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Confessions of an Executive Coach
What organizations never tell you about advancement
Presented by Elizabeth A. Kunze
Agenda
Secrets to Advancement
Today’s Topics
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Introduction
Definition of Executive Coaching
Understanding Keys to Advancement
Know when to Move
Closing Comments & Questions
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Why should you care about today’s topic?
Information presented represents empirical data, based on observations collected over more than 15
years as a consultant – on the other side of private conversations with leadership and HR.
Experience
More than 12 years as Executive Coach in Leadership / Talent Development combined with 5 years as
Career Coach.
Inside Information
Been a part of too-many-to-count confidential conversations with senior leaders, HR partners
and other important organizational power brokers, where individual(s) being coached
has/have not been included in the discussion.
Important for Everyone
Factors, issues, and challenges discussed today are equally important to women and men;
however, women may not understand or leverage some factors the way men do.
Different Approaches
Often, many of the back-room scenarios may not be so obvious, since women tend to
approach work and developing relationships differently than our male counterparts.
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What is Executive Coaching ?
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Leadership and Talent Development Coaching entails …
With a Goal
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Guided Learning
Process of discovery
and analysis – typically
gap analysis between
self-perception and
others’ perception – to
identify strengths and
opportunities for
development…..
A THREE-PART
DEFINITION OF
EXECUTIVE
COACHING
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To raise or change
performance levels or
modify behavior(s) to
those desired by either
the client or the client’s
organization.
Through a Process
Combined with an action plan
with SMART goals.
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Types of Coaching Assignments
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The Range of Executive Coaching & Leadership Development
• Leadership / Talent Development Coaching
• Coaching for Fast-Track High Potentials
• On-Boarding & Assimilation Coaching
Leadership /
Talent
Development
(High Potentials)
• Intervention Coaching
On-Board &
Assimilation
Intervention
Keys to Understanding Advancement
What’s behind Door # 3 ?
Manage Your Reputation / Brand
Build Relationships and Your Network
Understand Organizational Dynamics
Ask for Feedback
Volunteer for the Hairy Jobs
Pursue Enrichment
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Manage Your Reputation / Brand
Look, Dress and Act the Part
The woods have eyes - even when you think no one is watching or notices, they are!
Who’s watching ?
 Your manager’s manager ? And above ?
 Your manager’s peers ?
 Many others often participate in decision making
process.
What to do then?
 Be pro-active in managing your reputation
 Know / understand what your reputation is and why
 If you do not like it or agree with your reputation,
take action to change it
Consider these questions:
 What do you want your reputation to be?
 What should / could you do to actively manage or
change your reputation?
 What could you be doing that is counterproductive
to the reputation you want?
 Who can influence or help you change your
reputation?
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Network / Develop Relationships – Specifically Sponsors
Go beyond your immediate circle
Organizations expect leaders / top performers /
high potentials to:
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Have both formal & informal connections and
networks;
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Know how to tap into and leverage such
networks / contacts when needed;
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Get things done formally & informally to
benefit the organization;
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Recognize when to step outside - and not be
afraid to - access and utilize informal
connections.
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Analyze Your Network
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Who’s in your Network - - Acquaintances? Allies? Advocates / Sponsors?
Acquaintances
Allies
Advocates
People who know
you casually, but do
not know you well
professionally.
Individuals who
know some thing
about you - skills,
abilities, talents but would NOT be
willing go out on a
limb for you.
Sponsors / Champions
people who know you
well professionally.
They support you & may
have even sponsored
you in the past.
Your chances for promotion and / or being considered for important roles and assignments
depend on you proactively addressing and managing key relationships.
Remember: Your immediate manager MAY NOT = your sponsor and vice versa.
Why Advocates / Sponsors Matter?
When push comes to shove, Sponsors will:
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Champion or fight for people they believe or
have confidence in.
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Campaign for individuals (long) before
conversations start about promotions,
special projects or development / stretch
assignments.
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Go to the mat for their people and coach
them for success.
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Have your back when things go south.
Additional info or photos?
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Pay Attention to Organizational Dynamics
Being apolitical or refusing to play politics does not cut it
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Work to understand your organization’s dynamics,
culture, norms - written and unwritten.
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Study the real power brokers - the obvious and
not so obvious; Pay attention to how they
navigate and get things done.
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Identify and develop real connections with likeminded individuals.
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Find ways to connect with both formal & informal
sources of organizational knowledge – example:
smoker’s group?
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Ask for Feedback
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Regularly and routinely
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Most coaching and leadership
development work start with a 360
assessment.
If you have not had one or been a part
of one, create your own.
Identify 5 to 12 individuals,
representing a variety of 360
stakeholders, who have first-hand
knowledge of your work and abilities.
Be sure to sample the extremes
Solicit formal and/or informal feedback
at least a year.
360
Assessment
5-12 1x
Individuals
Every Year
Volunteer for the Hairy Jobs
Don’t wait to be asked
Recent research indicates that
Women tended to pursue or assume more demanding roles /
promotion when they thought that they had 60% of the skills or
abilities needed to do the job, whereas….
Men tended to routinely step up for new / more demanding roles with
just 10 % of the required skills, talents or knowledge.
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Campaign for the work / challenges you want; don’t be afraid
to ask.
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If turned down, ask for specific feedback about skills,
knowledge or abilities needed to be considered for the role.
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Engage your network to learn about emerging opportunities
within the organization; seek their input / feedback when
pursuing such roles.
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Enrichment – Sharpen the Saw
Training and Professional Development
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Call it whatever you want – training, professional
development; what you call it does not matter just do it!
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Research & identify enrichment / development
resources / opportunities that will increase your
contribution to organizational effectiveness.
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Campaign for org to pay for it, and when it does
not, invest in enrichment yourself. (Don’t wait to be
asked, nor insist your employer pay for it.)
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Always be thinking about priming the pump
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Enrichment – Sharpen the Saw
Professional Development, Training & Education
Why Enrich ?
• You, the product, will add new skills / talents to
your portfolio, making you a more valuable resource.
• Enrichment for enrichment sake • Stimulates your own creative juices, making you
better at other things;
• Can lead to new areas of interest, new ways to
leverage unique skills & increase your value;
• Helps broaden your network & access to new
resources that can further your career.
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Know When it’s Time to Move On
Which wave? This one? The next one?
Long term success in a particular position, career or organization = surfing
Recognize the signs when it is time to move on
Don’t rail against the machine, lamenting “if only”
Organizations and leadership change with time
Use your network – acquaintances, allies & advocates/ sponsors – to help guide you
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Closing Thoughts
Questions? Comments?
Thank you for your time
and attention!
Elizabeth A. Kunze
Executive Coach & Leadership / Talent
Development Consultant
eakunze@gmail.com
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Thank you to Ellie Youngs for her Outstanding
PowerPoint Design
Definition of Executive / Leadership Development Coaching*
What it is and what it is not
An Executive Coach
 Partners with clients in thoughtprovoking & creative process;
 Works to inspire clients to
maximize their personal &
professional potential in today’s
complex business environment;
 Honors the client as the expert
in his / her life & work, believing
that every client is creative,
resourceful and whole.
* Definition from International
Coaching Federation (ICF)
And Works to:
Discover, clarify, and align with what the client wants to
achieve
Encourage client self-discovery
Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies
Hold the client responsible and accountable
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