Jim Steffen has four degrees, including a Masters in Mathematics from the University of Notre Dame and a Doctorate in Humanistic Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, where he directed the Leadership Lab. His doctoral dissertation, "Identifying and Developing the Basic Skills of Relationship Building," was the start of his interest in partnering.

To this background he added 21 years of consulting with such large companies as AT&T, IBM, and Pitney Bowes down to the smallest of companies. He is the author of five books including How To Get 100% Participation From a Voluntary Group, Maximizing Managerial Effectiveness, and The Ultimate Competitive Edge: Creating The Very Satisfied Customer Through Partnering, a Handbook.

More information about Jim and his work can be found at www.ssainternational.com.