Lack of clarity about the differences between executive/organizational consulting, executive coaching, and executive psychotherapy is confusing for executives and can lead them to request and receive the wrong services only to discover that their expectations are not being met, there is no improvement, or worse, conditions deteriorate. Furthermore, when coaches attempt to deal with problems that require the expertise of mental health professionals serious consequences and ethical issues can arise. In the end, the lack of clear differentiation between consulting, coaching and psychotherapy is a disservice to practitioners and their clients.

The problem is further exacerbated by the variety of disciplines that claim expertise in both fields. Each discipline may define the work differently and use different approaches. Some consultants and coaches come from backgrounds in psychology, psychiatry or social work. Others are MBAs or former executives. Anthropologists, educators, actors, and speech and language therapists are also engaged as coaches. Some experienced professionals, such as lawyers and doctors, become coaches and consultants to others in their same discipline. Many consultants and coaches have graduate degrees in organization behavior, industrial psychology or related areas. Others do not. Some are life coaches, some are professional coaches. Some coaches hold certificates from programs typically founded and taught by psychologists, consultants and human resource professionals who entered the field before the existence of such programs. In addition some consultants and coaches work across all three arenas of executive/organizational consulting, executive coaching and executive psychotherapy.

This article defines and differentiates executive/organizational consulting, executive coaching and executive psychotherapy according to the following domains:

1. Time frames that are the focus of attention
2. Accountability
3. Focal issues
4. Goals
5. Others who are aware and involved
6. Boundaries
7. Consultant’s role and expertise

The foci in each of these domains are listed in order of importance in Table 1 at the end of the article. There are of course exceptions to the general rules stated here. For example, most coaches engage the client’s manager in some aspects of the coaching agreement. I know of several companies, however, where this is not the case. A military contractor that has to keep extensive written records does not involve anyone other than the client in the coaching agreement in order to protect confidentiality. The consulting or coaching work may at times address issues other than those I identify or result in additional benefits, such as when coaching enables the executive to enjoy his leisure time more. These are typically a side benefit and are not addressed in this article. Finally, while much of what is written here may apply to those working from inside the organization, the intent is to address the external professional.

Because the lens through which we see the world influences both what we see and how we make sense of it, the reader should be aware of the lenses that influence my thinking. I have expertise and work in all three arenas, hold a Master’s degree in Organization Development and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I began working as a coach before the establishment of formal certification programs and currently supervise students doing practicum assignments in such a program. I believe it is critical to identify and maintain clear boundaries between the three domains. For example, I do not work as an executive psychotherapist to a client with whom I am working as a coach or consultant, nor do I become an executive consultant or coach to someone with whom I am working as an executive psychotherapist. My clinical practice and my coaching/consulting practices are two different entities, informed by different principles and models. At times, however, I employ the same expertise in both – such as understanding and working with the process of individual change and transformation. In the model presented here executive coaching is viewed as a branch or type of organization development – a body of interventions aimed at improving the organization’s effectiveness. Many senior executive/organizational consultants integrated executive coaching into their system of interventions well before the coaching discipline gained popularity. Furthermore, while coaching focuses on the leader research indicates it improves organizational outcomes as well.

Executive/Organizational Consultation

Executive/organizational consulting is an approach to improving organizational effectiveness in which a trained professional who understands systems and organizational dynamics functions as a sounding board, problem solving partner and expert adviser in a collaborative relationship with the executive. The goal is to improve business outcomes by intervening with and affecting organizational culture, dynamics, structures, processes and people. The consultant and executive consider how well various parts of the system such as strategy, goals, people’s skills and reward systems are aligned. They may focus on getting the executive team to work better across organization boundaries to support company-wide goals. They examine interactions between the executive, his team, peers, key stakeholders, employees, customers, etc., to understand how and why they affect each other and the health of the organization. The consultant also explores with the executive what he/she is doing or not doing to create, maintain or change the way things work. Other members of the organization are typically involved at various points as needed. The executive’s beliefs, skills, behaviors, and knowledge may be addressed. The work focuses mainly on the current and the future. The past is considered to the degree that it sheds light on and influences either or both. Finally the executive and consultant are accountable to the executive’s manager.

Case Example: A new CEO hires a Vice-President of Sales to create a culture of customer intimacy and related sales approach. Instead of selling parts based on advances in technology they will be selling solutions based on an intimate understanding of the customers’ business and technical challenges. As the V.P. beings to implement these changes, he meets with strong resistance. He is surprised to discover that people do not trust him given his reputation and past success.

He hires an executive/organizational consultant who conducts an assessment that reveals organizational history is getting in the way. The previous VP and CEO are gone but maintain a felt-presence as former “tyrants” who publicly humiliated and punished people. Employees at all levels still live and work in fear and are reluctant to engage in change that requires learning and practicing new behaviors. One sales director explains that the new VP is introducing change to “people who had their hands chopped off, are still bleeding and require healing.” To address this problem the consultant suggests and coaches the executive to meet with each of his direct reports in order to ensure their safety and build trust. The consultant also designs and facilitates small and large group meetings for people to talk openly about the past and their hopes for the future. Large group events employ rituals and icons to represent the past and the future, bring closure to what was and create momentum to achieve the vision.

The VP, valued for his business acumen and strategic thinking, shifts his beliefs as a result of this consultation. He learns that people won’t care about what he thinks, or act on his ideas, until they sense he cares about them. After the consultation ends the executive engages the consultant as a coach to work on relationship building skills.

