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Frequently Asked Questions    

1. Isn't coaching and executive development just for CEOs?

Hardly! Hiring and promotion are often based on one's effectiveness in a previous position. New jobs come with new responsibilities and usually require some new set of skills. So our previous success may offer little or no preparation for what will be required of us as we advance. This is particularly true in the case of one's first job, where we may be hired based on academic success.

Success depends on understanding how you must perform, realistically assessing your present skill set, learning new skills or behaviors and eliminating those that won't serve you in the current situation.

Whether you are an executive, a support staff manager, a department or team leader, a supervisor, a professional (financial, health or legal), an office manager, a clerical staff member, or an individual worker Success@Work has the experience and resources to help you do your job more effectively and with greater personal satisfaction.

It's not unusual to have difficulty motivating employees, leading a change effort, shaping your own professional career, managing multiple priorities, enhancing your organization's share of the marketplace, meeting the challenges of running a small business, or assessing your organization's effectiveness. Success@Work can increase your skill, effectiveness and confidence.

Wouldn't you benefit from a teammate who can help you realize innovative and effective changes and who is completely invested your success?

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2. What distinguishes Success@Work from other coaches and organizational consultants?

Many people promote themselves as consultants and coaches. Few possess a combination of academic training and discipline, consultation and coaching experience and real life management experience. I draw on conceptual understanding, real life business success and consultation know-how to help you identify and enact solutions, be they focused on an individual's performance and success or an organization's.

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3. What types of work related challenges and transitions are appropriate for developmental coaching?

• Moving into a new job
• Dealing with interpersonal conflict
• Introducing and managing change in the workplace
• Managing time and multiple objectives
• Managing personal stress.
• Managing difficult employees
• Solving complex problems making effective decisions
• Mentoring and developing employees
• Developing planning skills
• Learning how to give a presentation

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4. What is the process of Developmental Coaching?

During the initial Contact Phase, we discuss and reach agreement about the focus and goals, scope and nature of the coaching work or business consultation, and various aspects of our working relationship. The Assessment Phase involves identifying present issues, challenges, tasks, and obstacles in order to develop a comprehensive picture of the client's abilities-strengths and weaknesses-and how these relate to the objectives. A variety of data collection methods provide information about past and present performance, and about how the client must perform to achieve goals. The resulting discussions between us clarify specific issues, problems and concerns to be targeted, specific short term and long term objectives, recognition of obstacles and what must change in order to achieve goals.

The focus then shifts to planning professional development. This involves outlining and prioritizing skill development, establishing realistic time frames, formulating specific action and behavior plans, identifying indices of progress, and agreeing to follow up and commitment to specific goals. During the Action and Implementation Phase, the client puts the plan into action, follows through with commitments, and monitors his/her behavior and feedback from others. Our regularly scheduled interactions allow for plan adjustment and problem solving. Evaluation of progress and coaching is ongoing but becomes the focus during the Outcomes Phase when achievement of goals is reviewed. The developmental coaching process will conclude when your plan has been successfully implemented and the goals attained. Sometimes during coaching, other issues, skills or professional endeavors emerge that are worth pursuing. I’ll assist you in deciding the benefits of continued coaching and can work to develop a new plan.

For more detailed information about Developmental Coaching, contact me.

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5. How does coaching proceed?

Developmental coaching can occur through face-to-face (in our office or, on occasion, in your office) interactions, or by telephone, e-mail, and instant messaging. Interactive video is also available. You'll choose the method (s) and frequency that work best.

Coaching effectiveness and results are not dependent on face-to-face meetings. While we might decide to meet in person on some occasions or to accomplish a particular task, it's not necessary. Other methods not only reduce your downtime and fees for my travel time, but they also mean more rapid access when you're on the go or facing important and immediate decisions or crises. Coaching sessions vary between 30 - 90 minutes, and they vary in frequency of contact.

Depending on your objectives or your employer's expectations, coaching may be short-term or long-term.

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6. How long will I work with Success@Work?

Research shows that ongoing support when learning or applying new skills and behaviors or assuming new responsibilities is critical to success. Coaching increases the benefits of training by 400%. This approach establishes leadership and management skill as well as organizational change more effectively than one-time workshops or interventions.

The nature of our work is customized around the needs of every client and organization. Our partnership exists to help you through a particular event or project, or continue over an extended period of time-depending on your needs, goals and preferences. What distinguishes successful people and organizations is a commitment to learning.

You'll regularly assess how the partnership is working. And because we focus on achieving your goals, we can determine when the objectives of our collaboration have been reached.

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7. Can leadership be learned?

Personality style, temperament and dynamic energy are inherent to each individual and cannot be learned. By contrast, many behavioral aspects of leadership—motivating others, focusing, strategizing, facilitating, teambuilding, reaching new levels of performance, developing relationships and learning—can be developed.

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8. What information will be learned from a leadership effectiveness assessment?

