Whole Person Executive Coaching For High Achievers
What is Whole Person Executive Coaching? It arises from the first principle that excellence is an integrated pursuit. 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, Dr. Groff pulls in her clinical psychololgy background to help leaders make it to the others side.
On the business side, organizations change and grow. Dr. Groff has walked clients through 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 client-led; however it is for this reason that Dr. Groff tends to attract and retain clients who are interested in a longer-term relationship. The return on investment increases over time because of the breadth and speed at which they can address new challenges.
Key Topics for High Achievers
Personal
♦ Are you able to lead yourself?
♦ Do you refuel?
♦ Do you manage stress?
♦ Are you healthy and happy?
♦ Are you confident?
♦ Do you have work-life “balance”?
Interpersonal
♦ Do you lead diverse personalities?
♦ Good board/investor relationships?
♦ Do you intentionally build trust?
♦ Do you hire and fire well?
♦ Is your team solid?
♦ Do you deal with difficult people?
Organizational
♦ Where is the organization going?
♦ What strategies failed?
♦ Do processes reflect culture?
♦ Is the organization rapidly changing?
♦ Does your organization retain talent?
♦ What do you want to change?
How Do I Know If It's Working
From Dr. Groff:
“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.
Testimonials…or Lack Thereof
The real stuff clients say to me is personal, and sharing it feels icky and exploitative. I will say that 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.
Having said all of that, one of the funniest ones, as noted in a quote on the front page of this website, was: “I was talking about you. This isn’t foofoo-fluffy stuff. It’s legit shit.”
Another common one that is personal for each person, is some rendition 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. This is the foundational reason for my no-pressure, no strings, upfront conversation process to ensure a great fit.
Relationship with Clients in Executive Coaching and Advisement
While Dr. Groff has a “no-strings, no-pressure policy” of engagement, many clients work with her for several years. The work evolves as their organizations grow. For example, someone may start with individual executive coaching but ask if she can facilitate a strategic meeting or a team retreat. Sometimes high-stakes situations or decisions arise that necessitate her involvement. From a purely business perspective, the longer the engagement, the higher the return on investment to the client/organization. When Dr. Groff has worked with a person or team for a few years, she accumulates a deep context that drives her understanding. Additionally, the mutual trust that is established increases the efficiency with which she and her clients can address sensitive or complex issues.
Because of the ‘realness’ of the relationship, Dr. Groff does her best to ensure a good fit on the front end. She wants potential clients or organizations to know as much as possible about her, and vice versa. This focus on fit helps clients optimize the time together and protects them from the emotional, time, and financial disruption that can occur if the fit is wrong.
Processes for Coaching and Consulting Services
Intellectual Process for Executive Coaching and Executive Advisement
In the same way that financial spreadsheets show patterns, humans have patterns. Through watching and listening, Dr. Groff learns the “human data” that informs growth, organizational threats, negotiation strategies, and future opportunities. She operates through root cause analysis and informational feedback loops to continuously adjust her strategy.
Dr. Groff eschews the notion that objectivity and caring are mutually exclusive. Rather, she believes in bringing her whole heart and her whole intellect to the table. As a result, her relationships with people are high-trust and high transparency. This mutual trust and respect create natural give-and-take interactions.
Dr. Groff collects 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. She manages this by observing and asking questions until she has 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, Dr. Groff’s clients appreciate straightforward feedback. They work together to ensure specific and practical actions for the challenges. She expects her clients to have their own voice and to openly debate and collaborate with her. This openness creates synergy, fun, and optimal problem-solving.
Logistical Process for All Executive Services
Phone Consult
The process begins with completing the brief application on the contact page. Dr. Groff does not use it for marketing. If the basic information suggests a potential fit, the next step is a phone conversation. If she is concerned that a person or organization needs a different type of expertise, she directs them to other resources.
In the phone conversation, she discusses the client’s needs. She often asks questions and tries to give a real-time feel for the way she thinks. At that point, both parties mutually determine if it’s a good fit to move forward. The phone consultation is with the CEO/Founder/Primary Decision-Maker. Dr. Groff advises everyone to focus on whether they like her and whether they find her competent. While this may seem fundamental and unusual to dictate, it forms the foundation of professional trust. If moving forward isn’t the right choice, she shares potential next steps or resources. The phone consult feels like a conversation, requiring no preparation or specific knowledge from the client. Together, they always manage to connect the dots, arriving at a conclusion and a game plan.
Meeting Location
Dr. Groff holds many virtual meetings (televideo and phone) across time zones. If a leader or organization is local to Phoenix, she offers in-person meetings at her Phoenix office.
For group collaborations or team meetings, she conducts both virtual and in-person sessions. Where appropriate, she likes to sit in on meetings as it’s an incredibly fast and efficient way to learn about the organization, its dynamics, and where she can help.
Frequency
Dr. Groff maintains “mostly weekly” contact with clients through a mixture of meetings, phone calls, email and text. This consistency helps to build a faster foundation of trust and business knowledge. Further, it ensures that she is up-to-date in rapidly changing, high-stakes situations. The exact frequency and modality depends on client preferences, travel schedules etc.
Customization
Dr. Groff customizes services for clients and their teams. Personally wired toward optimal outcomes, she finds it difficult to achieve excellent results with standardized approaches. The customization process is a continuous collaboration aimed at optimizing time, emotion, and financial resources. This partnership also allows for adjustments to growth, new directions, and the inevitable challenges that arise.
Investment
Executive coaching starts at $10,000 for 6 months. Some executive coaching clients ask Dr. Groff to work with their organizations in additional capacities, and these engagements are customized according to what is valuable for the organization. Foundational to Dr. Groff’s approach is a no-pressure, no-strings philosophy, where upfront or automatic payments are required but not held hostage. In the event that circumstances change, for any reason, unused funds are returned to the client or organization.
Harvard Business Review – The Very Real 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.