Juicy Work Coaches

What does “Juicy Work” mean to you?

Juicy work is tapping into the boundless possibilities of full engagement with our unique gifts and talents. Each of us has a purpose. When doing juicy work, we are able to identify this purpose; embrace it; and share it with others.  When we are doing juicy work, we soar and bring others along for the ride.

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

Rachel was a newly elevated senior executive in the federal government. She was a brilliant tactician and manager. Unfortunately, overused strengths become weaknesses. Her relationships with her boss, direct reports, peers and external stakeholders began to deteriorate. She was open to a 360 assessment. The feedback included a large sampling of comments across rater categories that included “too pushy”; “micromanages”; “does not delegate”; “talks down to people”; “can’t see the forest for the trees” and “too suspicious.”

Rachel had never received this type of feedback and was shocked. Instead of sitting with the feedback she immediately fled to a defensive mode. I invited her to breathe and view the feedback as neither good nor bad but data points. More importantly, I invited her to look at what was at the core of her reactions.

After several sessions, we were able to identify that she did not like the person who she had become but she felt that it was the only way to get things done. She feared that her authentic self would be too weak. I asked her to describe what authenticity meant to her. She provided powerful examples—kindness, trustworthiness, dreaming big and respect a few. I asked her to link her examples to the feedback. Each rater comment linked directly to how she wants to show up as a leader. She is now at the top tier of SES. Rachel learned that there is a better way to be and she chose to walk that path.

How else have you used coaching?

I was working with a company that planned to provide coaching to all of its directors. There were a couple of hundred in this pool. In an effort to make the engagement as impactful as possible, I provided a combination of individual coaching and team coaching among peers. This strategy provided each director with an opportunity to learn and embody coaching principles. The team peer coaching provided accountability among the directors and fostered an organic coaching culture that resulted in a network of support for juicy work.

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

Powerful outcomes occur when senior leaders model juicy behavior. The most meaningful example was my work with a Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The organization was productive; but the passion among the employees was lacking. The CTO knew that he wanted something more for his people and the organization. He just did not know what or how to do it. He was open to coloring outside the lines. Thus my work with him focused on tapping into his creative and innovative side. When his people saw his energy change, they wanted to share in the experience. He instituted “huddle spaces” and “creative break times” to name a few innovations. Living the change is the answer to positively  and deeply impact an organization.

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

I have a thank you card from one of my clients on my desk. The outside of the card has the words, “Entrance to another’s soul is always a sacred honor.” On the inside my client wrote, “Thank you for providing a path, not the roadmap.” I believe that each person who comes to me with a coaching opportunity brings the answer. I build trust easily; can identify patterns quickly; and unearth the story behind the “story”. After identifying the true coaching opportunity, I establish benchmarks. One cannot determine growth without knowing the current situation. I often work with leaders and their self-awareness. Well-developed self-awareness is the key to identifying and embracing juicy work. The journey to one’s juicy work belongs to the individual. I am invited along to probe, query, challenge, and support.

Can you tell us about your background?

It took me years to find my juicy work. I began my career writing and editing instruction books for GE Large Steam Turbines and Large Motors and Generators in Schenectady, NY. I ended my tenure as a Marketing Communications Director at GE Plastics. Jack Welch was CEO during my time at GE. I was feeling stifled. So I moved back to the DC area from Ohio and opened a marketing communications boutique. I have always been curious about human beings and what makes us tick. However, marketing communications did not satisfy this curiosity. I discovered coaching and knew that it was what I was called to do. It is a wonderful combination of my journalism and communications background (objectivity and ability to unearth the real story) and applied theory to help people to learn how to lead a juicy life (doctorate that focused on leadership).