Question 1

What does ‘Ajarn’ mean?

Accepted Answer

Ajarn (pronounced like awe-john) is the Thai word for teacher or professor.  When I was in high school, I studied a style of martial arts called Lotus Self-Defense, which was a style developed by Ajarn Precha Mahachanavong in Ubon, Thailand.  After years of study and practice, I attained the level of Black Belt, and started teaching my own class, thus earning the title of Ajarn in the process.  As I got into online discussion forums and social media, I was looking for a unique User ID that did not just assign me a number.  I started to use the moniker AjarnMark and stuck with it.  When it came to naming my training and consulting business, I realized that the meaning behind Ajarn was an appropriate fit once again.

Question 2

Why is Leadership such an important topic?

Accepted Answer

Throughout the course of my education and career in IT, I have been under the authority of a variety of personalities and management styles.  I have seen people lead teams and organizations through good economic times and bad.  I have seen companies prosper and I have seen them wither.  The more I reflect on these events and outcomes, the more firmly I believe John Maxwell’s quote that “Everything rises and falls on Leadership.”

Question 3

Why is Organizational Health important?

Accepted Answer

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” is a quote often attributed to management guru Peter Drucker. Although he didn’t say exactly that,(https://drucker.institute/did-peter-drucker-say-that/) the idea that team interactions based on deep trust, cooperation, and clear, mutual goals will produce far superior results is clear!  But most people don’t know how to get there.  How do you introduce a healthy level of conflict which will push team members to excel and identify optimal solutions to business problems, without going over the edge into bickering and back-stabbing?  Or sliding into the other extreme, fake agreement?

Question 4

Are you part of Patrick Lencioni’s company, The Table Group?

Accepted Answer

Our Founder and Principal Consultant, Mark Caldwell is certified by The Table Group as a Six Types of Working Genius Facilitator, but Mark is not employed by The Table Group, nor is Ajarn Academy a division of The Table Group.

Question 5

Are you certified as a coach?

Accepted Answer

Mark Caldwell has been certified by Maxwell Leadership in the John Maxwell style of speaking, coaching, and training. Mark is also a Certified WHY Coach by the WHY Institute.

Question 6

Where is Ajarn Academy located?

Accepted Answer

Ajarn Academy is a geographically distributed organization, fully embracing Remote Work or Work-from-Anywhere practices.  Our principal consultant, Mark Caldwell is based in the Greater Seattle Area.