Our Services

The Performance Institute’s approach is based on nearly 40 years of scientifically and statistically supported processes that uncover the systemic barriers to change. We probe the root cause – the culture within an organization – and create the direction for sustainable growth. The results help individuals:

• Understand how current beliefs and attitudes shape expectations for the future
• Realize how being in control of thoughts, can have the power to change the way one lives their life
• Obtain heightened self-confidence, self-esteem and a strong ethical center
• Attain the tools and techniques which will enable them to be more goal and end-result oriented
• Have ways of looking toward career growth within the organization

For any change to occur, participants from all levels of the organization must be involved. Actions, such as envisioning, open discussions, measurements, evaluations, executive coaching, and individual mentoring all generate the momentum to move forward. The Performance Institute’s alignment process includes the entire team during a phased approach.

Our Process

Assess Culture: The engagement begins with dialogue and data gathering, identifying goals and objectives with the leadership team.

• Evaluate the shared values, beliefs and expectations that guide the way members interact and approach their work
• Baseline measurement, providing a snapshot of the current and dominant organizational culture along with the organization’s concept of their ideal or visionary culture
• Agreement on the cultural focal points and directions for change, using proven and measurable criteria
  • Business ROI
  • Overall and Individual Results
  • Timing of Process

Align Leadership: The experiential learning step for leadership.

• Investment in Excellence® application and proprietary education on Model, Mentor and Monitor
• Measure the leadership impact on organizational members’ behavior and performance
• Executive Coaching
• Develop a common understanding for leadership to align mission, vision and values with beliefs, behaviors and outcomes

Organizational Engagement: The step to bring everyone in the company in sync, to maximize results.

• Measure the organizational culture with those other than leadership
• Incorporate aligned cultural strategy
  • Investment in Excellence® training
  • Model, Mentor, Monitor application throughout organization
  • Coaching
  • Assimilation
  • Team Building

Sustainment: Reinforcement is the key to sustainable change at the belief level, in order to drive new behaviors and in turn new results.

• Manage educational reinforcement through an internal Train-the-Trainer model, using predefined desired outcomes
• Maintain organizational coaching and support, offering a continuous display of progress
• Cultural re-assessments to demonstrate desired organizational change

Meet Adam Blair - Business Development Director

Adam Blair is an exceptional leader who offers a unique blend of executive acumen, global team building and solution development skills, at The Performance Institute. As the Business Development Director, Adam is responsible for creating a responsive people development organization that consistently delivers results for the company and its clients.

Early in his career, Adam worked for Smith Barney as a Financial Consultant. He rose quickly through the ranks and became a 2nd Vice President and an Investment Portfolio Manager. During his time at Smith Barney, he was responsible for marketing the Guided Portfolio Management and Asset Management services, while successfully growing his clients’ portfolios. He had six months to introduce and grow these two services throughout the Southern Florida branches and the Southeastern United States. Within a few months, he had accomplished this and both remain the services of choice for most clients throughout the region and the company today. For this success, he received Smith Barney’s Blue Chip Award.

In 2002, after seven years with Smith Barney, Ivax Pharmaceutical (now TEVA Pharmaceutical) approached him to help launch a newly approved Asthma drug, ProAir. Blair succeeded in this endeavor as well, allowing him to rise quickly within Ivax Pharmaceutical. In 2006, Novartis’ Biotech division recruited Blair to become a Xolair Product Specialist. During Blair’s career there, he outpaced his colleagues in the marketing, promotion and sales of Xolair, Novartis and Genentech’s highly acclaimed and most popular asthmatic biotech drug on the market today. And in 2010, Blair established a consulting firm that developed strategic messaging for companies. He created marketing platforms and advertising campaigns for clients in the casino and gaming industry, radiation treatment therapy and medical space.

Based on his overall professional achievements, the President of The Performance Institute, Mark Panciera, approached Adam to join the firm. He now works closely with Mark in developing new business, and implementing sales and marketing strategies.

Blair is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing.

Meet Michael Manning - Project Director

A Project Director here at The Performance Institute, Michael Manning has a unique and storied professional history. He delivers real world experience and tactical knowledge to his clients in the form of expert understanding of organizational and people issues, and precise diagnosis of need. From there, Manning manages engagement implementation, facilitates effective change, and delivers on expectations.

Manning is a retired Lieutenant and 27-year veteran of the City of Miami Police Department. In 1983, he was shot in the line of duty during a gun battle with an armed home invasion robbery assailant. He attributed his survival to specialized training he received just four months prior, the very same training he now employs for clients of The Performance Institute. After recovering from the shooting, he transferred from patrol to the training division to share his experience and assist in the further development of the specialized program. Michael became a major contributor to the success of the Miami Police Department’s Officer Survival program which is still in operation today.