Executive Coaching

An approach to executive development facilitated by a close and confidential relationship with a trained professional who understands leadership development, the process of adult development and change, and organizational dynamics. Many coaching engagements are sponsored by the executive’s manager who is likely to be involved in the initial agreement in order to develop a shard set of expectations. A human resource professional may also be involved. The coach often facilitates a process of gathering 360 degree feedback, synthesizing and reviewing it with the executive. Together they identify areas to be addressed. The goal is to enhance the executive’s capability, skills, knowledge and effectiveness in a variety of areas such as communicating a compelling vision, fostering collaboration, building a team, delivering direct feedback etc. Typical outcomes include enhanced emotional intelligence, improved relationships, expanded insight and knowledge. Executive coaching is focused on the present and the future. The past is explored to the extent that it provides relevant information about and helps improve the executive’s current and future performance. As in executive/organizational consulting the executive and consultant are typically accountable to the executive’s manager for the outcomes of this work.

Case Example: A high performing manager is promoted to director with several mangers reporting to him. He and his manager believe the director’s past tendency to get involved with the detail of employees’ work may be a problem in the new role. They hire an executive coach to help him learn to lead and manage the bigger picture while enabling direct reports to manage the details.

A 360 assessment reveals that others do indeed consider the director a micro-manager. As a result direct reports tend not to share informal updates, leaving him “out of loop.” He doesn’t have a pulse on what really counts until bigger problems emerge. One 360 respondent comments, “He seems driven by fear, like there is some monster over his shoulder waiting for him to make a mistake.”
 
The coach uses this comment to help the client explore the issue. He immediately identifies and shares a story about the monster, an influential figure from the past. The coach inquires further, “What role does this internalized memory of the monster play in your life now?” The client reveals his fear that without the monster, he will become an unmotivated “couch potato.” They discuss the concept of getting stuck in patterns of thinking and behaving that were needed and successful in the past, but for which there is a high price in the present. Together they explore the fear of becoming a couch potato. How real a possibility is it? When was the last time it happened? What else serves as a motivator for his many successes? He shares his inspirational vision, his desire for achievement, and his ability to self-discipline. The client, assured that these strategies have and will continue to work, follows the coach’s advice and asks the monster to “step aside,” picturing this as it happens. They also identify behavior changes, such as ending email reminders to direct reports regarding due dates. In addition, he learns to coach them to develop their own problem solving skills, instead of providing them with answers.

Executive Psychotherapy

A process in which a trained social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist works with the executive using psychotherapeutic methods to achieve greater understanding and resolution of work-related and general life problems and/or symptoms. This collaboration differs from executive coaching and consulting in that it is not accountable to produce improved organizational outcomes. While that may happen, the relationship is geared toward enhancing the personal and professional life of the executive. Their work often involves the resolution of issues from the executive’s past that serve as obstacles to self actualization. They move fluidly between past, current and future, although typically focuses less on the future as compared to consulting and coaching. Neither the psychotherapist nor the executive is accountable to anyone outside their relationship. The psychotherapist maintains confidentiality about both the existence and nature of the therapeutic relationship and needs written permission from the executive to speak with anyone about their work. The executive chooses whether or not to inform others. Sessions typically take place in the therapist’s office and once their work is complete, the relationship comes to an end.

Case Example: In this example a coaching relationship results in a referral for executive psychotherapy. Several years after the coaching engagement in the previous example, the same director is viewed by the executive team as a high potential leader and a candidate for senior level roles. He is concerned that inadequate strategic thinking capability will lead to lack of success in such roles. He and his manager invest in another round of coaching to address this issue. Coaching focuses on systems thinking, open systems planning, strategy development, and intuitive thinking. In addition he learns how to enhance collaboration among people with diverging perspectives working together to solve complex problems. He demonstrates improvements through coaching in conjunction with a stretch assignment leading a high level strategic project for the SVP of Sales – who act as a mentor.

During several informal conversations with his coach the client shares vignettes about dinner meetings with customers during which he drinks too much and cannot drive home. At one point the coach plants a question about how the use of alcohol affects the client’s thinking the next day. There is little discussion. Several months later, the client expresses concern that he has a drinking problem. The coach appreciates the confidence and makes a referral to a psychologist who specializes in substance abuse.

The client subsequently joins Alcoholics Anonymous and talks openly about this with his manager, mentor, colleagues and direct reports – asking for their support. In addition, he discovers with some amazement that his thinking becomes much clearer. He sees emerging patterns that help him determine what steps to take now in order to influence the future, instead of reacting to it. He is indeed an excellent strategic thinker and goes on to propose, develop and become the first VP of the company’s Global Accounts organization.

When to Recommend Psychotherapy
(Not a Complete List)

1. You observe or the client reports symptoms associated with a psychological condition such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Anxiety, or Depression.
2. The client remains both defensive and stuck in the problematic pattern of feeling, thinking and behaving despite several attempts to address it.
3. You discover trauma or other problems from the past are a root beliefs, thoughts, feeling and behaviors in which the client is stuck.
4. You are find yourself more concerned about the client’s well-being than is typical of you.
In any or all of these situations it may be helpful to consult with a mental health professional as you consider making a recommendation to the client.

1.Kambarakaran, F.,Yang, J., Baker, M. & Fernandes, P. (2008). Executive Coaching: It Works. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research 60 (1), 78-90.
2.Anderson, M. (2001). Executive Briefing: Case Study on the Return on Investment of Executive Coaching. Metrix Global LLC.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Consultants and Coaches and Shrinks – Oh My! is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

Becoming a Better Leader

Anne is compassionate and puts her heart and soul into what she is doing. She wants to make a difference and makes you want to make a difference. – Kim

Our advanced coaching methods result in productive change for you, your team, and your organization. While coaching is tailored to your individual needs, our expertise allows the coaching work to focus on you as a leader as well as your understanding of human behavior, organization dynamics and the way systems work.  As your capacity expands, those around you respond in kind. You set in motion throughout your organization the essential elements of a strong and responsive enterprise. The impact of your leadership will show itself in your ever-increasing ability to rapidly predict, recognize and resolve human and systemic problems.

