Whole Person Executive Coaching For High Achieving Executives, Owners, & Founders
I work with high-achieving founders, owners, and senior executives who have high-achieving personalities. We work together to navigate transitions, high-stakes decisions, and sustainable excellence. Whole-person coaching integrates multiple personal and professional topics that flex with the needs of each person.
What is Whole Person Executive Coaching?
It starts from the first principle that excellence is integrated–personal excellence impacts professional excellence and vice versa. How does that emerge in real-life conversations with clients? It is normal for a conversation to shift among discussions of sleep quality, energy, firing an employee, business expansion or deal negotiation within one hour.
Sometimes, Whole Person Executive Coaching takes unexpected turns. What may start out as a deep business conversation shifts if personal tragedy creates a storm. In these situations, I pull on my clinical psychology background to help you make it to the other side.
On the business side, organizations change and grow. My clients and I walk through decision points related to employees, professional changes, the selling of businesses, decision-making on growth and expansion, and other significant transitions that affect personal and professional futures.
Overall, Whole Person Executive Coaching turns into a continuous iteration of trust and growth. As the relationship deepens, mutual trust leads to addressing topics of increased complexity and sensitivity. The evolution is organic and we grow together. The return on investment increases over time because of the breadth and speed at which we can address new challenges.
Key Topics for High Achievers
These are some common themes that emerge in executive coaching with High Achievers.
Personal
♦ Executive excellence
♦ Stress & resilience
♦ Health and Longevity
♦ Confidence
♦ Work-Life Fulfillment
Interpersonal
♦ Colleague-partner relationships
♦ Team dynamics
♦ Employee decisions
♦ Dealing with difficult people
♦ Expectations and precedents
Organizational
♦ Organizational trajectory
♦ Change management
♦ Leadership development
♦ Buying/selling
♦ Critical decisions
How Do I Know If It's Working
“You shouldn’t have to ask.” That is the answer I gave to someone who asked this question. I knew it sounded generic and vague, but as soon as it came out of my mouth, I knew it was the right answer. If you are inviting me or anyone else into your life and your organization, the right fit means that it feels like a win-win-win. For complex situations or cultural changes, it can take a while to see movement. However, you should be able to feel and see that things are heading in the right direction and that the investment is worth it.
I’ve found that people value me and my skillset for different reasons (ie. sounding board, confidentiality, human strategy, specific problem-solving). Sometimes the work that we are doing drastically shifts due to unforeseen circumstances. For these reasons, while I am familiar with terms such as Key Performance Indicators, Lag Metrics, and Lead Metrics…I’ve found that they don’t always translate to the ever-evolving work we do. To be honest, what I value, and what my clients seem to value, is whether we can generate real-time changes that impact their day, their week, and their quarter. At times, what we are doing is massive and critical; at other times, it’s just trying to keep the wheels on the bus with a sense of sanity and fulfillment intact.
Client Testimonials & Privacy: Why I’m Careful With What I Share
The real stuff clients say to me is personal, and sharing it feels icky and exploitative. I work with people in sensitive situations–M&A negotiations, leadership transitions, board decisions, lawsuits, and organizational restructuring. Even with a client’s permission to share, the world is unexpectedly tiny, and sharing poses risks that they may not be aware of.
That said, I am so proud of my clients and the work we do. My client attrition rate is low. Clients come and tend to stay for the long haul. These relationships allow me to truly say “no strings attached” and “no pressure” because I don’t have the desperation of a high-churn environment.
A few things clients have said (in addition to quotes on the front page):
“I have a little Tricia sitting on my shoulders before I agree to something.” —Generous High Achiever
“Can you just take over the whole people side of my business? Then I can just deal with you.” —Founder, Confidential
“How do you know when to reach out? It’s a little creepy.” —Most Clients
Another common one, personal for each person, is some version of “I don’t know what I/we would have done without you.” For me, that kind of comment only comes from a relationship that feels great for both people—which is why I focus so much on ensuring a great fit from the beginning.
On Results:
Metrics are difficult because the achievements we create are often the elimination of negative things—avoiding bad hires, helping fire the wrong people, decreasing stress, increasing clarity and sanity, avoiding knee-jerk reactions that increase risk or decrease leverage, and quarterbacking high-stakes situations to prevent trainwrecks. Personally, I love it when I can trace someone’s work with me to tangible financial results because I’m competitive that way. However, the truth of what my clients value most is probably a lot deeper and more nuanced than what shows up on a spreadsheet. I’m their person and the relationship is both support and the vehicle for whatever we achieve.
Relationship with Clients in Executive Coaching and Advisement
While I have a “no-strings, no-pressure policy” of engagement, my clients often work with me for several years. This long-term approach is particularly valuable for leaders who are lifelong learners, founders navigating business transitions, gifted high achievers who don’t trust easily, have high standards, and continuously iterate their goals.
The specific work evolves as organizations grow. For example, someone may start with individual executive coaching but ask if I can facilitate a strategic meeting or a team retreat. Sometimes high-stakes situations or decisions arise that necessitate my involvement. From a purely business perspective, the longer the engagement, the higher the return on investment to the client/organization. When I have worked with a person or team for a few years, I build deep context that shapes my understanding. Additionally, the mutual trust that is established increases the efficiency with which we can address sensitive or complex issues.
Because of the ‘realness’ of the relationship, I do my best to ensure a good fit upfront. I want potential clients to know as much as possible about me and vice versa. This focus on fit helps us optimize the time together and protects them from the emotional, time, and financial disruption that can occur if the fit is wrong.
Intellectual and Relational Process
Pattern Recognition & Root Cause Analysis
In the same way that financial spreadsheets show patterns, humans have patterns. I learn the “human data” that informs growth, organizational threats, negotiation strategies, and future opportunities. I operate through root cause analysis and informational feedback loops to continuously adjust my strategy.
High Trust, High-Transparency Relationships
I believe in bringing my whole heart to the table. As a result, my relationships with people are high-trust and high-transparency. This mutual trust and respect create natural give-and-take interactions.
Data-Driven Strategy Development
I collect as much historical and real-time data as possible. In high-stakes or complex situations, facets continue to emerge that inform the best path forward. I manage this by observing and asking questions until I have a clear understanding of the variables at hand. “If you don’t know where the bombs are buried, you can’t make a plan to deal with them.”
Regardless of the topics, my clients appreciate straightforward feedback. We work together to ensure specific, practical actions to address challenges. I expect my clients to have their own voice and to openly debate and collaborate with me. This openness creates synergy, fun, and optimal problem-solving.
On the Harvard Business Review Article About the Dangers of Executive Coaching
The Harvard Business Review article on the Dangers of Executive Coaching. I’ve hesitated to speak on this because it is impossible to be unbiased, and my commentary is rather self-serving. However, several people who called me have asked my opinion. I have used my in-depth psychology knowledge to help me discern the difference between coachable and uncoachable employees. More recently, I lost my mind when I heard of a coach with no psychology background who was giving harmful advice to a large organization, within the top levels of leaders (not inadvisable advice, not debatable advice, but the kind that hurts people). Hence, regardless of where your exploration leads you, look for someone who has not only the knowledge but also the wisdom and self-control to hold back and observe rather than flipping out directives or platitudes that can hurt your organization.
New to this? Information about how to choose an executive coach.
It can be overwhelming to make an important decision when you don’t know what you don’t know. Here is a page to help guide you through the thought process. If we strip away all the extra detail and analysis, you want to look for someone who is smart, kind, has integrity, and “gets” you.