How useful would it be for you to have a “thinking partner” to help you process and deal with issues and plans for the future? Consider the process outlined below.
There are many definitions in the world that characterize coaching. As a behavioral scientist who has researched how adults learn for over 30 years, I find the International Coach Federation (ICF) definition to have the most impact when working with people to make permanent changes in the way they think and act.
The ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. This means we are not experts/consultants that give you the solutions to your problems, or doctors/counselors who search for your dysfunction to fix or heal you. Whether you are a manager who is coaching or a professional hired to coach, you honor the person you are coaching as creative, resourceful and whole.
When I am focused on helping you achieve your goals and I believe you can resolve your issues on your own when I help you think more clearly and broadly for yourself, then I am activating and developing your mind. As a result, you will be a more agile thinker in the future.
I also believe that the most powerful aspect of my coaching process is working with my client to obtain live 360 degree feedback, reflect, and act upon the insights as a result of the feedback and our conversation around what was provided. Therefore, part of our coaching relationship is to facilitate conversations with stakeholders to ask specific questions, interpret their responses so they can be framed as positive suggestions, and then safely review results with my client to explore what and how to change to improve their impact as a leader. Then over time, we coach around the implementation of the new behaviors and what is needed to sustain change.
The process works best when the following steps are included for a 9-month engagement:
In summary, the leader will experience an integrated approach to coaching which doesn’t rely on dogma or process. It focuses on a customized design to ensure success, supplemented by resources to ensure the desired behavioral changes are made for the long-term.
My Coaching Style
There is a big difference between mentoring and professional coaching. My role is not to share how I would have addressed a situation but to enable you to build the self-awareness, confidence, and abilities to manage difficult and complex issues as they arise. Your continued success will depend on your expanding awareness and the commitment to implementing the changes you design.
I have been researching the science of behavioral change since 1985 and applying what I learn to leadership development. Since 1996, when I found coaching, I have developed a robust methodology using the latest research in behavioral economics, neuroscience, and sports psychology. I can confidently say that using a coaching approach is the best technology we have at present to ensure long-term behavioral change.
When the coach acts a “thinking partner” instead of an instructional guru, the leader can be more successful in today’s environment shrouded by uncertainty, ambiguity, and complexity. Coaching will challenge assumptions, explore beliefs, provide a safe space to talk about fears and hopes, and create reasonable expectations for change. Leaders can then make better decisions and have the confidence to implement the changes they choose to make.
That’s not to say that there won’t be occasions when experience, best practice, or existing models or tools won’t be suggested to expand thinking and possible solutions. When needed, resources will be provided for the leader to broaden perspective and make informed choices to resolve problems.
Currently, my clients include executives and emerging leaders in high tech, banking, finance, pharmaceuticals, retail, transportation, consumer goods, government agencies, and public utilities. The focus may include:
My coaching philosophy is to inspire you to achieve your goals through implementation, discover how to remove barriers to change, and maximize your momentum to achieving your highest potential as a great leader.
My techniques are intended to move you outside your comfort zone, challenging you to see yourself in the mirror through feedback, identifying your emotional triggers and blocks, and removing constructed layers that block your development.
My role is to act as your thinking partner and disrupter. I will provide challenge alongside equally high levels of support. The skills of coaching are used to create the conditions in which you feel secure enough to be open and honest while being pushed for the self-awareness needed to create the sustainable development you believe will deliver bottom line results.
Client Requirements
For coaching to be successful, the client must be prepared to
The coaching arrangement may include:
Marcia is a great listener, and asks the right questions to lead me to very solid decisions. She has helped me to focus and prioritize. I have been better able to look at problems in different ways, thus finding very meaningful solutions. I am a better leader today because of the coaching I received from Marcia. ~ Krista Endsley, CEO
I hired Marcia when I relocated to Phoenix. She not only helped me settle into a new position, but her insights, great questions and gentle prodding helped me to avoid some potentially sticky political situations with my peers. As a result, I am able to focus on what I do best. She helped to make my transition seamless. ~ Linda Ruby, VP Marketing
The higher I have risen in my organization, the more I find how important it is to have someone to talk to on the outside, for both the perspective and encouragement. I have referred Marcia to many of my colleagues and all have been grateful to me for finding her. She is a real treasure. ~ Betty Aga, VP HR Business Support Team
I have worked with Marcia for the past year and I feel privileged to have her as a coach. As a result of her coaching, I take actions that maximize my results and I spend minimal amounts of time on side issues. In addition, she has helped me improve not only the quality of clients in my practice, but also the quantity of money they provide me as well. ~ Margaret A. Krigbaum, Executive Coach
See the extensive LIST OF COACHING TESTIMONIALS to better understand the results you will receive working with Marcia Reynolds, PsyD.
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