- by Jory Stillman - Tue, 2018-07-10 22:15
FastTrack Coaches in the World
Stephen, an organizational development consultant with the Department of the Treasury, received his executive coach training from FastTrack Coach Academy in 2017. While new to executive coaching, Stephen is not new to helping people and groups realize their potential.
Stephen has had varied work experiences. He worked at a two-week residential Executive Development Program run by the Wharton Business School, where sixty C-level executives from 26 countries spent two weeks learning from world-renowned business leaders. When not in class, the executives created and ran a simulated business. Steve worked with other staff psychologists observing the executives as they interacted with each other. The theme of the two-week residential program was that “how” work is accomplished is just as important as “what” is accomplished. Understanding the relationship between “doing” (what you accomplish) and “being” (how you show up) is a foundational principle in Stephen’s coaching and in FastTrack coach training.
Personally, Steve is blessed beyond measure to have a wife of sixteen years (2001), a healthy 12-year old daughter, and two fur babies (a dog and cat).
How do you use coaching in your work?
Coaching has made me a more effective consultant. As a consultant for sixteen years before formal executive coach training, I thought that I had “the answer” to clients' problems. Of course, I didn’t have the answer. At most, I had an opinion about how I might respond in a similar situation. There are at least two fallacies with that thinking: first, I wasn’t in that situation; and second, I’m a completely different person than my client.
Formal executive coach training helped drive home the fundamental concept of asking questions, not to help a client come to my answer, but to learn about the client’s perspective. I could only learn what was in my client’s best interest by asking questions. After all, my clients and I are discussing what is right for them, not what I would do if I were in their shoes.
Now, whether I’m coaching or consulting, I ask many more questions. I work hard not to have preconceived notions about where or how the conversation should go because that doesn’t serve my clients. My role as a coach is to hold a mirror up to my clients so they can really see themselves. Whether they like what they see or want to make a change, I ask, “What do you need to start, stop, or change to become more of the person you want to be?” Clients’ answers are their own, not what I want for them, or what I might do. My work feels complete when I help clients achieve their goals in ways that are consistent with their values and ethics.
To learn more about or connect with Stephen, click here:
Stephen, an organizational development consultant with the Department of the Treasury, received his executive coach training from FastTrack Coach Academy in 2017. While new to executive coaching, Stephen is not new to helping people and groups realize their potential.
Stephen has had varied work experiences. He worked at a two-week residential Executive Development Program run by the Wharton Business School, where sixty C-level executives from 26 countries spent two weeks learning from world-renowned business leaders. When not in class, the executives created and ran a simulated business. Steve worked with other staff psychologists observing the executives as they interacted with each other. The theme of the two-week residential program was that “how” work is accomplished is just as important as “what” is accomplished. Understanding the relationship between “doing” (what you accomplish) and “being” (how you show up) is a foundational principle in Stephen’s coaching and in FastTrack coach training.
Personally, Steve is blessed beyond measure to have a wife of sixteen years (2001), a healthy 12-year old daughter, and two fur babies (a dog and cat).
How do you use coaching in your work?
Coaching has made me a more effective consultant. As a consultant for sixteen years before formal executive coach training, I thought that I had “the answer” to clients' problems. Of course, I didn’t have the answer. At most, I had an opinion about how I might respond in a similar situation. There are at least two fallacies with that thinking: first, I wasn’t in that situation; and second, I’m a completely different person than my client.
Formal executive coach training helped drive home the fundamental concept of asking questions, not to help a client come to my answer, but to learn about the client’s perspective. I could only learn what was in my client’s best interest by asking questions. After all, my clients and I are discussing what is right for them, not what I would do if I were in their shoes.
Now, whether I’m coaching or consulting, I ask many more questions. I work hard not to have preconceived notions about where or how the conversation should go because that doesn’t serve my clients. My role as a coach is to hold a mirror up to my clients so they can really see themselves. Whether they like what they see or want to make a change, I ask, “What do you need to start, stop, or change to become more of the person you want to be?” Clients’ answers are their own, not what I want for them, or what I might do. My work feels complete when I help clients achieve their goals in ways that are consistent with their values and ethics.
To learn more about or connect with Stephen, click here:
