Are any of the following areas challenges you could use a sounding board to help you with? Email me to set up a time to find out how I can help you!
What to expect from a coach
What to expect from yourself in your coaching sessions
Sometimes it seems everyone is pulling in different directions, but in fact they are all working on the same goal. Judi Jones was Advertising Support Manager at Microsoft when she began working with me. First, she attended the 2-day Leading with Trust Workshop with her management team. She and her two peers were aware they had trouble working together and had tried everything they knew to improve their relationship. With a new director coming in, it was an ideal time to break old, dysfunctional patterns.
Many of my clients have discovered that with a horse as your coach, you can get to the core of an issue in minutes, rather than the hours it might take with traditional coaching. This was true for Judi as well. “Horses don’t care about politics or prestige,” says Jones. “They only respond to clear, consistent communication. If you ask a horse to start trotting, he will – but only for as long as you keep asking him to do it. The minute you stop being clear and consistent, he’ll go back to walking.”
Turns out that people also share the requirement for consistent, clear communication. “We discovered our problem was our goal had not been defined with enough clarity. We weren’t intentionally working against each other; we just had a different point of view of what our goal was.”
The long-term benefit to the team was that everyone – from managers to direct reports – had new levels of trust in one another. “In just two days we could see why we went astray, had clarified our goals, and developed new skills to keep everyone on the same page.”
For Judi, the insight gleaned from working with horses was strong enough that she signed up for an individual coaching session in the round pen. “Working with Amanda one-on-one was even more powerful. I was not distracted by the group and Amanda was able to give me even more specific feedback about how my body language was not in alignment with what I was communicating with my words.”
Does your message seem to be missing the mark? Perhaps your team is pulling in different directions? Email me to find out how coaching with horses can result in immediate, transformative changes in your leadership style.
Judi’s Equine insights:
We all know that being hired for your first Executive Director’s position is a thrilling opportunity. But even when you know you’re ready for it, stepping into that role can be a lonely challenge. When Sara Ballard became Executive Director of Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason & Thurston Counties, she realized an outside perspective could help her organization think outside the box more effectively than any training session could. Luckily she had the insight to seek out a coach to help her jumpstart her effectiveness in her new role.
“When I started with the Volunteer Center, I saw there were some thorny issues that needed to be addressed. I’d had all the training and experience you could have short of holding the job. And in our tight community I couldn’t go to my peers for counsel because I couldn’t fully disclose the pertinent details. Amanda had the outside perspective I needed to figure out what the conversation with staff and the board would look like. And more importantly what I needed to do, as a leader, to help my team get to where we needed to be.”
Sara and I started with a six-month coaching package. We hit the ground running to problem solve staffing issues, prioritize organizational strategy and define how she wants to lead her team. “The big ‘a-ha!’ for me was realizing my new job challenge was not just about stepping up my leadership skills. It was about defining a new leadership mission for myself in the context of my new role.”
By looking at the big picture, Sara helped her organization dramatically shift in a very short period of time and shifted into monthly sessions. “I only get an hour with Amanda once a month so it needs to be a really effective conversation. She’s a good listener – giving me a chance to vent – but strategically interjects, at the right moment, pointed questions to focus on the core issues.”
Almost a year into her new position, Sara feels her organization is now well focused to serve her community as efficiently and as effectively as it can with limited resources. I continue to work with Sara, serving primarily as a sounding board. “You don’t want to spend your whole day putting out fires. Amanda helps me keep focused on investing in the changes that will have the greatest, long-term impact.”
Sara’s Coaching Insights:
For most leaders fall is a busy time of year. Layer on an uncertain and difficult economic climate and we all tend to hunker-down a little. This month I hope to nudge you to consider including your own personal leadership development on your busy agenda. Why?
The most important thing that you can do to keep up with the change and uncertainty we presently face is to make sure that your leadership skills are keenly honed and stay that way. And even the most optimistic and forward-thinking leaders need support from time to time. No one can be an effective leader by going it alone, particularly when managing large–scale organizational change. As a leader, you must be the first to recognize this and plan accordingly if you want to make the most of the rare opportunities presented by current conditions.
Viewing your situation from a different perspective helps you have the courage to take risks, find creative solutions to solve thorny problems, and realign your business to thrive into the future. And you must be willing to ask for help. It’s OK, even necessary, to be open with others, and to look to trusted friends and business associates for support.
Coaching can help you move the dial on your leadership abilities. In this issue I introduce you to two of my recent coaching clients. Sara used leadership coaching to jumpstart her success in a new position. Judi found new self awareness and insight through a combination of traditional coaching and a few experiential coaching sessions with my horses. But first, let’s start by exploring the big picture: What is coaching all about?
Leadership or executive coaching is a powerful tool to help you get to the next level or “unstuck.” When you work with me as your coach, we begin by clarifying your particular needs and setting attainable goals. Not only do I work with you by developing who you are personally as a leader, I also give you the tools to ensure you can handle workplace challenges, reduce stress and increase your sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. In particular, I assist you in:
Coaching is about your leadership goals
If you hire me as your coach, I assume that you are ready to make meaningful changes in your leadership style, skills, and abilities. While our sessions can sometimes be a combination of coaching and training, our relationship is about your leadership goals – not what I think is best for you. As my client, I expect you to bring your best. You can count on me to be a good listener, not be distracted by side issues, ask you pointed questions, offer constructive criticism, and even to help you laugh about yourself some.
If I see something in your body language, hear something in your voice, or notice other behavior that tells me something is amiss, I’ll probably ask you about it. Often, this outside perspective can yield the small moments that bring about the biggest shifts.
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