Executive Coaching
Anyone in a position of leadership, whether formal or informal – from relative newcomers to seasoned executives in Fortune 500 corporations – can become even more effective at achieving results through others. Like that of a world-class musician or athlete, the life of a professional manager should be one of ongoing and never-ending improvement. One of my most rewarding roles is working with those who seek to improve their own performance, no matter where they are in their careers. I do so by developing close and confidential relationships, customizing an approach to support each person’s goals and style, and assisting them in receiving constructive feedback, creating an improvement plan informed by that feedback, and accelerating the implementation of that plan. It is the challenge of accelerating one’s genuine improvement that interests me most, and which raises such questions as, What is most important for me to address right now? How can I achieve results as quickly as possible? And along the way, Can I learn to get better at, not just the particular skill or ability I have chosen to work on at this moment, but the very process of improving itself?
Group Facilitation
Much of the work in organizations gets done in groups – ad hoc teams or formal departments – which are responsible to make decisions and take joint action to implement them. Of course, to what extent each group is successful is in part a function of the ability of its individual members. But it is also very much a function of how efficiently and effectively those members work together. Whether the group exists to support the decision-making of a team leader or senior executive, or whether it exists to plan for and implement the decisions of others, it must be clear about its mission, how it will go about its work, and how to maximize the contribution of every member. In assisting executives and leaders who are responsible for groups that get work done, I help clarify the group’s Purpose, Process, and Desired Outcomes, facilitate group meetings in an unbiased and participative way, and contribute to an output that encourages clarity and accountability. Throughout the process, my goal is to ensure more targeted, more productive, and more open discussions of all the key issues the group must address.