Juicy Work Coaches

What does “Juicy Work” mean to you?

I am driven by my desire to make a difference—I want to help people live more authentically, resulting in a happier and more balanced life.

I enjoy working with individuals, teams, and organizations to build collaboration and trust. By helping people identify and appreciate the different styles and strengths they and others bring, we can use these differences in a positive way to come up with the best solution rather than the easiest solution.

Can you give an example of how you helped someone find their “Juicy Work” through coaching?

Sometimes we are afraid to vocalize what we really want. I worked with one client who wanted to be happier at work and in her personal life. We started with some smaller goals, until one day she wistfully shared a dream she had—quickly discounting it as impossible. We talked about why she had that wish and discovered it was at the core of what she wanted most in life. Coaching challenged her assumptions and self-limited thinking and she began to take steps to make her “impossible” dream a reality. She is now well on her way to having what she wants most in life, and she feels energized, empowered, and excited to make her life what she wants it to be.

How else have you used coaching?

I enjoy working with teams who want to learn how to work more effectively together. Sometimes we focus on areas of disagreement instead of finding a common mission or vision we can all rally around. I once worked with a team that said their leader had a tendency to micromanage. As we looked at one particular situation where the leader and her direct report kept butting heads, I helped them realize they both wanted the same thing. Once they agreed on the “what”, it was much easier to figure out a “how” that would give both people what they needed to feel empowered and accountable.

I also work with entrepreneurs to coach them on how to transition to entrepreneurship and grow their businesses.

How have you seen “Juicy Work” impact a whole organization?

I love working with companies consisting of engineers, scientists, or other highly educated and technical experts. I find these leaders are often primarily focused on getting the work done. I was brought into a research firm to teach the senior and middle management about emotional intelligence. While some were interested, many were resistant to the emotional-intelligence coaching, saying it was a waste of time. I related emotional intelligence to their work responsibilities, challenges, and career goals, and even the most resistant leaders admitted the coaching had helped them see ways they could be more effective as a people manager, resulting in more time and attention on the work they loved.

What is it like for someone to work with you as a coach?

I start with clarifying goals, including the motivation for achieving the goals. Sometimes we achieve a goal and then discover that it didn’t get us the outcome we really wanted. I help my clients dig deeper to find what gives them meaning and passion, and have courage to dream big. We then create a plan, one or two steps at a time, that moves the clients closer to their goals. I balance motivation and accountability with reminders to be patient with oneself. I work best with driven, high- achieving clients who want a partner to help them achieve their goals.

Can you tell us about your background?

I worked in middle-management within a Fortune 500 company and managed projects and people. I learned the importance of technical expertise and emotional intelligence—it takes both to be successful. As a consultant, I’ve worked with many organizations. I can quickly figure out an organizational culture, identify the greatest pain points, and create a plan to alleviate the challenges and strengthen the organization. I am especially passionate about involving many in the process. Different perspectives result in a better solution with stronger buy-in.

I am certified in a number of tools. My favorites are Myers-Briggs as a way to appreciate and understand personality differences, the EQ-I 2.0 as a tool for understanding one’s emotional intelligence strengths and gaps, and Polarity Thinking as a framework for helping organizations understand the value of “both/and” thinking rather than “either/or” thinking.