Why Leadership Coaching?

According to a study by Metrix Global, executive coaching produced a 529% return on investment and significant intangible benefits to the business. For every $1 spent on coaching services, companies yielded a $5 return. The intangible benefits include increased productivity, annualized financial benefits due to increased productivity, increased employee satisfaction, increased work output, and increased work quality. Are you ready to engage a highly experienced coach with a proven track record?

How We Work

Our leadership coaching method combines expertise in leadership development, the art and science of psychology, and in-depth knowledge of organizations as systems. We begin with a unique approach to the 360 assessment that identifies your strengths and needs while helping you build greater trust and open communication with the people around you. We help you expand your sphere of awareness about yourself, others and your environment. We work with you to make greater use of your strengths and to develop underutilized attributes and skills. You are challenged, supported, heard, encouraged, and held accountable for you ability to see clearly and take actions that lead to the desired results. We continuously seek feedback from those around you to ensure we are working on the right things and you are being more effective. But we don’t stop there. We also teach you the relevant laws of organizations as systems and the science of individual and group behavior. We help you rapidly assess, understand and influence people and organization dynamics. In our coaching sessions we address present challenges and opportunities while teaching you a methodology that you can use in the future as your situation changes. This combination sustains your success after the coaching engagement has ended, because you have a deeper understanding of yourself, others and organizations.

Expand Your Awareness, Broaden Your Influence

Are you are ready to:

• Enhance how you perceive, think and act to positively impact the organization?
• See more of the possibilities and opportunities available to you?
• Increase your own effectiveness and the effectiveness of those around you?

Contact us for a consultation to see how we can take your leadership skills to that next level.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Leadership Coaching is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

To ensure that senior managers and executive do not join the 40% who fail in new roles we have developed the New Executive Program. We integrate proven methods from executive coaching with research on key reasons for failure and ways to avoid them. The program involves members of the company and the new executive before the first day on the job. In collaboration with the leader and others we develop an in-depth understanding of the culture, explicit and implicit expectations, business and organizational challenges, and team members. The new leader engages in a rigorous self-assessment to uncover his/her style of entry and transition – how it works and how it doesn’t. The process creates opportunities for direct feedback which in turn allows the executive to course correct before it is too late. The coaching relationship continues for 6 – 9 months, concluding with an assessment of progress and recommendations for the future. The following phases are included:

Phase 1 – Preparation

The coach meets with key decision makers and others as required to understand the company leadership and culture, expectations, business imperatives, and the new executives’ background, as well as any concerns.

The client, coach, hiring executive or board member, and human resource officer meet to discuss the coaching process, approach, roles, expectations and agree to the coaching contract.

Phase 2 – Initial Self and Organizational Assessments

Part 1 of this phase uncovers the executives strengths and weakness in relation to challenges of the new role and company culture described in Part 2. In part 3 potential derailers are identified and ways to avoid them are developed.

Part 1 – Self Assessment

Prior to starting the new position, the coach takes the client through a self assessment that focuses on his/her leadership, history of professional and other life transitions – what has worked and what hasn’t. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is administered along with other assessments that prove helpful.  The coach and executive discuss factors that will help and those that will interfere with a successful transition. Together they review actions that will reduce or eliminate potential mis-steps.

Part 2 – Organizational Assessment

The first team (direct reports to the executive), by way of a facilitated group meeting, identifies business and organizational challenges and opportunities; potential land-mines; what’s worked in the past and what hasn’t; critical elements of the executive’s role; and the company culture. This conversation also accelerates development of the relationship between the team and the new leader.

Part 3 – Derailers

The executive and coach analyze gaps between the self-assessment and demands related to the business/organizational assessment. Together they identify potential for and steps to avoid derailment.

Phase 3 – Integration Plan

The coach and client produce a written plan including coaching goals, methods, expected results, support required, gaps between what is needed and the executive’s strengths and weaknesses as identified in the initial assessment.  A plan for developing key relationships is included.

They client, coach and hiring executive (and HR leader as appropriate) meet to review, modify and agree to the plan.

Phase 4 – Implementation and Learning

This phase includes a maximum of 4- 6 one-on-one coaching sessions of 60 – 90 minutes primarily in person, but by phone as necessary.

Phase 5 – Final Assessment and Recommendations

The coach conducts a series of interviews with key stakeholders (direct reports, manager, board members, peers, customers) to assess integration. The client and coach review findings and recommendations. A follow up meeting may include those who play a role in supporting the executive.

Phase 6 – Ending

At the end of the engagement the coach, client and hiring executive (HR leader as appropriate) meet to review results, provide feedback on the process, identify long term development goals, and bring an end to the coaching engagement.

For information or to schedule an free initial consultation please contact us via the form below.

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©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

The New Executive: Coaching for Success & Retention is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

Changing the Culture to Achieve a Competitive Advantage

Many companies claim they are changing their culture but few actually succeed. Altera Corporation is among the few who have implemented a strategic culture change resulting in increased business success. The process that is used to transform the culture, Collaborative Transformational Leadership® is what differentiates a company like Altera, whose employees are passionate about and committed to change, from companies where change is only given lip service. Change does not occur just because someone is sent to a course or given a new process to implement. Change occurs because the entire organization, beginning with the leaders, is guided through a process that helps people at all levels reach outside their comfort zone and become engaged in making the company better.

Altera’s Situation

Historically, Altera’s business success was built on a strategy and culture of operational excellence. When the economy, their customers and the competitive landscape changed, this strategy no longer delivered the needed business results and they fell to second place in their market. To win market share, they needed to evolve their sales organization into one that could develop a closer more intimate relationship with their customers. Managers and front line sales people needed to be empowered to make decisions that fostered solid relationships with customers.