An Effectiveness Assessment provides information about leader behavior needed for success including:

• interpersonal communication practices;
• ability to manage priorities;
• ability to motivate employees;
• how effectively one resolves conflicts;
• problem solving and decision making effectiveness;
• planning and organizing skills;
• personal resilience;
• skill at delegating and empowering others;
• ability to create and manage meaningful change;
• flexibility and adaptability skills in the face of change;
• kill in envisioning a positive future and enlisting others to follow;
• ability to model appropriate work place behaviors for others to follow.

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9. In what situations are leadership development and effectiveness assessments administered?

Assessments may be conducted as part of organizational development consultation or as a part of the developmental coaching process. They provide a baseline of skill and basis to plan strategic intervention.
Custom and pre-packaged leadership assessments are available to serve a variety of needs and situations. They can assess individuals or a group of organizational leaders.

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10. What is the process of leadership development and effectiveness assessment?

Leadership Development and Effectiveness Assessment is conducted with attention to the individual leader's specific organizational and industrial contexts.

First, we determine the skills a leader needs to be effective within a specific position, company and business. Next, data about the leader's performance is collected from many different sources (360 degree) using a variety of methods. We analyze the information and combine it into a report that preserves anonymity and confidentiality.

Then, our consultant meets with the leader to summarize and discuss the "Leadership Effectiveness Assessment" information and the skills needed for success. Together, the leader and the Success @ Work consultant interpret the assessment information.

This sets the stage for leader and consultant to collaboratively develop a personal leadership improvement action plan. Follow-up dates are determined to review progress. For more detailed information, contact me.

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11. What types of interventions and activities foster organizational development?

Organizational development occurs through a series of inter-connected interventions, processes and planning methods.

• Moving beyond traditional strategic planning to strategic thinking
• Developing an organizational mission, vision and values
• Developing an external organizational focus to determine emerging concerns that will affect the organization
• Focusing on short-term strategic goals
• Aligning organizational structure and systems with the organization's strategic intent
• Developing operational plans to achieve strategic goals
• Initiating strategies and maintaining actions to achieve strategic goals
• Planning for strategic change in business practices and processes
• Planning for the development of effective teams
• Developing performance management systems, including pay, incentives and rewards
• Creating and maintaining an environment of cultural competency
• Developing a system for recruiting and retaining "Top-Graded" employees
• Establishing an employee development program
• Establishing an organizational climate that fosters high levels of performance and productivity

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12. What is the process of organizational development, consultation and planning?

Organizational development, consultation and planning take their direction from the nature of the consultation request, the organization's current structure, the market context in which the particular organization is functioning, and the goals of the consultation.

During the Contact Phase, consultants and organizational leaders define the consultation scope and process, discuss the concerns, goals and focus of the organization, and agree to methods, time commitment, fees, and specific objectives.

During the Assessment Phase, the task is to identify present issues, challenges, tasks and obstacles. Gain a clear understanding of your organization's abilities--strengths, limitations, assets and liabilities--related to the objectives, by formulating a comprehensive profile of the organization including history, current effectiveness in the marketplace, short term and long term objectives, organizational values and mission, human resources, leadership structure and resources of the organization. Past efforts to effect change, including previous consultations, will be discussed to determine how your organization approached change in the past and to see how effective were those adaptations. Leaders and consultants co-create a vision of how the organization must perform to achieve success or to continue being successful in an ever-shifting marketplace.

A specific action plan will evolve out of the interactive process during the Planning Phase. Organizational transformation usually involves a feedback loop in which consultants and clients continually evaluate the information generated by the consultation process. Thus, the planning-preparation phase, the action and implementation phase and the outcome phase are interwoven. During the Action Phase, the organization and leaders implement the plan and follow through. Ongoing adjustment and feedback meetings with consultants are integral to success. Consultation is result oriented. During the Outcome Phase, evaluation of progress and the coaching process is emphasized.

For more detailed information about Organizational Consultation, contact me.

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13. How are coaching fees based?

Coaching fees vary depending on the amount of contact and access that you prefer. There is no charge for the initial phone contact, during which I am happy to discuss general goals and objectives, and the level of coaching interaction that might be appropriate or desired.

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14. How are leadership assessment fees based?

The fee for a Leadership Development & Effectiveness Assessment depends on the following factors:

• The use of purchased or custom-developed assessment instruments
• The number of assessment instruments used
• Whether or not the assessment process includes personal interviews
• The number of individuals who provide feedback
• Number of hours needed to collect assessment information
• When Leadership Development and Effectiveness Assessments is provided to a group, fees are also influenced by whether interpretation sessions will be scheduled individually for each leader or summarized in a group meeting.

There is no charge for assessment fee quotes. So, if you are shopping around for options, please contact me.

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15. How are organizational development and consultation fees based?

Consulting fees in the areas of organizational development and planning will be defined entirely by the scope of the project and the time required to complete that project.

We would be happy to help you define these variables and to offer you a fee quote.
When you're ready to maximize your own effectiveness and the performance of those around you, contact me to discuss how Lee Faver and Success @ Work can assist you.

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