How the Oasis Leadership team is working to communicate more effectively
Using Insights Discovery, Oasis’ executive team gained clarity on communication styles, collaboration gaps, and leadership potential. That clarity is now setting the tone for real organizational change.
When an executive team includes members with tenures ranging from two months to 25 years, it’s easy to imagine the challenges. Different histories. Different rhythms. Different expectations. Oasis, a long-standing nonprofit in Paterson, NJ, serves women and children through education, food, childcare, and social services. With over 140 staff and a wide scope of support, their leadership team needed a moment to pause and align.
That’s where Creter Group stepped in.
Oasis has grown quickly over the past decade. They weren’t looking for a retreat or a team-building exercise. They needed a deeper understanding of how each person on their executive team worked, and how those different styles were shaping their work as a group.
We introduced Insights Discovery, a tool that uses a simple color-based model to help people understand their communication preferences and leadership approach. After completing a 25-question evaluator, each executive received a personalized profile. These weren’t just personality summaries. They were grounded, accurate blueprints for how each person shows up at work.
In a half-day workshop, we created space for meaningful dialogue. We helped them review their profiles, highlighting the communication styles present in the room. Using a shared “Team Wheel,” we visually plotted where each leader landed within the Insights framework.
What emerged was a clear picture of this unique team. Areas of strength stood out and amplified the success this organization has had in serving the community. What also stood out were gaps that had been unintentionally reinforced over time. The possibilities for where the organization could grow if these communication blind spots were addressed are now a motivator for the leadership team to adjust some of their behaviors.
This was about awareness. And action.
Together, we named and explored the impact of those gaps. The team is now looking at how their tendencies—whether toward big-picture thinking or task-focused execution—might influence their internal dynamics and how challenges were raised, addressed, or avoided across the organization.
The takeaway? A stronger foundation for dialogue and decision-making.
Executive Director Jennifer Brady shared this after the session:
“You have certainly given us lots to unpack, and we will do the work to make sure the time spent with you and the work that we began today continues… Thank you for this gift which would not have been accessible, and know we are grateful!”
With this kind of clarity, the Oasis team is better equipped to connect, lead, and support the people at the heart of their mission.