Mary is a seasoned executive assistant. She’s able to see what needs doing and gets it done. She thinks on her feet, consistently makes good choices, and good decisions. She’s hard working and dedicated to her job; organized, good with details and sees how they connect to the big picture.

She’s professional in demeanor, personable in relationships, articulate and well read. She sounds great and her boss agrees.

“Hello, I’m Larry, Mary’s boss. Mary’s all that she’s described to be, and more. In fact, she’s so much more, I’m able to delegate everything that I don’t want to do. I don’t like to manage people or things, I like to lead. So, I leave the managing to Mary. What specifically? Performance reviews. It’s tedious and time consuming to write them and unpleasant to conduct them. So I have Mary do them for me. I sign them and she delivers them. I don’t like to meet with direct reports. They like to complain and I don’t want problems, I want solutions. So I ask Mary to listen to their complaints, fix what she can and let the rest go.

I want to do what I’m paid to do, and that’s to be the big picture guy. I’m great at it. I love it. Thank heavens that’s about the only thing that Mary’s not good at doing or I’d have a struggle on my hands.”

“I’m Mary. Larry nailed it. He has me do everything he doesn’t want to do (did he mention shopping for family gifts and canceling dinner engagements?), but I draw the line when it comes to critiquing his direct reports. He once asked me to fire someone for him. I flatly refused, Larry never did it and the person still works here.

Keep in mind, please, that I am his executive assistant, not his executive vice president. I do not have the title, authority, power, or paycheck to do the things he asks of me. His direct reports look at me as though I’m on some ego trip, giving orders like I’m in charge. I’m caught between a boss who relies on me to do his job and a staff that resents me for doing it.

“I’m Harry, one of Larry’s direct reports and I’d like to weigh in on this discussion. We don’t give Mary respect because we know she’s a stand in for Larry, who doesn’t have the courage to tell us, in person, what we need to know and what we need to hear. We admire his intelligence and his ability to sell our vision and our mission. He has great interpersonal skills when it comes to meeting, greeting, and securing financial support for our worthwhile endeavors. What he lacks is an ability to engage our support. He shuts us out and thinks shoving Mary in our faces makes up for his omissions. He’s wrong and its unfortunate that Mary’s paying the price.”

Mary does what her boss asks because; “I need this job until the market improves. Then I’ll have no choice but to leave and work elsewhere.”

Mary does have choices. Larry wants solutions, not problems. Mary creates a win-win if she can objectively describe the challenge, available options, and her recommendations for resolution. First, she gets Larry in the loop. He’s unaware of the consequences of his actions. Let him know that his subordinates feel shut out of the process; that her intervention makes the situation worse instead of better. If Larry prefers to delegate to her as before, she recommends that he include her on the management team, with the title, authority, and salary commensurate with the position. Whatever decisions Larry makes, Mary has responded proactively, assertively, and responsibly. She’ll know where she stands and can make better-informed career decisions going forward.

And Larry, if you’re reading this, you have time to turn situations like these around before the economy does the job for you. Change your paradigm and you can change negative outcomes to positive results.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

It’s simple and powerful.

Even individuals at the top of their game can benefit from individual coaching to improve their performance. Athletes have known this as far back as ancient Greece in the original Olympic games in using trainers and coaches.

Having a performance coach allows you to work on real problems in real time. A coach provides a confidential resource with whom to talk and work through challenges you face or goals you wish to achieve. Coaching allows a highly personalized approach to development that is tailored to your needs.

Using a coach provides a safe environment in which you can explore and develop new skills and behaviors and gain new insights that can benefit your effectiveness overall. We use a specific coaching process following Columbia University’s coaching program to address the needs of our clients.

The Coaching Process

Context: Each manager has his own unique context. We start with understanding the challenges and environment you face every day.

Content: While there are many different areas that could be addressed, we seek to help you focus on those areas that will truly make a difference in your effectiveness and are top priority to improve.

Conduct: With learning new skills, comes learning new behaviors. Your conduct has to change. This is not about changing who we are, but what we do. We focus on a specific development plan to move forward and on learning and practicing those behaviors that support your effectiveness.

© The Columbia Coaching Certification Program. All rights reserved (2007).

Executive and Organizational Coaching is a four-way partnership including:

• the person receiving coaching (the client)
• the coach
• the client’s manager
• and often Human Resources (or the Sponsor).

All roles are clearly defined before the coaching process begins. This ensures communication is clear, responsibilities are explicit, confidentiality is upheld and expectations are shared.