“Customer intimacy” was Altera’s vision for success and effectively implementing the vision would be a strategic advantage. The challenge, however, was how to create the environment inside the company that would enable customer intimacy and a winning mindset.

Collaborative Transformational Leadership®

With Anne’s help, I began to appreciate the magnitude of what we were asking of our employees … The key to making these changes work and have a lasting and substantive impact lies with the leadership. – Dan

Real culture change begins with the transformation of those who are leading the change. Success at Altera was achieved through Collaborative Transformational Leadership, an iterative process whereby those who lead the change are further transformed by their followers. As one level in the organization experiences change and expands their capabilities, they challenge the next level down to do the same, which in turn, challenges the leaders once again. In this way, the bar is continuously raised for leaders and followers alike. Collaborative Transformational Leadership ensures that the company is responsive to and in front of the demands of a fast-paced, ever changing environment.

Gaining Trust

Dan Sheehy, vice president of Eastern Area Sales, reviews the history of the culture change.

“As a company that has always driven towards operational excellence, we had a command and control culture. We paid people to execute, not to think about the business or the customers. To shift to customer intimacy required a culture of empowerment. We needed to develop a sales force that actively listened to and understood their customers. This required adding business acumen and relationship based competencies to a technically based culture.

“We began by communicating a vision of where we wanted to go. We provided training in a new sales process, but nothing substantive changed and the resistance was strong. I didn’t understand why. As I saw it, we were offering employees a better climate where they would be more empowered and more successful. At this point, I felt we needed an outside perspective to help affect change, so I brought in Germane Consulting to help me understand why things weren’t working, and what I needed to do.

“With Germane Consulting’s help, I began to appreciate the magnitude of what we were asking of our employees. Anne Perschel, president of Germane Consulting, helped me see that to achieve the change, people had to try new things and stop doing business the old way. Sounds easy, but the old way is what they knew, what they were comfortable with, and what made them and the company successful in the past. We were also taking down silos between units and power was shifting. Before key leaders, managers and employees would do this, we had to gain trust on two levels. First, they had to trust our competence as leaders. They had to believe that our vision was sound and if they followed us, we could reach it. Second, they had to trust that we cared enough to help them on the journey and that the company and everyone who worked here would have an opportunity to be successful.”

Becoming Emotionally Competent Leaders

The leaders at Altera had to become emotionally competent. They had to inspire, not just command. They had to read people better and respond to what motivates them. They needed to influence, not just direct. They needed to coach, collaborate and build teams. The first step in one’s transformation as a leader is to become self-aware and be open to seeing oneself as others do.

Germane Consulting worked with the leaders to help them become more self aware and develop the attitude and skills to effect change. A model of leadership and the required competencies to achieve the vision was developed. These competencies included:

• Being self-aware;
• Soliciting feedback;
• Inspiring others;
• Conveying a vision through story telling;
• Reading the emotional landscape;
• Influencing others;
• Leading through empowerment;
• Eliciting candor to identify and resolve obstacles.

Once the model was in place, Germane Consulting identified and administered a 360 degree assessment for each leader and then provided the appropriate coaching to develop the needed competencies. A 360 degree assessment enables leaders to develop self-awareness in order to be better able to see and address obstacles to success, understanding the impact they have on those around them and why. Germane Consulting worked with key leaders and managers in individual and small group settings. John Singleton, a sales manager remarked, “This has become a tight knit organization. There is no dodging the issues. It helps to have a resource like Germane Consulting to help you get things out in the open, to stop the dodging and to demystify what it takes to work on real issues.”

Another Sales Manager was not seeing the needed performance from his sales force. Past success led him to believe that people would follow him if convinced that his ideas would yield the desired business results. His people complained that he was driving his agenda so hard that he did not attend to their issues. Through a customized 360 process Germane Consulting helped him hear in-depth feedback about his impact. His guiding beliefs about people changed as he realized that people were only doing what was needed to comply with his demands. This was having a direct negative impact on results. Consultations focused on coaching and collaboration, while listening empathically to others. He began to hear and address people’s concerns. They responded in kind. He and his direct reports formed a leadership council. They shared ideas for implementing change and achieving results. Within six months the district began to exceed expectations and have continued to do so over several quarters. The tempo is upbeat. They have a winning mindset and everyone contributes. At their quarterly meetings it is difficult to tell who the formal” leaders are. It is a true team.

The Collaborative Transformation

I felt a wave of gratitude for where I’ve been over the last few years and how my life has changed – personally and professionally. You’ve been such a big part of that, helping me see things in new and different ways. You’ve been an advocate and a teacher. I’m so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to get to know you. – Art

In conjunction with the coaching, leaders and employees continued to receive intensive training in a new sales process. They learned how to work in teams, to listen to each other and to the customer, and to think like business people. They became empowered. But this change was hard work and management experienced substantial resistance. Employees complained that “it was easier when you just told us what to do.” But leaders held true to the vision and people began to achieve small successes.

With guidance from Germane Consulting, they implemented plans to support the change. They held celebrations to mark the victories of change from the old culture to the new and learning conferences where employee teams told successes stories and how they achieved them. People began to inspire and learn from each other.

Sales people and managers were also trained in the use of tools such as the Myers Briggs Type Inventory to help them understand their own and others’ personality types. Tools such as these, in conjunction with the coaching, help people increase their abilities to work with peers, direct reports, managers, and customers.

According to Dan, the tools and sales processes were necessary but not sufficient to change the culture. “Any company can bring in a sales process or train people to use tools like Myers Briggs to understand more about people. The key to making these changes work and have a lasting and substantive impact lies with the leadership, and that started with me. We had to show that we could be trusted, that we were vulnerable to the changes as well. We had to listen to what employees were saying. Germane Consulting was critical to helping us see the need to do this and to do it well. Without this, we would have ‘trained people’ but we would not have changed the culture.”

