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FREE 20-MIN
CONSULTING
BOOK NOW

Program for companies

STOP LOSING YOUR BEST TECHNICAL TALENT

BUILD THE CULTURAL BRIDGE TO EXECUTIVE SUCCESS.

Your top performers understand the work better than anyone. But without the “unwritten” leadership toolkit, their promotion is a $360,000 risk. We turn technical experts into bilingual leaders who command respect from the shop floor to the C-Suite.

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The problem is not a lack of intelligence or work ethic.

The problem is a cultural mismatch that happens the moment a technical expert enters a leadership role.

This happens for three specific reasons:

The communication double bind.

In operational roles, being direct is a virtue. In corporate leadership, that same directness is often labeled as aggressive or unprofessional.

The delegation guilt.

Technical experts are used to "doing." When promoted, they feel like they are being lazy or abandoning their team if they aren't doing the heavy lifting. This creates massive bottlenecks that stop your operations from scaling.

The meritocracy myth.

They believe that "good work speaks for itself." They ignore the strategic relationships and internal politics required to get resources for their team, causing them to lose influence and eventually quit.

When a promotion fails, the damage goes far beyond one empty seat.

The impact on your bottom line includes:

  • Financial loss. A failed leadership transition costs between $225,000 and $360,000 per person when you calculate turnover and lost productivity.

  • Lost institutional knowledge. When your technical lead quits, 10 to 20 years of specific operational expertise walks out the door with them.

  • Cultural rot. High performers on the frontline stop believing in growth opportunities when they see their mentors fail in leadership roles.

Discover all modules

MODULE 1

Climbing the Ladder Without Leaving Yourself Behind

  • Maintaining technical credibility while delegating execution tasks.
  • Reframing delegation as a leadership responsibility rather than abandonment.
  • Managing identity shifts and the exhaustion of workplace performance.
MODULE 2

Building influence without being manipulative.

  • Translating technical problems into executive language that resonates with stakeholders.

  • Building professional relationships that feel genuine rather than transactional.

  • Mastering active listening techniques adapted for indirect communication patterns.

MODULE 3

Assertive communication across cultures.

  • Navigating different communication styles without invalidating your own professional voice.

  • Building assertive skills that remain clear across various cultural contexts.

  • Reading contextual cues to know when directness works versus when it triggers defensiveness.

MODULE 4

Avoiding exploitation and getting back what you give.

  • Recognizing the transactional nature of corporate systems to protect your time.

  • Setting professional boundaries without being labeled as someone who is not a team player.

  • Advocating for your team resources and negotiating compensation for expanded roles.

MODULE 5

Getting your time back through strategic delegation.

  • Overcoming the psychological guilt associated with letting go of technical tasks.
  • Identifying high value activities that only you can perform versus what should be delegated.
  • Developing your team skills through effective leadership techniques that scale impact.
MODULE 6

Conflict resolution that bridges cultural differences.

  • Resolving conflicts across different cultural norms regarding confrontation and directness.

  • Addressing issues in ways that invite dialogue rather than triggering team defensiveness.

  • Managing workplace conflict by recognizing and addressing passive aggressive behavior.

HOW IR WORKS

Built for busy operational leaders

Individual Support:

  • 6 bi-weekly 1:1 coaching sessions (50 minutes)
  • 6 self-paced learning modules (12-15 minutes each)
  • The Unwritten Rules Scale™ assessment (pre/post)
  • Professional communication templates and frameworks
  • Between-session email support
  • Private cohort community for peer support

For Organizations:

  • How to support your promoted leaders during transition
  • Aggregate data on skill gaps, cultural barriers, retention risks
  • Cost of program vs. cost of failed promotions
  • High-impact, low-cost changes to improve future promotions
  • Cross-functional networking, reduces silos
  • Retention rates, promotion rates, performance comparison
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PRICING

OUR PROGRAM

Custom
  • Cohort size (5-7 / 8-12 / 13-15 participants)
  • Number of cohorts
  • Pre/post Unwritten Rules Scale™ Assessment
  • Organizational complexity
  • Level of organizational reporting
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VS

OTHER FAIL PROGRAMS

+$200K
  • $225K-$360K in turnover costs (1.5-2x salary)
  • Plus: Lost institutional knowledge
  • Plus: 6-12 months to hire replacement
  • Plus: Training costs for external hire
  • Plus: Damaged trust in promotion opportunities

READY TO DEVELOP LEADERS WHO UNDERSTAND THE ACTUAL WORK?

We’ll discuss:

  • Your promotion pipeline and where technical leaders need skill development
  • Your talent retention and career advancement challenges
  • Communication skills, emotional intelligence, and leadership competencies gaps
  • Cultural barriers specific to your organization
  • Estimated ROI

No pressure. Just honest conversation about whether this leadership development program fits your needs.

What past paticipants say?