Examples of coaching engagements:

• New Manager struggling with knowing how or what to delegate
• Manager is thinking of making a transition in her career but wants to take a pulse check for how it is going now.
• Manager is doing well in current role, but senses there is something more she could be doing
• Manager has been promoted and is having trouble thinking more strategically
• Manager has received some feedback that indicates his interpersonal skills might need a little polishing.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Melodie Howard’s firm, In Perspective Consulting, focuses on designing and executing sustainable systems for development. Her particular specialties are: succession planning, corporate values, performance management systems, senior leadership competency development, executive coaching, 360o feedback and talent management. Melodie’s previous experience includes serving as the Group Director of Organizational Development for leading international re-insurance company, Partner Reinsurance, Ltd., based in Hamilton, Bermuda. She continues to work with them on a retained consultancy basis. Prior to her role at PartnerRe, Melodie spent 16 years at the Center for Creative Leadership in both operational and profit and loss responsibility roles. Melodie received her Master’s of Science in Organization Development from Pepperdine University in August of 2000 and a B.S. in Psychology from Guilford College in 1980. You can find Melodie’s profile on TheCoachingAssociation.com.

During the crossing he occasionally sat on the wire, stood on one foot and actually lay down to take a nap. He even jumped in the air.

As he drew closer to the Canada side of the Falls, the huge crowd of spectators began to cheer loudly. When he finally stood on the platform, which supported the cable, the crowd yelled even louder, saying that he was the greatest. He put down his pole and raised his hands to quiet the audience. When he had their attention he asked…

“Do you think I can make it back across to the U.S.?”

They all screamed “Yes, we have FAITH in YOU!”

He then asked, “Do you think I can make it back without my pole?”

The crowd, quiet for a brief moment, yelled in unison, “Yes! We have faith in you. You are wonderful!”

Then he asked them, “Do you think I can make it back across the Falls pushing a wheelbarrow?”

The crowd paused for a moment, then yelled back, “YES WE DO “

The artist looked down at the crowd and spotted a man who was cheering the loudest and asked him, “Sir, do you think I can make it back across pushing a wheelbarrow?”

The man looked up without hesitation and answered, “Yes, I have FAITH IN YOU!”

“Okay,” said the artist. “Get in the wheelbarrow.”

There is a wide gap between faith and trust. Just as it would have been foolish for the man to get in the wheelbarrow, it is very often foolish for leaders to blindly trust everyone in their organization, no matter how well they perform. This does not mean that you don’t have faith in their ability, and in their desire to do the job. But before trust is earned, people must be willing to accept responsibility for the performance of their roles, receive constant training, meet all of the expectations of their teams and supervisors and be held accountable for their performance.

So, as a leader, have faith in those you lead, but hold them accountable. Only then can you get in the wheelbarrow.

****

Geoff Grenert (Leadership Solutions LLC), the son of a two-sport professional athlete and Hall of Fame basketball coach, brought the lessons of teamwork and coaching into both his own athletic career and his business life. An entrepreneur, Geoff founded two package delivery companies and an investment partnership, and heco-founded a leadership and team development consulting firm and a not-for-profit community service group. Geoff’s executive coaching, leadership and team development work includes individual coaching through programs at Duke University Fuqua School of Business and the Center for Creative Leadership. The team development exercises and assessment instruments he co-designed are used throughout the U.S. and Europe. Geoff’s coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Executive coaching has become very popular.  An executive coach provides one-on-one assessment, evaluation, feedback, problem solving, and advice to a leader.  The goal is to increase self-awareness, identify areas for improvement, and develop an action plan to enhance personal and leadership effectiveness.  The “coachee” can be at any level in an organization but typically is mid-manager through executive with a broad and complex set of responsibilities.

Why the increased use of Executive Coaching?

Most organizations realize that investing in their managerial bench strength is a good use of resources, showing payoff for the company’s success and their bottom line.  The goal is to strengthen the leadership pipeline and develop leaders in place who will positively impact return on investment.  The cost of hiring a leader is significant, but more significant is the cost of a leader’s failure, resulting in derailment, or termination and replacement of the failed leader.  Rather than keep a poor leader who causes problems or fire a poor leader and let the corporate memory walk out the door, it is a better investment to “save” the person and institute a coaching intervention that will produce results.  It’s about results, both for the individual who directs others and for the company that is maximizing its human capital.

Some leaders resist coaching, thinking it cannot help them, they might get branded as failures, or because they are afraid to expose their weaknesses.  It requires courage to undertake a coaching experience.  Vulnerability, candid conversation, openness to feedback, and a willingness to change are all necessary.  A commitment indeed but also the possibility of enhanced self-esteem, increased capabilities, positive impact on others, and the reward of contributing more effectively to the organization.

