Executive & leadership coaching - VIP conversations

“Even the sharpest knife cannot sharpen itself.”

VIP coaching conversations by All about Talent offer senior managers a sounding board, tranquility and space away from the hectic of the workplace. They aim to develop new insights and be inspired to refine ideas. If requested VIP sessions can also provide a mirror, support and neutral feedback on own leadership behavior.

ORGANISATION TRANSITIONS REQUIRE A LOT FROM LEADERS
Many organisations and companies go through continuous transition processes which demand a lot from employees and managers. Line- and HR directors, have an important role to play. Naturally they aim to achieve the company targets, to support their colleagues and to guide their employees. To inspire them, enable them to grow in their profession, have them cooperate successfully etc. Such transitions often also involve ‘building mutual confidence and trust’. As the leaders themselves are part of the larger whole, they find themselves in the midst of the force fields. By no means an easy task.

THE MORE SENIOR THE ROLE YOU HAVE...
Although the majority of managers have their internal network contacts well organized, many feel an increasing need to discuss their questions, reservations or ‘just – the state of affairs’ with a neutral external professional. For ‘up-and-coming’ managers internal mentors are available in most cases. The more senior your role as lead manager, director or VP, the more difficult and vulnerable it gets to bring your questions, doubts and uncertainties to the conversation.

In my practice I notice that leaders feel a need to regularly:

• ‘Spar’ about possible approaches in order to reach their goals and discuss or review actual cases. Often this implies: reviewing their personal leadership in the current context.
• Exchange thoughts about how they can create a inspiring, ‘go to work with a smile on your face’ working context that does optimal justice to all and where the available talent will be fully tapped. For and together with their team members, peers and internal clients.
• Maintain their energy, positivity and persuasiveness, as - from time to time - they experience the working climate as an ‘energy-drain’ and foresee that transition will take substantial time (a marathon, rather than a couple of sprints).
• ‘Putting the house technically in order’ is an important subject that also, inevitably, will be adressed in these conversations. However focus will be mostly on own leadership in relation to talent management and personal development, your own and of others.

OUR VIP CONVERSATIONS HELP YOU TO...

• Gather and sort out your ideas and thoughts and reflect on your experiences, away from the everyday hectic. This way you will be able to (again) map the way forward and decide on ‘next steps’.
• Weigh different solutions in a safe, neutral environment and thus take on current and future challenges energetically.
• ‘Recognize’ your talents and strengths (again) in addition to your knowledge and know how. Through this ‘talent refreshing & refuelling’ you can deploy your strengths more consciously, which will make you perform more effectively. Improved performance leads to better results, leads to more satisfaction, leads to .. and so on!
• Last but not least: reach your professional and personal goals whilst enjoying yourself.

HOW WILL THIS WORK FOR YOU?
Your priorities, cases and actual needs will be the departing point of our working sessions. You decide the agenda; I will be your sparring partner challenging and supporting you with 'appreciative inquiry' for clarification, food for thought and 'building blocks’ which support your ‘themes’.

My role as coach is not to tell you what to do or provide ready-made recipies. I help you to get insight in your 'thinking and doing', your patterns in what you choose to do or not do, and obtain clarity in your issues.

Conversations/working sessions of 1.5 up to 2 hours usually work best to benefit most from your precious time and maximize result.

You decide how you want to pace the sessions, which frequency suits you best. Some want a short interval start; meeting with a monthly frequency and later on every five or six weeks. Others prefer meeting with a fixed frequency throughout; every six weeks from the start.

All about Talent offers blended coaching programmes of six or seven Talent VIP sessions, with a maximum lead time of resp. seven or eight months. Given that planning is a challenge for senior management agenda’s, our cancellation conditions are modest.

If you feel working with me will get you ahead, please get in touch to further discuss your specific goals and needs and get information about conditions.