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About Yikee Adje

I have been working in international development for two decades serving mostly in francophone countries in Africa, in addition to South America and Asia. Having worked abroad for international nongovernmental organizations as a project manager and then for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as a Foreign Service Officer I have personal knowledge and hands on experience with the workplace challenges one faces when working internationally in an intercultural environment. My ability to manage up, down, and all around has helped me to get promoted quickly. I have been rewarded at USAID for building performing teams and streamlining complex organizational processes for greater efficiency and results. I am a certified Executive Coach and Master Facilitator.  I have experience facilitating powerful workshops and retreats to help teams achieve practical outcomes that make them more productive and efficient. I believe many roads lead to Rome, in that there are many ways to achieve your personal and professional goals and together we have to find the one that works best for you given your unique circumstances and priorities. Whatever challenge you are facing, I can help. Let’s talk.

I am a champion of work-life balance and a published author. Read my book ‘DIPLOMATICALLY: A Guide to Creating Work-Life Balance in the Foreign Service’. I believe true success is marrying your personal priorities with your job and making it all work together in a way that helps you live out your purpose. Let me help you fulfill your purpose.

Our Testimonials

- Simone

In two words, Yikee is incisively brilliant. This is an invaluable skill as a coach in the development sector where our work is as impactful as it is complex. As USAID foreign service officers, we must learn to do development work while navigating internal and external politics. And all this amidst complex cross-cultural situations. She knows intuitively and through extensive reflection how to quickly read situations and people to identify roadblocks and work towards the best solutions. What for Yikee is common sense, has been uncommon and priceless insight to me and I'm sure others in our work. With her guidance I have navigated through challenges with co-workers and developed into a stronger manager and leader within the Mission. God bless you Yikee!

- Daisy

Yikee provided me with indispensable guidance during a very tough interpersonal challenge in the workplace. There were a myriad of factors at play, including multiple cultures and communication styles on my team, mistrust, and management practices that put me in a tough position between multiple stakeholders. Yikee helped me expertly and dexterously navigate all of this and so much more and with humor to boot. Her guidance helped turn an otherwise volatile situation into a positive and effective working relationship.

- Sarah

For a handful of years, Yikee mentored me during our organization's annual performance evaluation process. She was extremely active and engaged during the month long process - highlighting improvements and suggesting tactics to strengthen areas in each draft I asked her to review. Besides her positive attitude and sincere desire to see me shine, I appreciate and have benefited from Yikee's analytic thinking. Her ability to assess a situation and provide pointed direction has been invaluable and inspirational for me. I was promoted two evaluation cycles ago, and I attribute the result to Yikee's teachings and continued support in her review of my evaluation materials.

- Taiwo

Yikee is an excellent mentor and teacher. She is incredibly well versed in the foreign service, international development and humanitarian affairs. Yikee brings strong technical expertise, management experience and an amazing work ethic to the work place. In the time that Yikee has worked with me, I've grown in my understanding of the foreign service and how to efficiently function in a complex system and often challenging environment. I recommend you work with Yikee if you are seeking to develop the professional and personal skills you desire to succeed in the work place, if you are seeking to improve your work-life balance, or attempting to advance to the next level of your career.

USAID Foreign Service Officer, Executive Coach, Master Facilitator

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@Yikee Adje