Is this you?
You want your work to be a source of deep satisfaction and contribution, but your values are not aligned with those of your organization.
You have found the perfect job, but you know you need to ramp up your skills, productivity or work quality to meet your company’s high standards.
You have trouble organizing your workload and/or work space and it is taking a toll on your productivity and job satisfaction.
You frequently find yourself procrastinating on important projects, which makes your life miserable and lowers the your work quality.
You recently were promoted or assigned a challenging new role, but you’re afraid you don’t have what it takes to handle it successfully.
Your boss, coworkers or clients are driving you nuts — you need new strategies for coping with difficult people at work.
You feel stalled, invisible, underappreciated, or unfairly treated at work and don’t know what to do about it.
You are exploding with great ideas for your venture, business or work role, but you’re struggling with how to narrow your focus, set priorities, create a step-by-step action plan, and get going.
You are a woman or minority struggling to fit in and make your mark, but you can’t seem to break through that glass ceiling.
You care so deeply about your work that you are burning out and wonder how much longer you can keep it up.
You love, love, love your job, but you don’t have time for family, relaxation, and other important parts of your life.
Sadly many people have these experiences. If you are suffering at work or just not getting the results you want, Business Coaching can help.
What is Business Coaching?
Business Coaching is a collaborative process designed to enhance your personal effectiveness, success and satisfaction in your career or in your business. It is an extremely powerful tool to enhance the performance of organizations, teams and individuals. Coaching can help create greater self-awareness leading to personal growth in targeted areas.
What is a Business Coach?
Business coaches are trained professionals who are skilled in helping you to clarify your vision, values and goals and develop a concrete strategic plan for meeting your objectives. While you are the expert on your own goals and your own professional life, your coach is an expert on the process of learning, growth and development.
With extensive training in human behavior and performance, your coach can help you to increase your self-understanding and awareness of the dynamics of the human environment in which you function. By helping you to identify what’s working well and not so well, your coach can assist you to build a concrete plan for self-development and more effective strategies for handling your current job responsibilities or a plan for progressing to the next level.
For those engaged in building a business or a scholarly or creative endeavor, your coach can help you to clarify your thinking and sharpen your planning. She can serve as an objective but supportive sounding board or thinking partner as you develop your ideas and plans. Most importantly, your coach will offer encouragement, inspiration, and support your self-accountability as you work towards achieving your desired outcomes.
What are the benefits of Business Coaching to businesses?
The tangible benefits of coaching are well documented in the business world. Many companies offer coaching to their managers, executives, and key contributors. According to the International Coach Federation 2009 Global Coaching Study, the median company reported a 700% Return on investment (ROI) and the top one fifth of the companies surveyed reported an ROI of at least 50 times their initial investment.
A recent case study of mid manager coaching in a Fortune 500 company reported that “Coaching was a very effective leadership developmental tool which produced financial and intangible benefits for the business.” It also stated that “Coaching sessions were identified as rich learning environments that enabled the learning to be applied to a variety of business situations.” The study reported that coaching had significant or very significant impact on a number of business measures, including:
- 60% of those surveyed identified specific financial benefits that came as a result of their coaching.
- Enhanced decision-making, team performance and the motivation of others
- Improved work quality
- Increased productivity—both personal and team productivity
- Greater employee satisfaction—both personal and team satisfaction
- Heightened customer satisfaction
How can Business Coaching help you?
You don’t have to work for a Fortune 500 company to reap the benefits of Business Coaching. Building on your existing knowledge, capabilities and strengths, your coach can help you take your business or job performance and satisfaction to the next level.
Coaching can help you to:
- Discern whether you are in the right career or role for you
- Develop the self confidence needed to advance in your job or business
- Create a concrete, realistic and actionable plan to improve your effectiveness and productivity
- Find greater meaning and satisfaction in your work
- Manage stress and reduce overwhelm
- Identify and focus on what is most important
- Get on the same wavelength as your boss
- Deal with difficult people at work
- Improve your time management and organizational skills
- Achieve a sense of “Flow” by working in harmony with, not against, your own energy cycles
- Break through procrastination and other barriers to your productivity and success
- Overcome indecisiveness and make better decisions
- Achieve greater work/life balance
What does a typical coaching process look like?
Each process is tailored to the individual client’s unique needs, situation, goals and preferences. As your coach, I will work with you to assess how to structure a coaching approach that will make the most out of your existing strengths. If needed, we will identify areas where further development and learning will benefit your personal or career success. I will help you to create a concrete, step-by-step path to achieving more impact, success and satisfaction in your professional life.
Coaching usually moves forward in phases, starting with an initial assessment phase. We will explore in depth where you are and where you would like to be. We will develop a profile of your existing strengths and resources and identify any gaps in what you have and what you will need to take the next step up in your career or business.
If desired, you may take advantage of assessment instruments to gain greater clarity about your personal strengths and style. At your option, this may include a 360 degree assessment with your work colleagues to gain greater insight into how you are perceived by others on the job. Based on this foundation, we will enter the planning phase in which we will work together to develop a realistic, concrete plan to achieve your goals.
Once your plan is developed, you will then enter the execution phase during which you will take the concrete steps necessary to achieve your goals. We will check in on your progress and course correct, if necessary.
How long does Business Coaching take?
There is no one right answer to this question. It depends on your specific coaching goals and how ambitious a program of self-development you wish to undertake. The process is completed when your development goals are achieved, or when you feel you have gained enough from our work together.
By its very nature, professional development and growth take time. A recent industry study reported that coaching generally transpires over a period from three to nine months. Many companies sponsor executives and key contributors for longer term developmental mentoring programs. You are in control of how much time you wish to invest in your development.