Altera’s empowered culture was now demanding more from their leaders: more collaboration, more teamwork, more room to make strategic decisions for their markets and territories. Leaders responded by listening to the demands. They also engaged Germane Consulting to help design a newly customized leadership assessment. Anne went to our constituents. Employees and peers helped identify the issues the leaders needed to understand in greater depth. They recommended people to be interviewed. They reviewed the feedback with their leaders and provided detailed stories to help managers and leaders learn. The transformation process was now mutual, internal and institutionalized.

Results

One success story is illustrated by a manager who prior to coaching, micro managed and stood in people’s way. He never heard the real truth about what was going on because people knew they would be micromanaged on the solutions. Now he is seen as one of the highest potential managers in the company. His people are empowered and creative. They are identifying opportunities and responding to them without being asked. He is engaged in very strategic thinking, predicting market trends and aligning sales strategies and organizations to take advantage of emerging factors. When asked how he developed his strategic thinking capabilities, he stated that prior to coaching, obstacles prevented him from knowing he had the capability to think about the big picture and see emerging patterns. Coaching helped him remove barriers from his own thought process and learn how to see emerging patterns of the future. His thinking is much clearer and more strategic. He has found new markets for Altera products and has redesigned his sales organization to align better with these emerging markets.

“Collaborative transformational leadership is now underway and continues to strengthen our organization,” says Dan. “We asked for change and we changed ourselves first. The employees then changed and demanded even more sophisticated and enlightened leadership. Best of all, our business results prove this is the way to win. We have gained significant market share and our pipeline of new business is strong; the industry’s most talented people are knocking on our doors looking for opportunities to work at Altera. Our employees are excited and they care about what they have created here. The ideas and the energy keep flowing.”

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Altera Case Study is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

Peak Performance addresses negative or blocking beliefs that limit performance and prevent people from advancing their careers. Peak Performance uses one of the most well-researched psychological techniques for shifting troubling emotions and thoughts that result from negative past experience.

The brain records past experience, related emotions and blocking beliefs. Neural pathways in the brain link various aspects of emotionally charged memories, such as images, sounds, thoughts, emotions and bodily reactions. Because present day experiences can trigger these neural pathways, powerful experiences from the past continue to color our perceptions of and reactions to current situations. The impact is often limiting and negative. For some it can even be overwhelming and debilitating at times.

While Peak Performance does not change the memory of the event it allows you to reprocess that memory. As a result, negative thoughts are diminished and you begin to develop neutral or even positive thoughts about your role in the event. Likewise emotions begin to shift, becoming less intense, neutral or even pleasant. New neural pathways are established so that current situations trigger more positive thoughts and emotions.

One client’s story:

Dave was a successful mid-level manager. He got things done. His strong tendency to micromanage, however, limited his career. He was not seen as a leader who could inspire people to achieve. His micromanagement also caused the following problems.

• Direct reports held back information because they knew that bad news would bring increased tension and micromanagement. As a result Dave did not have a well-rounded picture of the health of the business or of critical situations. He was putting out fires constantly.
• The general atmosphere around Dave was very tense and people did not like being in the office with him. People did what he told them to do and no more than that.
• Dave worked more than 12 hours per day, and his direct reports constantly complained about 3:00 A.M. emails they received from him. They felt compelled to respond by working similar hours and resented it.
• Direct reports relied on Dave to manage them and their projects by sending reminders. They were not developing their own capabilities.
• Dave became ill from exhaustion and was out of work for several months.

These problems were identified during the assessment phase of coaching. Dave stated that he was very driven. While the drive to achieve is a positive attribute, Dave felt that he was driven to avoid the negative. All his life he had felt that there was a “monster” lurking over his shoulder waiting for him to do something wrong. This was the source of his micromanagement.

During Peak Performance Dave identified critical incidents from his past where the “monster” (someone real in his life) had a very strong presence. By addressing these specific memories, Dave shifted his relationship to the monster. The monster became tiny in his revised visual image. Dave’s thoughts about himself shifted from the young child who was terrified by the monster to his adult self who had the strength and courage to tell the monster to go away.

Within three months Dave’s direct reports reported a 70% improvement in Dave’s ability to manage them as individuals versus micromanaging their tasks and projects. Dave’s coaching work shifted to develop the qualities and tools of an inspirational leader. A Senior Vice President also engaged Dave to lead the company’s senior staff to develop a compelling vision for the company. Dave is currently being groomed for a key senior leadership role in the company and is developing his international experience.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Peak Performance Coaching is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

He Grew Up on Mean Street

“He’s a different person. The change is amazing.” VP Human Resources

BEFORE

Smart, driven, aggressive, acerbic, on the attack.

Twice he told people to”Sit down and shut the f— up.”

It was a problem of the heart.

It started long ago when

He grew up

On Mean Street.

He had to be tough to survive so

He grew armor around his heart.

Then he sharpened his tongue, and

Used it as a sword.

IN BETWEEN

I was there on his behalf,

To find him.

So he put down the sword, and when he did I asked

“Would you let me see behind the armor? You can have it back if you need it.”

A picture of two children on his desk.

“If they came home from school and said,

‘Dad, the teacher told me to sit down and shut the f— up?”

Tears filled his eyes

Dissolved the armor

Behind it was his heart

Crying for his children, for his child, for those he had hurt

He said “I am afraid to lose my edge.

It is what got me here.”

I replied “It won’t get you there, where you want to be.”

NOW

He is there.

Where?

A place called Self.

