A credentialed methodology
The HIGHER Mark Framework is built around Gallup's own "Name It, Claim It, Aim It" approach — grounded in a widely recognized, research-backed assessment rather than a framework invented from scratch.
About
Meet Alicia Kaestner
I spent the last 15 years inside global HR and people-development roles, partnering with leaders and teams across industries to build trust, drive engagement, and turn strategy into the kind of daily behavior that actually shows up in results. Most recently, that work happened inside a large global food manufacturing organization — where I learned firsthand how a plant's culture is shaped less by what is said in meetings and more by what leaders model on the floor.
As a certified Gallup CliftonStrengths Coach, I bring a practical, research-backed language to leadership work. Instead of asking leaders to become someone else, I help them and their teams understand who they already are, then aim those natural strengths at the business outcomes that matter most.
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Why this work matters
Manufacturing operations touch nearly everything we use, buy, and consume. That's what makes leadership strain in this industry different from most: when it goes unaddressed, it doesn't stay internal. It shows up in safety incidents, inconsistent quality, and missed delivery targets.
The ripple effect
“When leaders become more self-aware and their teams build greater trust and alignment, that strength doesn't stay contained to the org chart.”
It's this same belief that gave The Higher Mark its name, one I'm committed to bringing to every person and organization I work with.
What sets The Higher Mark apart
The whole team, not one leader
Operations, Quality, Safety, Maintenance and beyond each get ongoing 1:1 coaching, plus a structured team workshop that turns personal self-awareness into shared habits.
Strengths, not a personality transplant
Instead of asking leaders to become someone new, each leader and team does more of what they are already good at — consistently, and in a way that holds under pressure.
“Working alongside Alicia on global people development initiatives was one of the most positive collaborations I’ve had. She has a gift for strengthening trust and engagement across a large, global organization. Her influence went beyond the mechanics of individual rollouts, she shifted how our teams talked about feedback and growth. Alicia is the kind of partner who makes big organizational change feel like progress instead of disruption.’”
Fabio Massei
Head of People - Europe, Flix
Ready to take your leadership team higher?
Let's talk about where your plant or executive team is today, where you want it to go, and whether The Higher Mark is the right partner to get you there.
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