Manning has conducted research and trained thousands of officers in deadly force decision making and officer survival tactics from a multitude of agencies throughout South Florida as well as internationally. During the latter part of his career, he served in a number of leadership roles including Field Training Supervisor, Crisis Intervention Team Supervisor, and acting Patrol Commander until his service retirement in 2007.

Michael is a law enforcement consultant and a legally recognized expert on the use of deadly force, officer survival tactics and high liability risk assessments. Additionally, wanting to expand his horizons in the area of finance and investing, he obtained his state insurance license and federal securities license and maintains a successful financial services practice in Ft. Lauderdale.

He earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration along with a minor in Psychology from Florida International University. Michael is married to Susan and has two wonderful daughters who are both graduates of the University of South Florida.

Paul Herfurth - Project Director

As the Sports and Youth Leadership initiatives Project Director for The Performance Institute, Paul Herfurth embodies the Model, Mentor, Monitor mantra of the organization. He is a skilled problem solver and solution provider in his role as an engagement manager and facilitator for companies, teams and individuals alike.

Paul’s leadership talents have led to his national recognition as the Miami Herald and Florida Athletic Coaches Association 1997 Coach of the Year. His development skills run deep, allowing him to advance the careers of many including the honor of coaching and mentoring Troy Cameron, the 1997 first-round selection of the Atlanta Braves.

Driven by his passion for youth and athletics, Herfurth is concurrently the Director of Athletics and Head Baseball Coach at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory in Hollywood, Florida. Prior to returning to his alma mater, Herfurth was a hitting coach in the Texas Rangers organization, and also served as the Director of Professional Scouting and assisted in player development with the Colorado Rockies.

Before joining the Rockies front office, Herfurth taught business and served as the Head Baseball Coach at nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He also worked one season both in the New York Yankees (1988) front office and with the Miami Miracle (1989).

All of these high-level experiences provide Paul the understanding of what he calls “the separator”, and that is, knowing what it takes to build champions. This knowledge is what he delivers to his clients, driving breakthrough and success.

Herfurth serves his community as a board member for the Hollywood YMCA, while giving countless volunteer hours to his school and Church.

Paul has a B.S. in Athletic Administration from St. John’s University. He is married to the former Colleen Appleton and has two children, Caitlin and Ryan.

Meet Michael J. O’Brien, MEd

As the Organizational Development Specialist for The Performance Institute, Michael O’Brien unravels the complexities of organizations into easy to understand interrelationships. Michael’s diverse background in finance, economics and human behavior enable him to take the seemingly unpredictable relationship side of business and make it tangible and manageable. This clear understanding of corporate cultures has allowed Michael to lead some of the world’s top companies to new perspectives of their strengths and of their challenges. Michael has leveraged this gift of discernment by establishing strategic relationships with organizations around the world, as their culture and leadership expert.

After receiving his Honors Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1986, Michael joined Human Synergistics Canada. During his nine years there, he grew the business 900% by listening to clients and developing new products and processes that met their needs. He educated and supported hundreds of internal and external consultants on the use of individual and organizational measurement tools. Clients included Southam Newspapers, Royal Bank of Canada, Ontario Hydro, Agriculture Canada and St. Joseph’s Hospital. In 1994, he received his Master of Education degree from The University of Western Ontario.

In 1995, Michael was promoted to Director of Sales and Marketing at the home office of Human Synergistics in Plymouth, Michigan. While managing a staff of twelve, Michael continued his client-focused approach with organizations like Saturn, American Airlines, Colgate Palmolive, Hewlett Packard, Disney and the University of Michigan. With these and many other clients, he helped them improve their teamwork, management, leadership and culture.

During O’Brien’s career, he has reached a global audience with an array of products and services that have helped clients achieve incredible growth with improved productivity. The list of clients continues to grow including the City of Beverly Hills, Caterpillar, Child Health Corporation of America, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, Houston Rockets, Manchester College of Arts and Technology, National Association of Realtors, SASOL, Shell Oil and the State of Nebraska.

Michael is a firm believer that we all have to give back to the community. As a charter member of the Katy Sunrise Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow, Michael went to Egypt to help with Rotary’s Polio Eradication Campaign. Michael has served as the secretary of the board for his children’s school. Another of Michael’s passions is South Africa, where he has continued to help this emerging nation continue their miracle of change.

Michael and his wife Angela love to travel and experience different cultures and regions as they help their three children Kate, Colleen and Nicolas grow into citizens of the world.