Not a different person

Him Self

To touch the human heart

An honor and a privilege

Future Episodes

• Coaching and the Brain
• Thickening the Skin

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

The Heart of Coaching is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

Most professionals work well over 40 hours per week and many women also maintain the major share of responsibilities for managing home and family. Work life balance – dividing and creating time for everything – can be a myth that leaves you feeling badly when you can’t achieve it. Working in ways that replenish rather than drain your energy may be a better solution.

Looking for better work life balance?

Are you burnt out or on your way there?

Did you know it’s possible to work in ways that increase rather than deplete your energy?

It’s called flow.

What is flow?

When flow happens you are in a state of harmony. All the gears are engaged and synchronized. Work is effortless. A trial lawyer who loves to compete and win is in the flow when she prepares her case. Her heart pumps faster. Ideas just pop. After working 12 hours she has plenty of energy to care for her two young sons. A landscaper is in the flow when she presses the dirt firmly around the flowers and the scent of damp earth fills her nostrils. She goes home dirty but joyous and ready to engage with her family.  When an architect is in the flow the building seems to draw itself.

Flow increases your reserves. How? Picture yourself floating down a river on an inner tube. There is no resistance. You move effortlessly. While you float your system is replenishing its supply of energy.

Is Flow Assessment right for you?

The program is designed for people who

• Are committed to their profession but want to work in ways that increase their energy rather than drain it 
• Have not yet identified the type of work, situations and activities that make them flow 
• Want to make changes in their professional life and need guidance

How will you benefit?

The flow assessment identifies -

• Your natural talents
• Your passion
• The types of work that
  • fuel your passions
  • generate more energy 

Individualized coaching then helps you -

• Restructure your work to put you in the flow
• Identify situations, roles, or careers that tap your passion and use your natural talents

Are you ready to find your flow?

To inquire about this  program  or to schedule your free 15 minute preview consultation, please contact Anne by filling out the form below:

* - required

First Name:*

Last Name:*

E-Mail Address:*

Business name:

Phone:

Tell me about you and your interests?*

Enter the code above:*

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Finding Your Flow: Assessment & Individualized Coaching is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

The members of Germane’s team are chosen – and choose Germane – for our ability to see into what is most important and true about our clients. We are highly intuitive, scientifically sound and systemic in our approach. We have degrees in physics, organization development and psychology. Dr. Anne Perschel, president and founder, is the lead consultant on all engagements. At the same time, we understand each leader and every organization has unique strengths and challenges, so as needed other members of the team are available to deliver what you need most.

Dr. Anne Perschel, Founder and President

Dr. Anne Perschel, president and founder of Germane Consulting, is a leadership and organizational psychologist with over 15 years experience. She is a coach, consultant and trusted adviser to leaders in local, national and global companies. Anne has a track record of coaching clients who are promoted for their achievements within 1-2 years and collaborating with leaders to transform their organizations. Altera Corporation, Philips Medical, CVS, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, and Girl Scouts of America are among her clients.

Anne has also held management positions at two Fortune 50 companies. She has a doctorate in psychology, a master’s degree in organization behavior and is a Master Executive Coach and guest lecturer with Mass School of Professional Psychology Coach Certification Program. Her articles have appeared in Global Business an Organizational Excellence; Washington Post “On Leadership;” PINK, a national women’s professional magazine; Boston Herald and The Glass Hammer. She is also consulted and interviewed for articles in Business Week, China Daily, Ragan Communications, and Forbes Magazine’s women’s edition.

Anne is V.P. of Programs, New England Society of Applied Psychology and serves on the board of Girl Scouts of Central and Western Mass. She is also on the membership committee of Human Resource Leadership Forum; and a member of New England Human Resource Association, Organization Development Learning Group, and Boston Facilitator’s Roundtable.

In 2006 BusinessWeek featured the gains achieved by one of Germane’s client companies. Altera Corporation hired Germane Consulting to guide culture change. Death of a Pushy Salesman”(The Corporation, July 3, 2006) tells how Altera’s sales force achieved true customer intimacy and an initial 11% increase in sales. George Papa, Senior Vice-President World Wide Sales states:

“Germane Consulting has and continues to play a critical role in creating a sales culture of customer intimacy. Dr. Perschel helped us lead change by identifying and overcoming sources of resistance. She then defined and helped us develop the critical leadership competencies we needed including emotional intelligence, collaboration, inclusiveness and empowerment. Our customers now see us as key to their success, and we have an empowered sales force that delivers what customers want and need.”

For more detailed information on how Germane Consulting affected this change, read the case study: Altera Corporation: Changing the Culture to Achieve a Competitive Advantage.

Working with Dr. Perschel leaders develop the insight they need to succeed over the long term. She also creates increased trust, openness and on-going feedback within the system so leaders, their people, and the organization continue to learn and grow long after the consulting engagement has ended.

Germane Consulting’s services include leadership assessment and coaching; confidential advice on “sticky” human and organizational issues; change management expertise; design and facilitation of customized workshops; organization assessment and problem resolution; strategic planning and women’s leadership initiatives.

Nancy Heaton Lonstein, Principal Consultant

Nancy Heaton Lonstein is a certified executive coach, and a recognized expert in the fields of leadership development, change management and organizational learning. She has held management roles in Fortune 500 companies, strategy consulting firms, small business and non-profit organizations.

Nancy has an undergraduate degree in physics and a Master’s Degree in organizational consulting from Harvard University. She was one of the original members of The Institute for Noetic Sciences and a current member of the New England Society of Applied Psychology, The Society for Organizational Learning, the Organization Development Network and Boston Facilitator’s Roundtable.

