The AJO Story
We Help Organizations Succeed by Helping People Succeed.
Andrew O’Connor Sr. was a proud and ethical individual who with his wife, Betty, raised a family of seven children; six sons and one daughter.
AJO was established in 1983 by the grandparents of the current President, Shannon O’Connor Bock. In common with many outplacement industry “founding fathers,” Andrew Sr. and Betty O’Connor coupled their human resources background and expertise with a desire to provide assistance to individuals in career transition during the recession of the early 1980s.
They embarked upon a journey to create a very special company that would deliver a service to individuals who were in need of emotional, strategic and transitional support to get them through a very difficult time in their lives and careers. Services initially included help with resume preparation and other self-marketing tools, but quickly broadened to address needs for vocational/educational guidance, career assessment, entrepreneurial interests, networking, interviewing, and job offer negotiation.
Today AJO partners with individuals, teams and organizations to reach broader goals, resulting from expanding services into executive coaching and team and leadership development. This expansion also extends to our geographic reach as we serve the delivery needs of our clients in national and international locations.
The company moved to its current location at 6 Century Drive in Parsippany, NJ in 2008, to accommodate the growing team of executive coaches and consultants.
Impact of Family Values on the Business
With values instilled by respective parents and grandparents, Andy Sr and Betty shared a love of our country and the opportunities afforded to all Americans. Coupled with their deep spirituality, a strong work ethic, integrity, respect and discipline, they balanced a hectic work/life by sharing equally in day-to-day operations of running a start-up company while concentrating their love and time on their children, several of whom were in high school and college in those early years, never missing a family celebration, holiday or commitment to church or community.
It’s those values the company is built on: honesty, empathy, emotional support, hard work, dealing with reality and, most important of all, accountability and responsibility for oneself. In combination with the support and resources the firm provides, AJO continues to support individuals through a trying time in their lives.
Why Leadership Today Feels Hard, and What to Do About It
Leadership today feels harder than it did ten years ago. That’s not because leaders are less capable or less committed. It’s because the job itself has changed and many of today’s expectations didn’t exist earlier in leaders’ careers. In conversations with leaders across industries, the same tension comes up again and again: How do I […]
Making Feedback a Shared Responsibility
In organizations centered on growth, feedback isn’t something leaders give and employees receive; it’s a shared responsibility. When feedback moves in only one direction or is confined to review cycles, it limits growth for individuals, teams, and the organization as a whole. Everyone, at every level, has a role to play in keeping communication open, […]
Leading With Intention: How Transformative Coaching Creates Real Change
Today’s leaders are navigating a constant state of change. New technologies, shifting expectations, leaner teams, and ongoing pressure to “do more with less” have made leadership more complex than ever. Technical skills still matter, but they’re not the whole picture. This is where transformative coaching makes a meaningful difference. Transformative coaching goes deeper than skills […]
Are you ready to transform? Contact us today.
