Individuals and organizations everywhere have come to realize the power of productive teams. But before there is productivity, there must be communication, for how else can team members inspire and support each other and achieve the kind of interactions and working relationships needed for productivity? Without communication, says Ruth Littlejohn, working on a team becomes like trying to do a line dance without knowing the steps. Her career has been dedicated to teaching the steps that support the development of successful individuals and teams.

As a diversity practitioner, Ruth has initiated, developed, led, and collaborated on diversity initiatives in several fields, including insurance, pharmaceuticals, education, and financial services. She has successfully established processes and structures to ensure systematic diversity perspectives in performance management, recruiting, leadership development, promotions, marketing and sales, publications, training, meeting planning, and team development. Ruth’s focus is on creating opportunities to balance human needs and bottom-line imperatives. She uses her one-on-one diversity coaching model to support individuals as they move to an accelerated learning curve. Ruth currently trains diversity trainers and leaders through the National MultiCultural Institute.

Ruth’s power to affect and influence people comes naturally to her. In the 1960s, she was a grassroots organizer for opportunity and change in Washington, D.C., and Hartford, Conn., working tirelessly for political, educational, and employment reform. Later, as a manager, trainer, and consultant, she drew on that same energy to help corporations change from a management structure built on independent silos to one based on cooperative teams. Today, through presentations, workshops, diversity interventions, consulting, and one-on-one coaching, she helps individuals and groups navigate the complexities of organizational change as a necessary step toward realizing their goals.

Prior to starting her own consulting and coaching practice, Ruth worked as a manager, Human Resources consultant, employee relations coordinator, and organization development manager for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, CIGNA Property & Casualty, Penn State University (Berks Campus), Reading Area Community College, CNA Insurance, Hartford Insurance Group, and Metropolitan Property and Liability.

Ruth’s delivers her hard-earned “road warrior” wisdom with warmth and wit. Her platform presentations, workshops, and one-on-one consulting have inspired and transformed her clients. In Ruth, the American Dream is alive and well, and through Ruth’s coaching and speaking, the dreams of many people have become achievable goals. Her commitment and can-do attitude have been models to clients and audiences all over the world, including such diverse organizations as Career Consciousness, Inc., the National MultiCultural Institute, AudioWord, Ltd. of South Africa, Phyton, Inc., Wyeth-Ayerst, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Procter & Gamble, and Anne Arundel County Economic Opportunity Committee, Inc.

Ruth has a Master of Science Degree in Human Resources Development from American University/NTL, and a Master of Education Degree from Lehigh University. She earned her undergraduate degree at Norfolk State University. She is a member of the National Speakers Association, the Organizational Development Network, and the International Coach Federation.

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