a Strategic Plan for the Center, now focused on Inclusive Entrepreneurship. 

The plan SOAR developed was excellent - comprehensive, thoughtful and actionable! Mali, a thoughtful and thought-provoking professional, is a joy to work with. I look forward to a continuing partnership.

Ajay Vinze

Dean, George Mason University - Costello College of Business

I was really impressed with the high participation and engagement. I think people got super vulnerable because SOAR really set the tone with sharing your story. And I think that just made people very comfortable to let their guard down and be vulnerable.

And then just the genuine breakthroughs of having additional connections with your teammate outside of your day-to-day core functions. It was real team development. My team realized, “Hey, we’re doing this to get better together.” When I saw people interacting that way, I could see it pushing us forward.

The workshop made me want to focus on my caution areas more, where I’m flexing and how to be a better leader.

John Parafinczuk

Agency President

The Association of Philanthropic Counsel engaged SOAR Community Network and Mali Phonpadith in July 2021 to assist with vision, mission, and values, and with operationalizing our goals for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We selected SOAR from a proposal process, and we are SO glad we did. Mali calmly facilitated two half-day sessions for us, which is particularly remarkable because members of APC are themselves all trained, experienced facilitators in group processes. With Mali’s guidance, we could focus on the content and make significant progress. She has stayed with us as part of our engagement with quarterly check-ins and counsel. This is important for an all-volunteer organization of consultants as we need someone to hold us accountable. Thank you, Mali and SOAR.

Melissa Brown

Past President, APC

Tiffany Scurlock

Deputy Director, Alumni Relations, Flaherty Family Foundation

Business News & Resources

Helping Youth Step into Purposeful Leadership

Introduction Young people today are stepping into a rapidly shifting world where leadership is more needed and more complex than ever. Yet many emerging leaders between the ages of 16 and 25 feel unsure about their direction, their value, and the role they can play in...

From Sidelined to Engaged: Increasing Employee Input Where It Matters Most

Challenge When employees say, “I don’t have the right amount of input on decisions that affect my work,” it signals a breakdown in inclusion, trust, and communication. This issue often goes unnoticed until it shows up in survey data or in quiet signs of...

Reigniting Passion at Work: What to Do When Excitement Fades

Challenge When employees say, “I am not excited about the work I do every day,” it points to a loss of connection between their role and their sense of purpose. While not every task will be thrilling, employees should still feel inspired by their work, motivated by...

Seeing Through Perception Bias

Introduction Every organization has them: The top performer who seemingly emerges from nowhere. The highly touted recruit who interviewed well, but stumbles surprisingly during onboarding. Or the rising-star manager whose adjustments in a new role get rocky. The...

Recognition That Resonates: How to Make Appreciation Meaningful

Challenge When employees say, “I am not appropriately recognized for a job well done,” it is a clear sign that motivation and morale may be at risk. Recognition is one of the most powerful drivers of engagement. When people feel seen and valued for their...

Building Careers, Not Just Filling Roles: How to Strengthen Employee Growth on the Job

Challenge When employees say, “In my day-to-day work, I’m not gaining valuable skills or experience for my future,” it reveals a deeper issue than training alone. It reflects a missed opportunity to develop the next generation of leaders. Growth is one of the...

Creating Space for Success: Empowering Employees with More Autonomy

Challenge When employees say, “I don’t have the freedom to work in the way that will make me as successful as possible,” it reveals a misalignment between expectations and support. This kind of feedback suggests that employees feel constrained by rigid workflows,...

Unleashing Potential: What to Do When Talent Goes Untapped

Challenge When employees express, “The work I do doesn’t make excellent use of my talent, skills, or abilities,” it’s more than just a morale issue. It signals a missed opportunity. Underutilized talent can lead to disengagement, frustration, and ultimately, turnover....

Resourcing for Excellence: What to Do When Your Team Feels Under-Supported

Challenge When employees say, “I don’t have the resources to perform at a high level,” they’re not making excuses, they’re raising a flag. Lack of access to the right tools, team support, or technology creates unnecessary friction in the flow of work. It delays...

From Roadblocks to Results: Making Processes Work for Your Team

Challenge When employees report, “Our processes and procedures are obstacles to getting my work done well,” it’s a red flag. Processes are meant to support clarity, consistency, and quality but when they’re outdated, overly complex, or poorly communicated, they do...

Connect with us today!

Unlock the potential within your team and transform your organizational culture. Reach out to us to learn how we can help you design, build, and sustain a compassionate, cohesive, and collaborative workplace.

 

Skip to content