Nancy has and continues to make significant contributions to the fields of leadership and organization development. She co-authored a chapter in Peter Senge’s best-selling book, “The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook,” and is working on “Raising the Curtain, The Real Lives of Leaders,” with David Kantor. She also collaborated with David Kantor on the Kantor Profile Instrument Suite, a set of behaviorally based assessments that give leaders tools to communicate and lead others more effectively in highly intense situations when it matters most. Lonstein and Kantor’s recent speaking engagements include “Losing It: When High Stakes Situations Erode Communicative Competency.”

Jerry Zevin, Principal Consultant

Jerry Zevin is a senior organization development consultant with over 20 years experience. He works in the profit and not-for-profit sectors, and has practiced both as an internal consultant to Fortune 100 companies and as an independent consultant. His areas of expertise include leading large systems change, organization design, team development, executive coaching, and survey design. He is highly respected for his work in building high performing and self-managing teams as part of an organization design strategy.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Chinese Proverb

Jerry teaches clients to fish. Some might say he teaches them to design and build a better fishing rod. He creates a dual focus – increasing change management capability through action learning while collaborating with clients to design and implement strategic change initiatives. By doing so, he ensures clients’ success with the current and future project. Jerry delivers business return on investment through pro-active strategies designed to pre-empt predictable crises.

Jerry enjoys working on challenging situations with concrete business goals in mind, including maximizing revenue, organization turnaround support, technology implementation, business model/strategy shift, organization redesign and international consulting. Clients enjoy Jerry for his expertise as well as his collegiality and many become life-long friends.

Jerry was the Senior Director of Organization Development at PacifiCare Health Systems and an Organization Development consultant at the former Digital Equipment Corporation. His accomplishments include

• Design and implementation of a change management program to implement CRM resulting in a 30% decrease in customer phone wait times and 20% lower cost of operation.
• Redesign of a manufacturing organization to incorporate self-managing teams
• Implementation of complex information technology solutions with external customers – a change management approach
• Increase in competitiveness and profitability of worldwide services organization in Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, Western Europe, Canada and the U.S. Transformed organization strategies, structure and culture in response to a changing business model.

Jerry has a B.A. in Political Science from California State University, Northridge, and a M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. He studied at the Gestalt Institute of New England and NTL Institute. He is a graduate of the Advanced Program in Organization Development at Columbia University and is certified in to use Myers Briggs Type Indicator and the DiSC System.

Jerry is a member National Human Resource Association, Organization Development Network, American Society for Training and Development, Human Resource Strategy Forum, and Professional Coaches and Mentors Association. He lives in Irvine, California where he enjoys time with his wife and life partner Judy, who is a psychoanalyst, and serves on the board of his synagogue. Jerry enjoys photography, collecting stamps, reading, and following professional sports with his two grown sons – Eli and Avi.

Susan Mazza, Principal Consultant

Susan has worked with leaders and their organizations for over 20 years to substantially improve the performance of their organizations and their people.

For the first 10 years of her career Susan worked successfully in many facets of Business System design, development and implementation from both the end user and IT sides of the process including requirements definition, relational database design, managing development teams, overall project management, as well as client services.

She then parlayed her unique talent for facilitating change and attaining unusually high customer satisfaction with business systems into a focus on transforming the human systems that enable the success of organizations. With her unique experience as a change agent both internally and externally and an unquenchable thirst to unlock the potential of the human spirit, she has worked successfully with people around the world in business, as well as with non-profits and in k-12 education.

Her clients include: Prudential Financial, Tyco, AT&T, Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Lucent Technologies, SMART Business Advisory and Consulting, LLC, The Morris School District, DelSano Construction Company, Heller Communications Design, and The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education.

Susan has a B.S in Finance with an emphasis in International Business from The Pennsylvania State University and is certified to use the NetTPS Values System.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Principal Consultants is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

Myths and legends can help you follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City of career fulfillment.

Celia was the only female Vice President at her company. She’d noticed how vendors invited the male VP’s to football games all the time – but not her. As the daughter of a high school football coach, she loved the sport and had made her interest clear to her colleagues and vendors, to no avail. She knew it was important to get invited to the games for building relationships, but she didn’t know how to break in.

For help, she turned to leadership psychologist and coach Anne Perschel, Psy.D. “I asked her, ‘Who do you want to be?’ ” Perschel recalls. “Cinderella waiting for the prince to come, or Joan of Arc who went into battle and created a place for herself?” Celia immediately go it. She decided to create a tailgating event and invite her colleagues and vendors, both men and women. After that party, she was included in several other sports events and became part of the Monday morning post-game phone call circuit. This helped her develop closer relationships with vendors and, in turn negotiate better terms and deals for her company. She also broke tradition and made an important change to the culture.

Using archetypes like Cinderella and Joan of Arc can an be important tool in leadership coaching according to Perschel and other experts. “Myths and fairy tales conjure up powerful images,” says Perschel, who estimates that 40 percent of her colleagues use myths in coaching. “These are common stories, so everyone knows what you’re talking about. They’re shorthand and can help people better understand themselves and the resources they have to work with when confronting obstacles.

Men have long used archetypes from Ulysses to Luke Skywalker to pattern careers after – whether they know it or not, psychologists point out, since the hero myth is one that’s been a part of Western culture for millennia. The problem for women is that traditional myths about independent strong heroines are in such short supply. Some believe this is no accident as it helps to keep women from realizing their power. Indeed, women are more likely to be portrayed as needing to be rescued (Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty) or scary and needing to be stopped. (Think Medusa with her hair of snakes.) Even Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.

Hero of Your Own Life

But the heroines are out there – especially if one is able to look beyond Homer and Virgil to the likes of L. Frank Baum and Lewis Carroll. Like the ancient myths, contemporary stories can be very compelling, helping “to unravel and knit the psyche in the strongest possible terms,” says Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D., psychoanalyst and author of the best-selling Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype (Ballantine, 1996). When used most effectively, these stories provide not an outward model to follow, but a mirror that helps the ordinary woman look to the champion hidden within and become the heroine of her own life story.

