Whether in one-to-one coaching, group trainings, team facilitations, or consulting on communication projects, I move my clients toward their goals.
Team Outcomes
From Mutiny to Mutual Respect
(Group Facilitation)
A C-suite executive was tasked with taking over a division of a U.S. bank and creating a change initiative to ready the division for an historic growth opportunity. The change initiative centered on reorganization of the division leadership team and implementation of a new technology for internal processes. These changes were not well-received by the leadership team. Productivity crashed, trust dissolved, and emotions flared.
I assisted the new division head and the leadership team in defining their values and common goals, communicating openly about change, and creating a system for getting questions answered quickly. These three wins changed the dynamics of the leadership team, improved both morale and productivity, and have lasted over time.
Confusion to Clarity
(Communication Project Consulting)
An enterprise-wide team of leaders at a global entertainment company engaged me to consult on an internal promotional video for an app that would keep their millions of customers constantly engaged with the company’s ecosystem. Their initial video content contained a confusing blend of features, benefits, and vague promises that would never get the app project greenlit.
I worked with the team to clarify their priorities, rewrite the onscreen and voiceover content, and focus on benefits for the company: brand loyalty, customer engagement, increased monetization, and favorable media coverage. With clarity in the messaging, the video genuinely excited executives, and the app was moved to the next stage of development.
Individual Outcomes
Neutralizing the Inner Critic and Unlocking Influence
(1:1 Coaching)
A smart, well-respected leader in a Fortune 500 company had an important presentation for executives. While she had a solid pitch, she lacked the presence and confidence needed to gain their commitment. The reason? A constantly intrusive voice in her head telling her she didn’t belong in the same room as high-level decision makers. This inner-critic voice weakened her resolve, her words, and even her executive presence.
In just a few minutes, we worked to create a mindset shift in which she recognized that her proposal – and her ideas in general – deserved to be considered by those who could sponsor them. And, as the creator of those ideas, she belonged in the room too. With this unlock, she took ownership of her ideas, ownership of her presentation delivery, and consequently realized she could “own the room.” This change was immediate and palpable and enabled the support she sought – and deserved. A number of executives in the room commented on how much more present and powerful she was as a leader. She has maintained her strengthened mindset and now has greater influence across her company.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome to Create Significant Contributions
(1:1 Coaching)
He was a high-potential leader at a Fortune 500 digital content company. Senior executives were expecting great things from him. There was just one problem. He suffered from Imposter Syndrome which showed up in three critical areas: presenting ideas, leading meetings, and giving feedback. No amount of communication training would matter without overcoming this debilitating issue.
We focused on the tools for effective leadership communication and on a highly effective process for overcoming Imposter Syndrome. He replaced his outmoded self-description as an “imposter” (reluctant and apologetic) with a more appropriate one as a “unifier” (confident and decisive). As a unifier, he discovered how to connect and inspire people to work collaboratively on complex assignments, better leveraging their time and talents. He has been promoted and is now working toward delivering his next significant project, an enterprise-wide quality control system that will lead to significant resource savings.
Eliminating Stage Fright and Fear of Public Speaking
(1:1 Coaching)
A senior creative leader at an industry-leading company regularly defined ways to build efficiencies, speed up complicated processes, and save costs. Unfortunately, this leader suffered from stage fright, and his ideas were seldom heard. He fell silent in meetings with peers and superiors, and he regularly avoided opportunities to make pitches – even when those presentations could advance both his career and his ideas. He simply couldn’t muster the courage to speak up.
Using a series of strategies to keep him calm and confident, he mastered techniques that allow him to share his ideas and influence others. He now regularly contributes solutions and actively shapes the company’s creative vision. He revealed to me that our few months of intensive coaching helped him overcome his stage fright while three years of therapy had not.