Feedback – who needs it!

Sometimes it’s easier to continue doing things the same way, to stay with the old rather than learn the new, to be content with less than satisfactory relationships, to meet minimal expectations and stay under cover in the organization.  Yet we know that the best leaders are self-aware leaders.  They are not without flaws but they know what their flaws are and how to compensate for them.  And they gain awareness from feedback from co-workers.

What is 360º feedback?

360º, or multi-rater, feedback is getting information from all round – boss, peers, and direct reports, and occasionally other key business partners.  The feedback can come from formal written surveys, from interviews conducted by a coach, or from facilitated sessions in which feedback is captured and communicated.  Making sense of the feedback often requires the help of a coach, who can foster understanding and offer alternative explanations.  The self-awareness gained can produce a clear evaluation of the feedback and the basis for a plan of action that will build on strengths and address development areas.

A coach provides value in many ways.  One is to be an objective observer and feedback giver.  Everyone has blind spots and a coach can help clear the fog to see the real self and the impact on others.  A coach can collect information from others by guaranteeing confidentiality and anonymity, as needed, and gain deep insights as a trusted confidant.  A coach is a facilitator, helping the client to find answers to their problems.  A coach may give advice or alternatives for action, based on their own managerial and coaching experience.  A coach may confront or raise issues that the client does not acknowledge because this, too, enhances self-awareness.  A coach helps the client to develop an action plan for improvement and holds himself and the client accountable for achieving action goals.  A coach is there for the client, empowering, encouraging, advocating, and supporting development.

What Executive Coaching is Not

Coaching is not therapy.  An executive coach is not trying to change a person’s psyche or personality or solve personal problems.  Executive coaching is business focused.  There hopefully is personal gain for the client, but the emphasis is always on improving the person’s leadership effectiveness.

Coaching is not a place for the executive to hide, to avoid , or prolong the change that’s required.  This is about taking on the hard – and rewarding – work of becoming a better leader.

Coaching is not the avenue for organizations to get rid of people.  If it’s been determined that an ineffective executive cannot or will not change, then the executive should go.

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Yes! You may use this article by TCA Executive Coach Donna Riechmann in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Donna Riechmann has held executive positions in large corporations as well as being president of her own consulting firm. She’s held adjunct positions at the University of Illinois, Duke Corporate Education and the Center for Creative Leadership.   Currently, as a partner in the consulting firm Leadership Solutions LLC, Donna has designed and implemented leadership development programs and complex change management strategies for many corporate, government, and non-profit clients. She has international consulting and research experience in several  countries, including Bermuda, Bosnia, Canada, People’s Republic of China, and the United Kingdom. Donna holds B.S. and M.Ed. degrees from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina.  Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

The take-away messages from reviewer Samantha Paustian-Underdahl are:

• Although there are clear differences between psychotherapy and executive coaching, I/O psychologists and other executive coaches can learn from decades of psychotherapy research.
• The most important “ingredient” to consider is the client-centered, empathetic approach, which can strengthen the relationship between the client and coach in order to foster greater growth and learning.
• Finally, I/O psychologists should use resources from their own root discipline of psychology to leverage their skills and knowledge as a competitive advantage in the executive coaching industry.

To read the full review, jump over to I/O at Work, February 2010 edition.

What does this have to do with coaching, you may well ask.  After all, it’s hard enough to help someone change negative behavior; are we now expected to help them change negative feelings as well?

But as we’re all learned from experience (our own and our clients’), our actions are based on our feelings and never stray too far from one another.  So if our executive client is hyper critical of her co-workers, it’s very likely she’s even harder on herself.  Or if our coachee is finding it harder and harder to keep the balls in the air, chances are he’s not very happy or fulfilled.

The findings by this research suggest some useful exercises.  If they helped increase happiness, lowered depression, and lasted over six months time, they must have some powerful mojo.

For the full article (start halfway through a much longer article) Click here: http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/images/apaarticle.pdf Out of five exercises they tried, the two with the biggest payoff were “Three good things in life” and “Using signature strengths in a new way.”  It’s the second that clearly connects to our coaching, but both have direct application, especially as we deal more and more with helping our clients find balance and fulfillment in their lives.

Three good things in life: Each night for a week, participants were asked to write down three things that went well that day and identify their causes.

From the definition of happiness in the article, a) positive emotion and pleasure, b) engagement, and c) meaning,  one can infer that recalling actual pleasant events from the day helps a person feel more positive or item a; feel engaged by delving into the reasons, item b; and in some cases see one’s own role in those happy events, and finding meaning in what has happened, item c.

