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BACKGROUND :
Most executives wouldn’t have reached the executive level without having demonstrated their leadership capabilities. However, even the most seasoned professionals (think : Tiger Woods or the US Olympic athletes) often use coaches to guide them in honing their skills. Whether the situation calls for navigating through turbulent times, taking on new challenges or preparing to advance to the next level, star performers benefit from the objectivity and experience of a qualified coach. Executives who need to further develop one or more particular leadership skills can obviously benefit from nonjudgmental mentoring.
A coach can be objective, and tell you things your peers and subordinates (and even your superiors) might not ... and things that might be hard for you to hear. A coach can be a sounding board for ideas before presenting them in the boardroom. A coach can help clarify goals, priorities, and issues. A good coach creates a disciplined environment and methodical steps leading to a new level of performance.
STRATEGIES CONSULTING coaching is a confidential partnership, with the sole goal of strengthening your leadership skills to better obtain the results you seek. We also believe that individuals are unique, so, coaching methods must be flexible and adaptable. First, we meet with you to learn your needs, your unique circumstances, and what you are trying to achieve -- in specific, measurable terms. Then we assemble the appropriate expertise and custom design the steps our experience shows us will most quickly and efficiently deliver :
- the results you seek
- in a time-frame that makes sense
- at a cost that provides you an excellent return on investment.
A CASE STUDY :
A technical division head complained that he couldn’t get cooperation from his peers. A review of his 360-degree performance review and conversations with peers quickly revealed the reason. The division head was highly critical of every proposal anyone else would offer, and, in general, his interpersonal skills were proving to be counter-productive.
Here’s how the coaching worked :
- Together we defined specific, measurable deliverables for a 6-month coaching period (e.g., unsolicited praise, 360-scores of at least ‘X’, specific signs of peer cooperation on certain projects, etc.),
- We met weekly for an hour by phone -- at his convenience, but regularly.
- We worked on developing the habit of consciously deciding what he wanted to accomplish before making any communication - telephone call, meeting comment, e-mail, presentation, etc., and jotting it down in a small notebook.
- After the communication, he evaluated what went well and what needed further work
- We also ingrained a new habit of framing critique as a question : “Can you help me understand why doing what you propose wouldn’t result in ...?”
- We spoke frankly; he ‘test-drove’ communications; and continually refined his communication ‘style’.
Results : The division head reached his 6-month coaching deliverables well in advance. He also was selected - by his peers - to head an important task force.
OTHER EXAMPLES OF CLIENT CHALLENGES ADDRESSED:
- “My professional/personal life is out-of-balance. I’m working 60-hour weeks and still falling behind. 80% of what I do is unrewarding. I’m over-stressed and under-satisfied.”
“To be honest, I’m new in this job. I’m overwhelmed. And I need to define and achieve success by mid-year.”
- “My boss is really old school. How can I convince her that we need to be headed in a different direction ?”
- “The CEO criticizes me for being a ‘silver bullet’, jumping into my people’s projects at the last minute to rectify problems. What’s wrong with that ?”
- “I think I’m ready to be promoted. How do I convince the division president ?”
- “I don’t seem to be able to get my group to do what I think needs to be done.”
(Please also refer to ”What They Say...” under “Clients / Employers”)
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