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.
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.
What Steady Leadership Actually Looks Like When Nothing Is Certain
Decades ago, leadership mostly looked like direction-setting. A leader made a call, the organization executed, and there wasn’t much conversation in between. That model held up reasonably well. The pace of change was slow enough that a decision made this quarter usually still made sense by the time it took effect. That pace doesn’t exist […]
Technology Implementation Is an Operational Exercise. Adoption Is a Leadership Challenge.
Two questions get asked before almost every technology decision: Can we do it? Should we do it, financially? Far less time gets spent asking what it will actually feel like for the people living through it. Building the rollout plan is operational work. Getting people through it is a leadership challenge, and the two are […]
The Human Side of Change Is Still the Hard Part
Every organization is navigating change. For some, it’s AI and emerging technologies. For others, it’s restructuring, evolving business models, succession planning, shifting workforce expectations, or increasing market pressure. The specific challenge may be different, but one pattern remains remarkably consistent: Organizations spend significant time planning the change itself and far less time preparing people for […]
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