“I have had the privilege of working with Sarah in a couple of contexts, and the prevailing theme in each interaction has been trust. I wholeheartedly trust Sarah to steward both the environment and the team she is work with. She creates an atmosphere where discussions about crucial matters and envisioning the organization’s future are not only welcomed but encouraged. In her presence, I, as a leader, feel liberated to be a participant rather than the facilitator.Sarah strikes an excellent balance between compassion and intellect, fostering an environment that empowers individuals within leadership teams to be fully engaged and proactive in their planning. Her ability to blend heart and mind creates a space where human connections and strategic actions seamlessly converge.”
Adrienne Renz, Executive Director ~ Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services
“I have worked with Sarah for several years as a co-consultant and my own practice has benefited in many ways from the time I’ve spent partnering with her. In working with Sarah to help organizations achieve wholeness, I was able to witness her interactions with clients in several different contexts, and I was always impressed and usually learned something in the process! Sarah brings a rare mix of compassion with honestly; patience with efficiency; and direction with flexibility. I know that any organization is lucky enough to work with Sarah will not be disappointed.”
Michael Nash, Principal ~ Nash Consulting, Inc.
“Sarah is a fantastic instructor. She did an excellent job of tailoring the leadership course design and the class discussions to exactly what we needed in the moment. I’ve left every session with a lot to think about and find myself discussing the content with peers, friends, and family.”
Leadership Development Course participant ~ Group Health Cooperative
“I have worked with Sarah for several years as a co-consultant and my own practice has benefited in many ways from the time I’ve spent partnering with her. In working with Sarah to help organizations achieve wholeness, I was able to witness her interactions with clients in several different contexts, and I was always impressed and usually learned something in the process! Sarah brings a rare mix of compassion with honestly; patience with efficiency; and direction with flexibility. I know that any organization is lucky enough to work with Sarah will not be disappointed.”
Michael Nash, Principal ~ Nash Consulting, Inc.
“Sarah has an amazing ability to create space for people to share, learn, and grow. She works through tension with grace and ease and is very approachable. She walked our organization, and me as a leader, through a 360-style evaluation process that resulted in affirmations and lessons that were genuine, honest, and helpful. And then worked with our staff, leadership team, and Executive Board on how to unpack what was shared and generate it into positive next steps. Her wisdom, keen sense of what’s going on in any given space with the people in the room, and her ability to listen and pivot to meet the moment are what make her unique and so exceptional.”
Karen Estevenin, Executive Director ~ Protec 17
“Sarah facilitates even the most complex group circumstances with grace, finesse, and good humor. She makes it possible for people to have honest, direct, and practical conversations about ways to solve problems and take advantage of their opportunities. I have the highest regard for her talent and integrity.”
Kathleen Ryan, author of Extraordinary Groups and Driving Fear out of the Workplace
“I learned skills that I can immediately use and apply in my workplace. This was one of the best classes I’ve ever taken. Sarah was an excellent instructor.”
Facilitating Productive Meetings workshop participant ~ The Boeing Company
“Sarah had the ability and commitment to create intentional space for sharing and openness in a way that is relevant to the business environment.”
Coaching class participant
“Sarah weaves a full presence, keen observation, and heartfelt humanity into her work with leaders and their organizations. These attributes allow her to fully engage in critical team moments when a clear mind is most needed: moments of conflict, of doubt, of inspiration, of aspiration. As a result, groups experience the value she adds not just at that critical juncture, but in the weeks and months that follow, as they gain the ability to see themselves and their potential with fresh eyes.”
Ben Bratt – Sr. Manager of Organization Development ~ T-Mobile
“You were an excellent facilitator. You put structure in the day, but also kept out of everyone’s way where it made sense to let the groups work. You got all of us thinking really well about our organization, about problem-solving, about the practicalities of the future.”
Lyall Bush, former Executive Director ~ Richard Hugo House
“Sarah is a vital partner and instrumental in the success of our business Sarah has worked with us in many different capacities including meeting facilitation, HR consulting, individual and team leadership coaching, leadership transitional guidance, review processes, conflict management, and beyond. Her work with our staff has been invaluable. Sarah is an amazing empathetic listener that sets the stage for a safe and comfortable environment to explore what is possible. She inspires us to bring our best selves to a situation with a sense of humility and integrity. I recommend Sarah to any business or individual that has their sights on developing a high functioning team.”
Kurt Gisclair, General Manager ~ Chuckanut Builders
“Sarah has done an amazing job for us at the Woodinville Water District with the facilitation of meetings and with the mediation of employee issues. Possibly her greatest strength is in the lost art of listening. She interviewed our entire staff to benchmark our status as a functioning organization and I received countless positive comments regarding how comfortable folks were in talking with her. She was THE key to our success. And she’s been a wonderful sounding board for thoughts, issues and ideas around my own leadership. She has provided me with a great deal of excellent insight and advice. Her thoughts and comments are wise, thoughtful, sometimes humbling, and always valuable.”
Ken Howe, General Manager ~ Woodinville Water District
“Sarah Murphy-Kangas was instrumental in my growth as a health care leader. She was my support during extremely stressful personnel interactions by providing detailed templates to guide the conversation and scheduled one-on-one coaching prior to the encounter. In addition, she brought practical, easy-to- use communication tools to our group so they could deal with conflict in their working relationships. Even now, in the heat of the moment, I ask myself, ‘What would Sarah do?’ and then, I do it!”
Kelly, Operating Room Manager
“The work that Sarah has done with my staff and I has proven to be invaluable. She has the unique ability of creating an open environment while challenging and guiding individuals outside of their comfort zones with grace, honesty, and humor. Sarah interweaves her own personal experiences, business and communication practices, and current, real life situations to create dynamic and thoughtful discussions that strengthen, inspire, and refine an organization. I would not hesitate to recommend Sarah to those pursuing individual or organizational growth.
Elie Samuel, owner, Samuel’s Furniture
“I highly recommend Sarah’s personal discernment retreat for anyone at a career impasse. I had many “aha” moments throughout the day that gave me a fresh, enlightening perspective on my core strengths, attributes, and passions. By the end of the day, Sarah had also helped me craft a robust list of action items and next steps based on these new self-discoveries. I felt I finished the retreat with a game plan for moving forward. Sarah also knows how to tailor the retreat to your needs. She comes in with a framework, but the process is dynamic and Sarah always knows exactly when and how to shift gears to maximize the results. She never misses a beat. I also appreciated her razor-sharp listening skills, and her ability to be simultaneously inspiring and realistic, and kind yet honest. Sarah has an amazing gift, and anyone who participates in this retreat will be very fortunate to benefit from it.”