Dr. WALKER’S APPROACH & MEASURABLE OUTCOMES:

When looking for an executive/leadership coach these days there is a lot to choose from.

What sets Dr. Lisa Walker apart from other executive coaches? The difference lies in her years of experience as a successful business person married with her deep psychological understanding of human behavior. She doesn’t work with theory but with practical hands-on assessment-based approaches that are proven to work. Dr. Walker brings a research-based, data driven approach to her work.  

Her coaching process focuses on partnering with her clients to build core communication, interpersonal and cultural competence, leadership and management skills, as well as improve emotional intelligence — thereby developing a greater sense of self-awareness. She believes this is the foundation for success in one’s professional and personal life.

Coaching is delivered by customized one-on-one coaching sessions that are designed around your specific areas for leadership development. This process is therefore all about you. I begin our sessions with a focused dialog to determine the most important concern you have right now about your job or business.  No concern is too big or too small. The important thing is that it matters to you.

Coaching is generally offered for a six to twelve month period and is designed to meet your scheduling needs. Although customized to meet the client’s objectives, key competencies are incorporated in the design to assist each individual in optimizing their development. This length of time is necessary to facilitate the change and growth.  

Each phase of the coaching process builds upon the information and insights gained in the previous phase. Together we develop a plan customized to meet your specific needs and objectives.

• Identify where you are and where you would like to be
• Provide clarity on your intentions to reach your goals
• Identify primary dependencies and deliverables
• Identify blind spots and behaviors that are limiting effectiveness and career growth
• Assess your impact
• Build emotional intelligence
• Evaluate your feedback agility
• Build resilience
• Evaluate your conflict management strategy
• Develop a plan of action to establish, measure, and assess goals
• Provide accountability, challenge and support

Phase I: Connection

The key to a great coaching relationship is the alliance formed between the coach and client. Let’s first discuss your needs and determine whether there is a good fit.

Phase II: Engagement & Contracting

The purpose of this phase is to develop clarity around who you are, where you are and what you and your organization want to achieve. We will set specific, measurable goals you would like to work on during our coaching contract. We will identify the business results, your own leadership interpersonal behaviors, and the team interactions needed to ensure success. We will ensure business results are linked to key behaviors you need from yourself and others.

We’ll explore your professional and personal values, work expectations along with who you are as a leader, peer, communicator, coach, problem-solver and overall member of your organization.

Next, we’ll examine essential skills as they relate to those with whom you work. We’ll examine how you relate to peers, managers, direct reports and others throughout your organization. We’ll explore questions such as “Where do you excel?” “How can you improve?” “What can you do differently”? We’ll explore these questions throughout the coaching relationship.

We’ll use valid and reliable assessment tools designed to help you get a clearer understanding of how to better lead and manage. These tools will evaluate the following areas:

• Listening, Communication and Feedback skills
• Interpersonal Skills: People reading, adapting, building trust with others
• Emotional Intelligence – emotional and social effectiveness
• Teamwork and Team Building
• Leadership and Management skills
• Conflict management skills
• Cultural Competence and Diversity
• Personal Behavioral Style and Problem Solving
• Self-Management: Time Mastery, Stress Management and Work/Life Balance
• Ability to effectively meet Organizational Goals and Objectives

The information obtained from initial evaluations and assessments will help us to set goals and measure behavioral changes and overall outcomes.

Phase III: Evaluate and Design

We will evaluate the outcome of the assessments and our initial discussions and design the coaching relationship and plan that best suits you. We’ll develop a strategy to best achieve your goals and strengthen core executive, leadership and professional competencies.

Phase IV: Development Plan

Together, we’ll develop a customized plan designed to fit your unique behavioral and work style. The goal is to create an action and development plan to help move you towards success.

Phase V: Sessions

The coaching meetings are conducted in one 50 minute meeting each week. Frequency of meetings depends upon your needs. They can take place over the phone or in-person, if feasible. You’ll be asked to bring real-world, real-time challenges to our coaching meetings to gain immediate insight into new ways of handling these situations. All information shared with your Coach will be held strictly confidential.

Phase VI: Wrapping Up

During this phase we will evaluate the work we have done, using assessment such as 360 interviews to identify areas of progress and areas of potential growth. You will be able to calculate you and your organization’s return on investment (ROI) at the end of our contracted time.  

Outcomes

• You will understand your preferences, attitudes, and behaviors in key dimensions of leadership.

• You will enhance your qualities of good leadership and create a more flexible leadership style.

• You will have great awareness of your signature strengths and the ability to leverage those strengths and build on areas of potential growth.

• You will develop greater abilities to influence your team, build trust and increase productivity.