How It Works
The Coaching Process
I engage you in a time-effective and confidential coaching process that facilitates new insight/inspiration, actions, and results. The client is always in control of the process, topics discussed, goals set, and results achieved. Busy people appreciate an action-focused opportunity to explore and grow in confidential sessions with a seasoned executive and coach who will encourage, provide direct feedback, and hold the client capable of growth and development.
My Coach Approach
When I consider Executive Coaching the words that come to mind are “intentional leadership.”
Throughout my life, I have experienced leaders acting on their instincts, guts, etc. without examining the beliefs behind or driving those actions. Our beliefs and values shape us and our behavior whether we realize it or not. The most effective executives can tell you what they believe about people at work, their leadership style, values, etc. And, they use these beliefs to shape and drive their organizations to success. They are excellent examples of the leadership aphorism by Larry Osborne “What you ARE is what you’ll get.”
One author summed up intentional leadership with three words: Notice — Choose — Act. This formulation is at the heart of my executive coaching. Two threads of this formulation organically run through every coaching session based upon the direction set by the client.
Relational Effectiveness
Human beings are relational and our interactions with the people around us shape who we are and who we become from birth onwards. Over time we develop automatic patterns of internal experience that help us deal with stresses and strains of being in relationship especially when something of importance is on the line or someone is pushing our buttons. Emotional Intelligence, or Relational Effectiveness begins by noticing and naming our emotions and related internal experience. This awareness helps us to choose our response (versus an automatic response) and that allows us to act more effectively. Notice – Choose – Act.
Act with Purpose
I challenge executives to consider, maybe for the first time, the foundational building blocks of great leadership and organizational culture — values, expectations, purpose, style, and presence. Consider an executive who intentionally describes for herself or himself and for others (subordinates, peers, bosses, boards) what he or she believes and then notices when these building blocks come into play. When this happens, several important things follow. She sets an example and teaches with every interaction. He/she shapes the organization and manages the culture. She invites others to hold her accountable to her own standards.
Edgar H. Schein once said “The only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture. If you do not manage culture, it manages you, and you may not even know of the extent to which this is happening.” Acting intentionally is the only way to knowingly create culture and effectively manage yourself and others. Remember, what you are is what you’ll get for good or bad. Notice — Choose — Act.