At any rate, it beats drifting off to sleep worrying about the 153 emails awaiting you at work tomorrow or re-running your embarrassment in that meeting today.

Using signature strengths in a new way: Participants were asked to take the online inventory of character strengths (Click here: :: Authentic Happiness :: Using the new Positive Psychology) and receive individualized feedback about their top five. or  “signature,” strengths.  They were then directed to use one of those top strengths in a new and different way every day for one week.

These are likely things we already ask our coaching clients to do, perhaps in a less structured way.  See the article for the other three exercises that had less payoff or whose payoff was transient.  They are also similar to things we do to help our coaching clients access and build on their strengths.

The importance of these findings is that the outcome was more significant and longer-lasting for some than others.  The research gives us a jump start in finding ever more effective ways to help our coachees leverage their strengths.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Martha Tilyard has spent nearly 25 years in her own consulting business, while at same time working as adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership. She has international experience, working with many types of businesses, government agencies, educational institutions and non-profit organizations. Martha has developed an exclusive process for dealing with crises and difficult situations and envisioning a positive, powerful future. Using metaphor, clients are able to gain insight, perspective, and to see new possibilities. Martha holds a B.A. in English from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

It has been learned, that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an “uplift” for the bird immediately following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds a least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share come direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the draft and resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets into formation to take advantage of 6the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.  A high performing team has members who are all headed in the same direction, and complement and collaborate with one another. When the leader gets tired, he rotates back in the wing, and another goose flies to take point.

Great teams share the leadership role when different skills are needed. The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Recognition of effort and accomplishment is the ultimate motivational tool.

Finally, when one goose gets sick, or is wounded by a gun shot and falls out, two geese fall out of formation and follow him until he is able to fly, or until he is dead, then hey launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with the group. On all successful teams, members support and protect one another at all times. We are stronger when we know our teammates are there for us.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Geoff Grenert (Leadership Solutions LLC), the son of a two-sport professional athlete and Hall of Fame basketball coach, brought the lessons of teamwork and coaching into both his own athletic career and his business life. An entrepreneur, Geoff founded two package delivery companies and an investment partnership, and heco-founded a leadership and team development consulting firm and a not-for-profit community service group. Geoff’s executive coaching, leadership and team development work includes individual coaching through programs at Duke University Fuqua School of Business and the Center for Creative Leadership. The team development exercises and assessment instruments he co-designed are used throughout the U.S. and Europe.You can find Geoff’s profile on The Coaching Assocation.

It’s one thing to master the technical aspects of a job. It’s quite another to move into the realm of motivating, influencing, and driving the performance of a team, department, or organization. Every new role you take with more responsibility requires different skills.

You manage to provide controls: Planning, Organizing, Reporting, Developing Processes. These are basic skills. To take yourself beyond supervision, and managing, and being a technical expert, you must learn how to lead and work through others rather than do it yourself. Just as you learned to be a good technical manager, you now need to learn how to lead others. Skills needed look different: Influence, Vision, Motivation, Encouragement, Engagement, Mentoring and Gaining Commitment.

Leadership development is a critical component in any successful managers tool kit. It starts with understanding your strengths, and how can you leverage these; identifying your areas of needed growth, compensating for these or learning new skills; and finding out what impact you have on others. Addressing leadership development consists of a variety of approaches. Successful interventions may include self assessments and others, such as 360o feedback, on the job leadership learning, mentoring, class work, strong follow through, and boss support.

Improving Leader Effectiveness

It’s easy to get caught up in day to day activities that occupy our time at work. Meetings, report generation, analysis–it never seems to end. Yet, one of the more important aspects of being a leader is knowing how to align your resources to achieve your organization’s goals.

How do you as a leader motivate employees for high-level performance? More importantly, how do you do this in a sustained manner?

A coach can help focus the manager intervention on what’s most important:

• The leader’s effectiveness in motivating and leading their team.
• The leader’s success in influencing peers.
• The leader’s communication skills to effectively throughout the organization.
• The leader’s ability to achieve results.

And, working with a coach allows you to continue doing your work in real time, accessing expertise and advice as you need it.

Leadership Scenario: George

A Director for a little over 5 years, George had developed quite a reputation in the company. Known for being visionary, and for being the smartest guy in the room, George was able to find success by working his people hard to achieve results and micromanaging every step of their processes. Turnover in George’s group was twice as high as other departments. Talented people routinely asked to move out of his area rand it was getting harder to recruit people from outside the company, because word was on the streets. George has been issued an ultimatum: Stop the hemorrhage of talent out of his group.

