Juicy Work Coaches

What does “Juicy Work” mean to you?

Juicy work means waking up in the morning excited to go to work. It is about engaging in work that plays to your passion, talents, and strengths, and builds your bank account. Juicy work is about bringing your best self to work, seeing your contribution, and feeling a deep sense of satisfaction.

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

The managing partner of a thriving international professional services firm had a vision: he wanted to secure the firm’s future as an innovator in the industry. He saw possibilities that would allow the firm to capitalize on changes in the marketplace and build on its competitive advantage. He asked me to help him make his vision a reality. He had been trying to make changes, but kept running into resistance from his colleagues. I provided coaching to help him cultivate his strengths with particular focus on change management. Through our work together, he was able to transform his ideas from theory into action. The changes he implemented resulted in retaining the most valued associates and partners, new management and reward systems that increased participation and collaboration, and the firm’s expansion into new markets. As my client overcame the obstacles to change and became more influential, he gained a renewed energy and enthusiasm for his work.

How else have you used coaching?

I worked with a new executive who was having difficulty dealing with aspects of his new role. He was feeling overwhelmed, and he was disappointed with the performance of his management staff; they followed his instructions, but rarely took initiative. Through coaching, I helped him become more strategic and less involved in the day-to day-operations. His shift from micro-managing to coaching resulted in his staff taking more initiative and becoming more skilled at finding new solutions to recurring problems.

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

I was called in to coach a team of IT professionals who were chronically missing deadlines and not meeting quality standards. While each team member was highly technically skilled, the team members did not seem to work together as a team. My assessment of the team revealed a lack of connection to their work and a lack of understanding of how their work impacted on the whole organization. Through ongoing coaching, the group began to recognize, appreciate, and acknowledge each other’s contributions. With some minor restructuring of assignments, team members also reconnected with their love of IT. They were better able to see the value they brought to the whole organization. The group significantly enhanced levels of trust, listened more attentively, and focused on organizational priorities. The department completed their project on time and under budget for the first time in their history. The team became a role model in the organization for delivering results and loving the work.

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

When clients work with me, their experience is affirming and challenging. With great compassion I help clients deeply connect with their passion and values. I enable my clients to leverage their strengths in a new way, uncover subtle—and not so subtle—ways they stop themselves from reaching their full potential, and remove barriers to progress by helping them develop mastery of their thoughts and actions.

Each coaching engagement is tailored to the unique needs and learning styles of each client. We start out with an assessment of what’s working well and what’s not. The assessment phase may include 360 interviews, assessment instruments such as the Hogan leadership assessments, and conversations with the client. Together we create a set of compelling goals with observable measures of success. Next we design a path toward those goals. During our subsequent coaching sessions, we build on the learning from the previous meeting. Through conversation, practice, and reflection, clients take actions that move them toward their goals. Throughout the coaching engagement, we assess progress and make adjustments to the plan, if necessary.  We end with a final review, re-assessment, and close-out conversations with the client’s manager and other stakeholders, as appropriate.

Can you tell us about your background?

My passion is helping people shine in careers they love. From a very young age I was curious about people—particularly what makes people truly happy. When I entered the workforce, I noticed many people complaining about their jobs. They often had ideas about new careers but seemed stuck. In discussions about career options, I found a common underlying belief that was holding people back—they didn’t think it was possible to earn a good living and be fulfilled at work.  It didn’t seem right to me that people spent so much of their time and energy at jobs that weren’t fulfilling. Thus my quest began to help people find work that was richly rewarding personally and financially – or to help them find deeper meaning in their current work.

My effectiveness as a coach stems from a grounded, pragmatic approach based in research from multiple disciplines—business, neuroscience, adult development, action learning, the Chinese Five Elements of Healing, and philosophy.  I continually research new strategies and tools to help my clients unleash their gifts and talents and sustain their changes. My experience as a corporate leader helps me understand firsthand the challenges and complexities that my clients face daily and adapt those tools to my clients’ learning styles