Executive Coaching

Management mentoring

Customized leadership development plan

360 evaluations

Executive presence

Interpersonal and meeting shadowing

Addressing conflict confidently

Improved relationships

Workplace culture

My approach as a coach

I mainly focus on leadership development, executive presence, and communications for enhanced organizational performance and employee satisfaction.

Each executive coach is different, with different backgrounds and approaches. As a longtime practitioner of public relations, I chose to bring my skills as an executive communications consultant and offer leaders an advanced approach to management based on things I had observed as their communications advisor. Here is how I work as a coach and what clients can expect from me.

My presence as a coach

I am 100% present for my client and work with them in an empathic manner using powerful attunement. This enables me to serve clients as a strong listener, many of whom say they haven't experienced before. With this safety in place, the client is able to share from their heart, and the coach is able to attune to their emotions, which are the true underlying feelings and thoughts that will help bring them even greater success as a leader.

My boundaries as a coach

My job as a coach is to be your coach and only your leadership coach. Executive coaching is not career coaching, therapy/counseling, or personal coaching.

My approach to relationship building with clients

With my background in journalism and public relations, I am very comfortable meeting and developing relationships with new people quickly. This carries over into my coaching practice. Using my natural self-expression, I am able to quickly adapt to their style of conversation and help them uncover some hidden goals that will drive them to achieve things they didn't think were possible.

My approach to sponsors

I am very grateful to sponsors, who are usually HR representatives recognizing that executive coaching brings so many benefits to the client and the overall company. I meet with sponsors to clarify their desired goals, and then I meet with the sponsor and the client to specify goals in a letter of agreement so we each are clear on our roles, expectations, and timelines. Gaining this support from a sponsor helps to ensure a strong coaching relationship with the organization and the client being served.

My current coaching process

I begin coaching relationships with clients by taking 60-90 minutes to understand their life history and goals for coaching. I then typically meet with the client for 30-50 minutes weekly or bi-weekly. The coaching process may involve 360-feedback from peers and friends, depending on the client's wishes and the coaching agreement. I invite feedback from the client after each session, or monthly or quarterly. Coaching arrangements typically last from 3-8 months.

My conversation methods

As a trained interviewer, I look for patterns in stories that can help me get to know my clients and better help them achieve the underlying goals they realize or don't yet realize they desire. I'm essentially a passenger in their car as they drive me on roads they choose, telling me about things and events in their life. I use powerful listening and attunement to help them decide what to show me. From there, we seek to help them achieve key next steps in their leadership growth.

Leadership concepts and issues

I believe the number one job of a leader is to develop other leaders. This includes delivering strong results for your company in your role, modeling your methods for others, coaching your direct reports, and inspiring people across the organization.

My approach to evaluation

I begin every coaching arrangement by identifying goals and then seeking to measure performance against those goals. Keep in mind, goals may evolve or perhaps be more fully identified after 2-4 sessions. I evaluate a client's performance based on previously agreed-upon goals with either them or them and their sponsor. I sometimes include a survey of the client's peers after the coaching and compare it to their original 360-degree feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is executive coaching?

Executive coaching helps a client unearth, process, and achieve goals and increase skills with a trained observer in order to enhance performance, strengthen company culture, and better drive productivity personally and for the team.

Executive coaching is NOT:

• Advice/consulting: advising a client on what to do based on previously holding a similar position

• Counseling: diagnosing an area of brokenness and helping the client through it

• Business coaching: helping a client establish and run a business based on their values

• Career coaching: helping a client find a position or industry that aligns with their values and strengths, and then offering tips on starting and succeeding in the job

• Life coaching: coaching on everything from relationships, family, and health to career, finance, and life goals.

Why should I work with an executive coach?

Because you're the type of person who wants to continually grow-both as a person and to benefit the company you serve.

Investors and stakeholders want executives operating at their maximum skill potential in order to boost the organization's bottom line and mission. And many executives realize vital role coaching can play. Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, said hiring a coach was the best advice he ever received.

Executive coaches can empower star performers to achieve even greater things by helping them identify strategies for greater performance, become even more aware of how to leverage their strengths, be mindful of their growth opportunities, and to inspire those around them by serving as an even stronger executive or manager. Who wouldn't want to work with an executive coach?

What do I do if I want an executive coach?

You can seek a coach on your own, or you can contact your company HR department—many companies will sponsor an executive coach for high performing employees who wish to take their talent to the next level?

How long does executive coaching take?

Executive Coaching arrangements typically last 7-10 months and meet every three weeks for 50 minutes. Some clients wish to retain their executive coach for weekly, monthly, or periodic check-ins for years. An initial coaching session may range from 1-3 hours, depending on preference for depth and background.

Is executive coaching confidential?

Yes, executive coaching is confidential between the coach and the client.

When a coach works with a client employed at an organization, their sponsor (HR manager or direct supervisor paying for the coach's service) may include a requested update as part of the agreement. In this case, the coach would only offer a general pre-agreed, subject-related update of a sentence or two, perhaps revealing only the work-related topic that is currently being examined or that was identified as a goal at the outside of the coaching arrangement. That update would be as general and short as, "We're examining delegating," or "Last month we talked about addressing conflict." No details of the coaching sessions would ever be revealed outside of the relationship between the coach and the client.

Your coach will take a few notes for his own observation. Those will stay with him, unlabeled, and with no name. They will not be uploaded into any electronic file (such as a Google Drive). Your coach takes confidentiality very seriously.

How do we get started?

Executive Coaching is typically initiated by the client or by the client's sponsor, which is often someone in their HR department. The coach will hold a no-commitment initial meeting with the client for a "chemistry" check between the two, and the sponsor may or may not wish to be present for that meeting. This meeting allows everyone to understand their roles and responsibilities of the coaching arrangement. All parties will identify goals and reach an agreement about what will be included in the coaching arrangement and how long it will last.

What are the responsibilities of the client and sponsor?

It is the responsibility of the client to promptly attend all appointments.

It is the responsibility of the sponsor to answer promptly all questions that may arise during the coaching arrangement and to promptly attend all agreed-upon check-ins.

How will goals be defined?

The person being coached is the ultimate client, so that person will develop goals both before the coaching agreement starts and during the coaching agreement as it develops. Often, underlying goals will surface and be established after 2-4 sessions or even later in the agreement. This is called "goal evolution," and strong, previously unidentified goals and wishes often surface with the help of a coach working as an observer, confident, and guide.

If the client has a sponsor—such as their manager or HR representative—the sponsor may wish to suggest some general goals. In addition, more goals may be identified after the coach receives developmental feedback from the client's peers, manager, friends, or spouse, but only if the client wishes to involve additional people in this manner.

Goals can range from "develop as a leader" and "step up to a new role" to "address tough situations more diplomatically" and "better grow my direct reports."

What is this particular executive coach's style?

We offer clients strong attunement and listening to underlying thought patterns and emotions. We ask the least amount of questions of any other coaching practice we know, because we want clients leading the discussion and speaking from their true heart and feelings—not being thrown back into thought with questions. That doesn't mean we won't ask powerful questions. It simply means that we want clients leading the coaching at their pace and with their topics.

Will there be feedback?

Yes, in addition to the coaching, your coach will offer feedback on the arrangement itself, and the client will have the opportunity to provide feedback on both the coaching and the arrangement at any time—such as at the end of each session, or monthly, or quarterly.

What can the client expect or request of the coach?

Executive coaching enables the client to process and identify underlying goals for enhanced performance. The coach will offer options as appropriate throughout the coaching process, such as assessments of personality and work styles, and 360-feedback interviews with peers, managers, and family members.