According to Perschel it helps that the stories, as guides, are open to interpretation on several levels and can apply to almost anyone – which is the whole point of myths. Take the story of Alice in Wonderland, for example. “It’s Alice’s curiousity that gets her down the rabbit hole, so she sees what is going on below the surface,” Perschel says, “Leaders have to be very curious and see things from different perspectives in order to survive. They won’t succeed long if they keep doing things the same old way. Interpreted on another level, women in business are charting new territory. They are not members of the predominant culture that set the rules of the game. They can and must see that culture more clearly in order to understand those rules. Alice in Wonderland is a wonderful metaphor for this experience.

Perschel also looks to more modern sources for inspirational myths to guide leaders, like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. “She’s a transformational leader,” Perschel says. “She’s on a journey toward a vision – the Emerald City. She convenes a team. She has a relational style of leading – not a patriarchal command and control style. She helps each person on the team realize that he has the very qualities for which he longs. Nowadays, leadership is about understanding people’s talents and motivations. It’s about connecting with your staff emotionally to get the best from them. Perschel firmly believes if women hadn’t entered the workplace in such great numbers, we wouldn’t be talking abut emotional intelligence.

Dorothy also thinks a great man (the wizard) is going to give her what she wants, but he really has very little power to do so, as do most CEOs. People must realize their own potential. Dorothy has a female mentor, Glinda the Good Witch, through whom she discovers her own power (the means to get back to Kansas, which was always in her own hands – or more literally on her own feet.)

The self as heroine and the female guide archetypes were especially helpful to Sandra Williams, an executive director for a conservation organization who was looking for a new career direction. (As one of Perschel’s clients she requested that we not use her real name.) Williams thought about running a performing arts center, drawing on her previous background as a producer, but there was not a lot of work available in her hometown. Through coaching she realized that she had been limiting herself by looking for a job that already existed rather than creating her own role.

Perschel also asked Williams to identify her own “Glinda.” “I have a dear friend who has her own business and is a real go-getter,” Williams says. “She tells me to follow my heart.” Williams ultimately decided to offer performance art programs at retirement communities and assisted living centers. “Lots of boomers are retiring,” she says. “There is a market for top notch arts programs in those communities.” Williams has been discussing the idea with her Glinda and is using her feedback and support to develop a business plan.

Why are we drawn to myths just as men are, despite having fewer stories of our own?” “The value of story has little to do with gender. Story has to do with soul,” Estes says. “Once a person is ensouled, she can, with wit and will and a certain amount of wildness, achieve, create and unleash most anything of goodness and worth.”

This article was published in the December/January issue of PINK - a magazine for professional women.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

The Heroine's Journey to Career Fulfillment is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

Germane Consulting integrates organizational development and leadership coaching in our work with executives, high potential up and comers, and leadership teams.

With our guidance leaders resolve those sticky issues that keep them awake at night. We teach you to get to the  heart of the matter and address problems quickly, clearing the way for you, your people and the business to grow.  Along the way you discover your most inspired and capable self.  You also see what each person who works with and for you is  uniquely suited and motivated to deliver. You help them grow and use this potential to its fullest.

We also work with senior management to achieve competitive advantage through programs designed to ensure the promotion, success and retention of highly talented women leaders.

Is Leadership Coaching Right for You & Your Most Talented People?

Germane Consulting works with the gems of the organization who seek continuous growth. Our clients are:

Leadership is the catalyst for the evolution of the enterprise and its people. A leader envisions a new future and draws out untapped potential to make it happen.
• Successful, progressive achievers with significant organizational responsibility
• Willing to review actions openly & honestly, explore their effect on others & impact on the company
• Open to new perspectives that lead to more effective actions and better results
• Want to develop their emotional intelligence

Is Your Team & the Organization Running on all Cylinders?

As outside experts we see the organization’s blind spots.  We bring new perspectives & possibilities. We work collaboratively with you & your team to identify & resolve problems. It’s time to call us when:

• The organization is not achieving desired outcomes but you are not sure why or what to do about it
• Important issues that interfere with team performance are being swept under the rug
• People need to adapt to change more readily

Are You Leading Effectively on the Global Stage?

Are You Winning Your Biggest Markets & Attracting the Best Talent?

Women leaders bring different and much needed competencies to the global stage. They lead collaboratively. They attend to and build relationships. They garner support for change. They think intuitively. They read and account for the emotional landscape. They are inclusive. And they can make tough decisions. They have what it takes to lead globally and will teach others to succeed as well.

Companies like G.E., Deloitte & Touche, and American Express that pay close attention to financial results know that women are the fastest growing sector of their customer and talent base. That’s why these companies have robust programs to ensure they are developing and utilizing talented women as a competitive advantage.  They are aware that women:

• Make 85% of consumer purchases
• Will own 60% of the country’s financial wealth by 2010
• Earn over 65% of graduate degrees

And that:

• Women owned businesses are growing at twice the rate of all privately held firms
• Fortune 500 companies with most women on top leadership teams earn:
  • 35% higher return on equity
  • 34% higher return to shareholders

Women are critical for success in all industries and markets.  To delight your customers and capture up and coming talent company leaders must understand the feminine perspective.  A critical mass of women on top leadership teams is your best resource for success, and chances are these women are already in your company.

Germane Consulting provides companies with a competitive advantage through customized women’s leadership initiatives and coaching for high potential women. We also identify and help you remove obstacles to the success and promotion of women into top leadership roles.

Germane Consulting collaborates with you to understand and address your situation. We provide you with a process, insight, advice and creative ideas, always acting as your trusted confidant

Contact us to schedule an initial consultation.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Your Success is Our Business is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology