Executive Coaching & Development: How It Works
Becoming a NASA astronaut is immensely challenging. Not only do candidates have to pass rigorous physical testing, they also need the right "soft skills" to lead others in critical situations, whether in space or on the ground in Mission Control. (For a video example, watch this short segment from the epic movie, Apollo 13.)
Let's face it: No one is born to fly a spacecraft or lead an organization. You don't magically acquire every skill you need to succeed. Sometimes an executive or manager can benefit greatly by getting feedback, coaching and honest input from a trained expert. Sometimes they need confidential help addressing key issues. That's where we can help.
Anselm Group has helped countless men and women rise to the challenge of leadership, across many industries. We believe that every individual – whether an executive, manager, supervisor, or peer leader – is capable of becoming far more effective, far more capable and far more able to handle the inherent stress and challenges of leadership.
Our Principles for Executive Coaching
Executive coaching isn't therapy or a time for motivational platitudes. Rather, it is a mutual skill-building process that is:
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Based on a trusting, respectful partnership between the coach and client, as well as confidentiality
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Goal-oriented and focused on specific outcomes
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Guided by a professional set of ethics, standards and competencies
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Distinctly separate from both psychotherapy and long-term mentoring
Our job is to create a supportive coaching environment to help leaders identify their strengths, as well as what’s potentially holding them back. We then help them craft a workable pathway toward their professional development. Along the way, we provide honest feedback, valuable guidance and a confidential sounding board for important issues.
"Good leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation."
– William Arthur Wood
Beyond Guesswork or Cookie-Cutter Solutions
In keeping with our overall approach, we start with diagnostic tools to help us identify a leader's strengths and weaknesses in an objective way. Our clients tell us that assessments greatly accelerate the coaching process by increasing self-awareness and fast-tracking the prioritization of key development areas. Some of the tools we use include:
DISCription Temperament Inventory for temperament assessment and and identifying leader’s preferred behavioral tendencies. (See sample DISCription report.)
IMAGE (Interpersonal Measurement and Group Effectiveness) for measuring key aspects of a leader’s personality in organizational work-place settings. (See sample IMAGE report.)
PVA® (Personality Vector Analysis), to uncover patterns that may hinder a leader’s ability to balance effectively their commitments to people/relationships with tasks/output. (See sample PVA report.)
Web-based 360 survey tools such as ODDIS-360 (Organization Diagnostic and Development Intervention System) and Radiant Leadership-360 to gather candid feedback from peers, superiors and subordinates with complete confidentiality. (See sample 360 Feedback Tools Summary Sheet.)
Using that assessment information, we begin a set of private conversations with the client leader using a combination of in-person and web-based approaches. Our goal is to help them move from initial self-awareness to deeper understanding, and ultimately to a commitment to practical action for lasting improvement.
Coaching conversations and engagements can last from a few weeks to several months, depending on frequency of meeting and the client's needs. Each coaching relationship is customized to the needs and situation of the individual leader or manager. Assessments can be completed at the end of the coaching engagement to document progress and change.
To find out how Anselm Group can help your leaders develop and thrive, we invite you to request a free initial consultation by calling (269) 353-1898. Or you may click here now to send us an e-mail inquiry.