In my experience, it is not always necessary to have a long term coaching program. Shorter engagements may be effective when you have a very specific coaching goal. For instance, perhaps you would like a short term thinking partner to help you generate ideas or organize an effective plan of attack for a new project you have been tasked with leading. Or perhaps you would like some coaching on how to improve communications with your boss or resolve a conflict with a co-worker. Delimited issues such as these may take only a few sessions to work through.
Because the length of coaching varies depending on the person and the issues to be worked on, you may purchase individual coaching sessions or more economical packages of four sessions. If you are ready to proceed, click here to schedule a session.
What about Confidentiality?
Conversations are completely confidential between the coach and coachee except in the unlikely event that a release is required for legal reasons. If an organization is paying for your coaching services, we will provide them with periodic status updates, but nothing else will be shared without your permission.
Do we have to meet in person?
Not at all. I offer coaching in person, by telephone, or via online audio-visual platform. Based on my experience, telephone or online sessions are as effective as in person coaching sessions. There is nothing “remote” about so-called remote sessions. One of my clients had this to say:
“I was concerned at first that conducting the sessions over the phone wouldn’t provide the intimacy needed to be honest, but it was surprisingly comfortable, perhaps even more so since I was in my own home for each of the sessions.”– Nicole C.
The online experience provides a very focused, intimate and safe environment for confidential communications. They allow you to save the cost and time of travel and enjoy a session in the privacy of your own home or office. The easy access to telephone or online sessions also makes it possible for me to work very effectively with individuals who are distant from my office in Colorado.
How can my personal experience benefit you?
I hold a Professional Coach Certification from the College of Executive Coaching, an ICF accredited training institution. My coach training included studies in coaching skills, executive coaching, emotional intelligence, use of assessments, and appreciative inquiry in coaching.
Of course, many of the most important benefits a coach can offer is the perspective that comes only from extensive “real life” business experience. I have years of varied business experience to put at your disposal. You can learn more about my experience here.
My current coaching practice allows me to bring together my interests, education, and experience in business, employment issues, organizational development, and optimal personal learning and growth. I have been a Professional Coach for over a decade. As an external coach, I have had the privilege of working with both emerging and established professionals in a wide variety of roles across many business sectors. Over the years I have helped numerous professionals, managers and executives to find more effective strategies for achieving career and business success and satisfaction. It would be my privilege to bring the benefits of this experience to you.
What can you expect from your Business Coaching experience?
Let some of my clients share their experiences with you:
“What I found to be most beneficial was how you helped keep me on track with a goal in mind and I left each session with an actual game plan. Follow up was important too. Knowing that you were going to check up on my progress helped me stay engaged and actually perform the task I said I would.” — Michael L., Human Resources Manager/Director
“Even though I might be referred to as a more seasoned professional, I have benefited greatly from our coaching sessions. We have addressed issues related to personal development, business development, and life/work balance. The coaching experience has given me that little something extra to help me to recreate my vision, redefine my goals, and increase my effectiveness. I believe this gives me more confidence and a competitive edge in life as well as the workplace. It has been and continues to be an exciting opportunity to work with you!” — Ramona H., Project Management Professional
“I found that my coaching sessions helped me become a much better leader and increased my client service delivery. Susan helped me improve and capitalize on my self efficacy which opened an entirely new window into my abilities. Susan assisted me in identifying and capitalizing on my best strengths in order to improve on my weakness. Susan truly helped unleash my talents and taught me how to apply them to maximize their situational effectiveness. My confidence, productivity and professional value has dramatically improved as a result. I found our sessions to be some of the most helpful in my career.” From Sarah S., Lieutenant, US Navy
“Susan Lennox’s coaching style is intelligent and inspiring. In our year of coaching, she has helped me increase my productivity by forming new ways of thinking and problem-solving, reducing stress, and identifying personality indicators that are influencing my work and studies. By using different methods, she has helped me to understand and work with issues to resolve internal conflicts. She is committed to helping me leverage my personal leadership vision, and to develop my individual strengths. She has inspired me more times than I can count, and has helped me find epiphanies that have resonated throughout my life. “Ah-ha” moments come frequently when you are fortunate enough to have Susan as a coach. I can’t thank her enough for her guidance and inspiration.” –Kathryn B.
“With Susan’s help, I have made great progress in recognizing and respecting my desire to focus my work on helping people to live their own lives to the fullest, both in terms of their emotional well-being as well as their physical well-being. Most importantly, I am again willing to trust myself—my instincts and preferences, and know that this trust and acknowledgement will always lead me in a good direction.”—Nicole C.
“Thank you so much for allowing me to see the possibilities!!!!”—Jacqueline F., Director of Student Services,
“Your thoughtful teaching and guidance helped me navigate through a tricky transition into a whole new vocation.”—Karen A., Artist
How can you schedule a coaching appointment?
If you feel ready to proceed, you can schedule a 60 minute appointment at a time that is convenient for you using my online scheduler. If you prefer, you may email me at [email protected] or call me at 617-967-0798 for an appointment.
You can purchase sessions one at a time or opt for a package of 4 sessions at greater savings. Your advance commitment to a coaching package will both help your budget and reinforce your own commitment to your own professional development and growth. Often employers are willing to make this investment in your future. After all, you are one of their most important assets!
No matter which you choose, you are in complete control of the process. You may stop or take a break at any time. If you have purchased a block of appointments, you may either retain your unused sessions on account or request a refund for any unused appointments.
Want to Know More Before You Decide?
If you would like to get to know me, see if we are a good match, or ask questions about how I work and whether coaching or another process is best for you, you are welcome to schedule a free 30-minute consultation here. I look forward to speaking with you and supporting you on your journey of professional growth.