The Coaching Approach

Initiate a candid conversation with George about his leadership challenges. Assess George using a variety of techniques including:

• Interviewing of key stakeholders regarding George’s effectiveness and potential blind spots.
• Multi-rater assessment Personality assessment Observation.
• Provide George summary feedback on the key themes.
• Discuss effective behaviors needed to move forward.
• Mutually agree on an area of focus; set goals.
• Track George’s progress.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Melodie Howard’s firm, In Perspective Consulting, focuses on designing and executing sustainable systems for development. Her particular specialties are: succession planning, corporate values, performance management systems, senior leadership competency development, executive coaching, 360o feedback and talent management. Melodie’s previous experience includes serving as the Group Director of Organizational Development for leading international re-insurance company, Partner Reinsurance, Ltd., based in Hamilton, Bermuda. She continues to work with them on a retained consultancy basis. Prior to her role at PartnerRe, Melodie spent 16 years at the Center for Creative Leadership in both operational and profit and loss responsibility roles. Melodie received her Master’s of Science in Organization Development from Pepperdine University in August of 2000 and a B.S. in Psychology from Guilford College in 1980. You can find Melodie’s profile on TheCoachingAssociation.com.

In Your Executive Coaching Solution (Davies-Black, 2007), Joan Kofodimos suggests that a coach should:

• Provide structure in the development process
• Maintain confidentiality
• Balance supporting and challenging you
• Help you ask for and receive feedback
• Assist in clarifying your true strengths, values and purpose
• Broaden your perspectives
• Teach concepts and skills
• Influence how others view you

In addition, experienced coaches are also careful not to hinder your ability to learn, grow and change.  They want you to take independent action and are not there to be your cheerleader, your therapist or your de facto manager or boss. Most importantly, you want to pick a coach who can raise your developmental issues as an objective party and can show you how your behaviors affect others.

Coaches need to demonstrate that they understand and respect your values and concerns. You’re more likely to open up to a coach who creates a safe, confidential and non-judgmental environment.  However, it is equally important that coaches provide challenges that motivate you to perform beyond your usual habits and behaviors. There will be times that your coach’s role will be to confront you directly and encourage you to see the impact of your actions; and probe the motives and assumptions underlying your behaviors.

Returning to Joan Kofodimos’ list, it is important that you understand how a coaching experience is structured.  The usual steps are:

1. Establish the coaching relationship
2. Set expectations and the time frame
3. Seek feedback from others using instruments, interviews, or other tools
4. Review feedback
5. Create a development plan
6. Work the plan including implementing new behaviors
7. Hold regular coaching meetings to review and assess

Regarding feedback:  it is very important that you receive authentic feedback from which to build your developmental plan.  Skilled coaches understand confidentiality and how to solicit important data from your peers, subordinates, superiors and other stakeholders.  Over time, one of the results you can expect from a coaching experience is that you will grow in your ability to create relationships where you can ask for honest feedback on an ongoing basis.

Instead of encouraging dependence, your coach should teach you how to manage your development in the future. After an initial assessment, a good coach shows you how to form links with colleagues and teaches them how to frame useful, specific feedback instead of vague judgments.

Your coach will teach you to ask for feedback and manage the conversation without being defensive. This includes learning how to determine which feedback is relevant and valid, prioritize the issues you need to address and figure out how to handle them.

So now that you have a clearer idea of the coaching process and the key role that your coach plays in helping you establish your feedback loops, you should have a better idea of what kind of coach will bring out the best results for you.

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Yes! You can use this article in your company newsletter, blog or website as long as you add the following bio box:

Barbara Demarest (www.barbarademarest.com) received her MBA from the Babcock School of Management at Wake Forest University and her BA from Duke University. After 20 years at the Center for Creative Leadership, Barbara launched a coaching practice to help executives and entrepreneurs position themselves, their products, and their organizations.  You can find Barbara’s profile on www.thecoachingassociation.com.

Here’s an excerpt from the post:

“Truth be told, though, there’s one person who’s even more valuable than the pure creator/problem-solver. And, that’s the Creator-Operator—the individual who can not only create anew, solve problems and map out innovative pathways, but also possesses the ability to execute, to bring those plans to life. People who can do both are extraordinarily rare finds, because creation and implementation are very different processes and almost always inhabit different brains and bodies, too. Most peoples’ minds just don’t function well on both levels. Which is why those folks tend to rise quickly up the ranks and often become entrepreneurs.”

These rare finds are also challenges for coaches.  Have you had the opportunity to coach or mentor a Creator-Operator?  What approach did you use to help these talented people develop?