Process | Solutions | Tools

My Coaching Process

The core of my work is mentor-coaching leaders. I love to work with emerging leaders, new managers, whose lives are unbalanced or they are burning-out others. Everyone is unique and context matters.

Being a leader is about experience and identity more than a set of skills. We will walk together through the transition from being an expert-getting-work-done to getting-work-done-through-others. 

My coaching method is experiential— we will deal with real problems, real opportunities to learn in real time. We will co-create through examination and real-world action. The work continues between sessions and I am available outside of our sessions, we can make big moves together when events are fresh.

Business Value Coaching Process. I have a multi step process for coaching engagements that will be customized for the individual and organization. The process involves the leader (“coachee”), manager/supervisor/sponsor, and Human Resources representatives (as needed). It’s built around the coaching sessions and involves agreed-to goals, development plans, and status updates. If it’s just you, don’t worry. We will adapt it together to bring out the best return for you and those impacted. Curious about the process? Contact me for more information.

For organizations, where the intended impact is broad, I work best when I can get to know the leader and the organization; by “getting in the boots”. Through observation and understanding , I am able to use my experience and study of leadership to offer solutions.

Also I coach via cohorts, workshops/webinars, and roundtables. These delivery modes magnify impact and tap into collective knowledge, shared experiences, and enhance teamwork.

Proven Solutions

My approach to solutions is agnostic. I’m armed with knowledge of leadership and driven to share.  I’m not selling a program. This leaves me more open to do what’s best for my clients. I’ve been a student of leadership and an active leader for decades and I draw from the leadership-body-of-knowledge and will help you apply tools, methods, and philosophies that are a best fit.

We will deploy solutions that are proven and backed by research; simple, practical, and useful. Hear from those who have utilized these solutions.

I believe in the coaching method - through our relationship we will access all of our intelligence, leading to new awareness and choices. I am not arriving with answers, mostly it’s asking the right questions. Then guiding and challenging you to take real action.

I believe in detachment- helping leaders step back from the day-to-day. Going deeper and wider to live a life and have a successful career rather than solve a problem.

I believe in servant leadership- which is the mindset of putting others first while not abdicating leadership. It’s a philosophy, not a method. Being open to approaching employees and problems with the question:  “How do I help you do your best work?”

I believe in emotional intelligence- which has been shown to be the difference-maker between run-of-the-mill managers and those who are making a big difference: Self-awareness, Self-management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management.

I believe (and love) organizations that draw from research- like Gallup and Harvard Business Review (a couple of my go-to’s). These organizations synthesize research (meta-analysis) and draw practical, actionable, conclusions we can use. 

I believe in neuroscience- understanding the workings of our brains, and how we evolved as humans over millions of years. This understanding gives profound perspective and is key to accessing all of our intelligence.

I believe in the fundamentals- “Being-the-Boss101”: delegation, feedback, effective meetings, managing performance, speaking to groups big and small, speaking up at meetings, managing the boss, and difficult conversations; to call out a few.

Tools

While I am agnostic with solutions, I do have tools that I’ve worked with over the years.

• 360 evaluations -  I am certified in The Leadership Circle® “360 evaluations method”. I chose to use this model because it brings together research, particularly adult development theory, into a universal model that is powerful and useful.  This model is unique in that it points the leader towards how to be more effective.

• Clifton Strengths from Gallup - leaning in to our talents and what comes naturally to us, leveraging them towards what we want rather than always working on weaknesses.

• Adobe Check-In - a simple performance management process. An antidote to soul-crushing performance management systems.

• Gallup’s 5 Conversations model is another simple “performance development” process; frequent, focussed, and future-oriented that’s outlined in It’s The Manager by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter.

• Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) Traction by Gino Wickman - Get clear and aligned around priorities and execute with focus and discipline the following 6 key components: Vision, People, Issues, Data, Process and Traction - meeting pulse

• Employee Engagement Surveys: deployment of and responding with leadership (ex. Gallup Q12)

• Emotional Intelligence 2.0 from TalentSmart which includes an assessment 

• Leadership 2.0 from TalentSmart which includes Core and Adaptive leadership skills and a 360 Refined assessment