Kimberly Wiefling: Transforming Companies Through Human Skills and Collaboration

As the founder of Wiefling Consulting and co-founder of Silicon Valley Alliances , Kimberly Wiefling focuses on helping teams and companies excel by addressing the primary causes of failure in global teams, such as lack of trust, ineffective communication, unclear goals, and other leadership shortcomings. With experience working alongside diverse teams in the US, Europe, and Asia, Kimberly’s strength lies in uniting individuals from various backgrounds, across borders and boundaries of every kind, to achieve seemingly insurmountable objectives.   

Kimberly’s entrepreneurial journey began at Hewlett Packard, where she observed subpar leadership and became determined to effect positive change. She later transitioned to startups, but she ultimately desired greater control and influence, leading her to establish her own company and embrace the successes and failures accompanying entrepreneurship.   

Informed by her scientific and engineering background, Kimberly believes that so-called “soft skills”, which she calls “human skills”, are crucial for success. Though often dismissed as trivial or unimportant, she understands their significance in addressing the most pressing challenges faced by businesses. Living in Silicon Valley, she recognizes the emphasis placed on technical expertise, but continues to advocate for the importance of relationship-building and trust in achieving desired outcomes.   

Kimberly collaborates with a diverse range of businesses, primarily focusing on large corporations that can afford her services. She boasts extensive experience working with globalizing Japanese companies, including esteemed brands like Suntory and Yamaha Motors. She also enjoys working with startups and founders, volunteering as a mentor at the Founder Institute to help entrepreneurs grasp the importance of leadership, team effectiveness, organizational culture, and the inevitable risk-taking, learning from mistakes, and experimenting with prototypes required to succeed in a startup.   

Her services include what she calls “workSHOCK learning labs”, one-on-one coaching sessions with CEOs and other leaders, and keynote speaking engagements. Although prepared to guide individuals through specific transitions or challenges, she does not provide long-term coaching services. Instead, Kimberly prefers offering immediate assistance, encouraging executives to establish peer coaching relationships and mentoring for sustained support and accountability. She deems peer coaching essential for promoting personal and professional growth beyond the initial coaching or workshop experience.   

Kimberly has delivered keynote speeches in many countries, drawing from her book, Scrappy Project Management and her experience as a global consultant and workshop facilitator. During these speeches, she challenges audiences to reevaluate their leadership approach, stressing the importance of leading people rather than managing them. Kimberly says , “Lead people, manage cows!”   

Kimberly entered this market by teaching project leadership and management at UC Santa Cruz Extension, where the English Language Institute noticed her exceptionally positive evaluations. They enlisted her to conduct workshops for Japanese companies visiting Silicon Valley, which proved so successful that executives in Tokyo invited her to work with their organization as her agent in Japan, and this led to many opportunities to work with global Japanese companies elsewhere around the world.    

Over time, Kimberly has collaborated with more than 50 Japanese companies, ranging from short-term engagements to partnerships lasting more 16 years. Although she no longer works with the company that initially introduced her to her Japanese clients, Kimberly continues her efforts with her team at Silicon Valley Alliances, working with many people she met during that journey. Inspired by the cooperative chaos she recently observed on her first time working in India, Kimberly believes that mutual support and collaboration can lead to success for everyone, and ultimately create a better world for all.   

Kimberly encourages female entrepreneurs to overcome budget limitations by exploring inventive collaborations. She suggests offering free prototypes of products or services in exchange for valuable feedback from colleagues or potential clients. This win-win approach not only showcases value, but also engenders a desire for more. Instead of resorting to hard-sell marketing tactics, Kimberly prefers to let her work speak for itself. She remains open to engaging with clients who may lack a budget if the opportunity is intriguing, can help her team learn, or allows them to practice working together in a new environment. Kimberly’s adaptability was evident during the pandemic when her team successfully pivoted from in-person to online workshops, achieving 2021 revenues that equaled their 2019 revenues, and without any air travel!   

For those seeking support or services, Kimberly Wiefling can be reached through her website, KimberlyWiefling.com , which features her primary consulting and workshop offerings. She also maintains a LinkedIn profile and here Wiefling.com website, where she shares free templates, tools, and videos. She is always happy to engage in conversation, and she appreciates flexibility in scheduling due to her busy calendar when traveling to her clients around the world.