Veronica Sanchez

Program Manager

“As a first-generation Latina from a working-class background, I found that my current value set was limiting my ability to grow in the workplace. When I approached Dr. Anna Kallschmidt, I was seeking guidance on how to navigate this challenge. Dr. Kallschmidt’s own work on unwritten rules deeply resonated with me, as it reflected my own experiences. Her insights and approach helped me reframe how I navigate professional environments, especially in adapting to new workplace values and communication styles. Coming from a working-class background, I often felt that these environments weren’t built for people like me, but Dr. Kallschmidt showed me the importance of understanding the rules of the game to grow professionally.”

Dr. Francisco Chitty

Civil Engineering

“Working with Dr. Kallschmidt has been a transformative experience. Her coaching knowledge, both theoretical and practical, not only helped me navigate professional challenges but also empowered me to recognize the cultural nuances that could impact my career growth. She has a unique way of breaking down complex industry dynamics, especially for international workers like me, making her guidance practical and actionable.”

Elsa Bravo

Ph.D. Education

“As a Latina you are not privy to the unsaid rules that seem to accompany every aspect of the job market and career process. Although my parents are college educated, they had no idea how to guide me career wise after I finished my PhD. One is retired and the other has been in their career for over 30 years which meant they hadn’t been to a job interview in over 30 years. I needed someone to provide guidance and support that knows the games and unwritten rules they play by in the real world. Dr. Kallschmidt knows these strategies and rules well.”

Yanet Ruvalcaba

Ph.D.

“During my transition from academia to public service, I was fortunate enough to have the guidance of Dr. Kallschmidt. Her coaching and multi-level system understanding of unwritten work rules was an asset to my growth as a professional. She provided invaluable resume and interview preparation that helped me be in the best possible position to be a competitive applicant.”

ABOUT ME

WHY DR. KALLSCHMIDT?

The only I-O Psychologist researching workplace success through social class mobility

  • PhD, Industrial-Organizational Psychology
  • 9 years researching blue-collar to white-collar transitions
  • Hundreds of interviews with people who made this leap
  • Proprietary tools: The Unwritten Rules Scale™
  • Published researcher on class, culture, and workplace dynamics
  • First-generation professional herself – she’s lived this transition

“I study specifically why technical experts struggle in corporate leadership. It’s not because they lack potential or skills. They need to learn cultural bridge-building, how to honor their existing emotional intelligence, communication abilities, and conflict resolution skills while resonating across different workplace cultures. Neither culture is ‘right.’ My work is about making those invisible cultural differences visible and navigable.”

Have Questions? We’ve Got Answers!

Will this program make my technical leaders lose their edge?

No. The goal is to add communication skills and emotional intelligence—not replace technical expertise. They'll learn when to zoom out strategically and when to zoom in technically.

What leadership skills will they actually develop?

Cultural bridge-building including: honoring existing emotional intelligence while resonating across different relationship dynamics, active listening calibrated for both direct and indirect communication, assertive communication that works across cultures, conflict resolution that respects different approaches to confrontation, professional communication that doesn't invalidate either style, delegationwithout class-based guilt, building relationships authentically across differences, and strategic thinking—all about becoming fluent in multiple cultural contexts without losing yourself.

What if my promoted leaders are already struggling?

That's exactly who this is for. Most struggle because they're navigating an invisible cultural gap and lack professional development in corporate communication skills—not because they can't lead.

How long before we see results?

Behavioral changes within 4-6 weeks. Participants start delegating more effectively, using assertive communication, and building strategic relationships.

What's the time commitment?

10-12 hours over 12 weeks. Designed for busy operational leaders with unpredictable schedules.

Can we customize for our industry?

Yes. Program includes industry-specific examples and organizational context integration, including your specific workplace culture dynamics.

What career development goals can participants expect to achieve?

Career advancement through promotion, expanded influence, better workplace relationships, reduced stress, and confidence to pursue leadership opportunities. Most participants report progress toward career goals within 3-6 months.

How does this compare to other leadership development programs?

Most programs ignore the class culture dimension and assume everyone learned corporate norms in college. This program explicitly teaches cultural bridge-building—how to honor your existing communication skills, conflict resolution abilities, and relationship-building strengths while resonating across different workplace cultures. Neither style is positioned as "right" we teach fluency in both.

READY TO STOP FEELING LIKE AN OUTSIDER AT WORK?

“The best leaders understand the work they’re leading. They’ve done it. They know what’s actually possible. They have credibility with frontline staff.

But they need someone to teach them cultural bridge-building, how to honor their existing emotional intelligence, communication skills, and conflict resolution abilities while resonating across different workplace cultures, because nobody hands you a manual when you get promoted.

This program is that manual. It’s about helping technical experts become bilingual, fluent in both operational and executive cultures, without erasing who they are or accepting that one culture is ‘right.'”

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