As principal consultant and executive coach of Build a Better Culture, Michelle draws on 20 years of expertise and workplace leadership in employee assistance, work/life, and cultivating professionalism through compassion. Her work focuses on the impact of leader and coworker behaviors and the use of compassionate leadership to drive change and productivity. She has been a go-to partner for Executives, Deans, and HR professionals in managing at-risk and complex people problems, including abrasive behavior, workplace bullying, and threats of violence. She guides leaders through these time-consuming and divisive concerns. She coaches on both sides of disruptive behavior: leaders who endure it and those who do it. Her expertise is rooted in the power of strengths-based leadership, compassion practices, and emotional intelligence as pathways to mitigate burnout and build a culture where people feel valued and are engaged. With an MSW specializing in workplace social work, she is on the University of Maryland School of Social Work faculty.
Email: michelle.carlstrom@ssw.umaryland.edu | Courses: SOWK 725: Work, Well-Being and Social Policy, Faculty Field Liaison, Foundation Field Seminar Instructor