Executive Coaching

objective: tangible bottom‐line results

No one cares more deeply about an organization than its CEO. Unfortunately, others often lack sympathy or a good understanding of what CEOs face as they battle boards that always demand more, bigger, better, and faster results.

Regrettably, the current economic climate and daily news reports of company failures are a grim reality, and leaders often find themselves in the press for all the wrong reasons.

It’s rare to hear stories of CEOs successes. Much of what they accomplish is taken for granted – after all, it’s what they’re supposed to do. Any real or perceived failure, however, is printed above the newspaper fold.

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Executive Coaching

Executive Coaching Gets Results

Leadership Training

transferring new skills, attitudes and habits to the real‐life work environment

American businesses spend approximately $19 billion annually on leadership training. Unfortunately, research shows that much of that money is wasted because people don’t apply what they’ve learned.

Corporate and executive coaching is a means of transferring new skills, attitudes and habits to the real‐life work environment. Some companies report returns on investment as high as 500 percent after investing in coaching programs.

While consultants are hired to focus on company profitability, coaches concentrate on individuals to maximize performance and potential.

  • Mounting evidence suggests that executives are more productive and successful when a coach is in their corner.

  • In most coaching engagements, the objective is to help successful people become even stronger.

  • We are hired for one of two reasons: inspiration or desperation.

  • The inspired hire is one whose CEO says, “We are at a level of good, but we want to go to great.’

  • The desperate hire brings us on to help them go from goofy to good.”

When Profits Shrink

Don't make this mistake!

Many companies immediately look for ways to cut costs when profits begin to shrink.

They turn to their most valuable resource: their employees. What a mistake! Once the cuts are made, these people are usually gone forever.

The alternative is to grow employees so profits can rebound. The challenge, of course, is finding
effective ways to accomplish this goal.

Key leadership positions lack adequate support for training and skills development.

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Kashbox Coaching

Attitudes and Habits

In a MindTram survey of executives, the vast majority said they were responsible for developing managerial potential and received adequate support for training and skills development; however, little was offered once they moved into a key leadership position.

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“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”

Key Leadership is not plumbing

Companies in the MindTram survey seemed to accept the need for core training and skills building, but they seldom acknowledged that attitudes and habits also require a tune‐up. The latter is addressed only when problems arise. Chalk it up to the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality.

While this approach may work for plumbers and electricians, it’s not valid for the corporate world. In fact, it’s a recipe for disaster when companies allow bad habits and negative attitudes to fester in the workplace.

As more leaders begin to recognize this, they’re turning to executive coaches to improve managerial performance and value.

two people sitting during day

Kashbox Coaching

Kashbox Coaching blends training and development in group settings combined with individual coaching sessions. We find that organizations are very good at developing Knowledge and Skills for their people and analyzing staff’s successes based on those two factors.

But a lack of expertise or the coaching model designed to specifically address Attitudes and Habits.

We created the four quadrant model to address and develop executives —Attitudes and Habits are where we excel.

Most organizations and people spend their time and money developing the left half of the Kashbox - Knowledge and Skills.

K

Knowledge

A

Attitude

S

Skills

H

Habits

Most terminations and business failures are due to weaknesses in the right half of the Kashbox - Attitude and Habits.

A Case of

Desperate Coaching

What happens when a company waits for things to go south before developing its people?

One Kashbox Coaching client was cutting personnel to boost profitability. Well into the slash‐and‐burn tactic, leaders realized they were falling even further behind.

The CEO hired Kashbox Coaching in a desperate attempt to initiate a corporate coaching program that would grow the few remaining leaders. Initially, progress was slow and painful. Most managers viewed the Kashbox Coaching program as a punishment, rather than an opportunity for personal growth—not surprising after a drastic downsizing and the resultant burden of extra work. Gradually, trust was reestablished, leaders began to grow, and profits started flowing again.

A Case of

Inspired Coaching

In contrast, inspired CEOs tell their leaders that greatness is attainable with proper coaching, no matter where they are in their career cycles.

This includes high‐performing executives who continue to fulfill expectations, but can achieve even more with coaching. Other times, execs will be required to do things differently and/or in a separate part of the company. In other cases, leaders may be required to find a better fit at another company.

Anne is an example of someone who moved up in her organization. She was at a managerial level, but she saw no way to advance. Upon entering the coaching process, she discovered numerous possibilities, and she identified the roadblocks that prevented her from moving up: lack of an advanced educational degree and the resources required to attain it.

Once Anne clearly pinpointed her goal, she researched her options and found that her company had a relationship with a university that offered an evening program. She enrolled, earned her degree, advanced to a director position and has now set her sights on a vice president position.

A Case of

Wrong Time, Wrong Position

Robert found himself in a dead‐end position.

As a director, his next step was vice president, but he was unhappy with his position and his work showed it. Even worse, Hailey, his VP, was the organization’s youngest, and she wasn’t going anywhere soon.

After engaging in coaching, Robert realized he had other talents. He applied for a director position in another department, and he loved his new job and his new VP.

More about Robert in a moment…

Hannah, Robert’s new boss, however, had recently gone through a terrible divorce. She was unhappy with her personal and professional life—and it showed.

When she began her coaching program, she realized she desired different opportunities and ultimately discovered her dream job as VP in a different industry, some miles away. Once she started her new job, she was “living and working in heaven.”

Which brings us back to Robert.

When Hannah left, Robert was chosen to replace her as interim vice president. The company was about to embark on a nationwide search to fill the position, while evaluating Robert in his new role. The CEO was so impressed with Robert’s performance that the search was canceled and he got the job. He and his company continue to reap the benefits of what corporate coaching revealed.

A Case of

Delayed Success

Brian was a highly motivated director who inspired his people to achieve results by building successful teams.

As he moved from one area to another, he never left a void. The teams continued to work effectively under new managers.

Brian, however, was easily bored, and once the right people were in the right jobs, he wanted a new challenge. He also wanted to move up the organization rapidly. While the executive team was aware of his talent, they became concerned when they heard stories of his emotional outbursts. His immaturity in dealing with conflict, change and stress became part of the “Brian story.”

When Kashbox Coaching was hired by Brian’s firm, he participated in one of the first groups.

Initially, he felt he was above any type of management development or coaching, but the first session left him curious. By the end of the second session, he still thought he might be wasting his time, but he also knew he was learning.

As his self‐awareness increased, Brian’s behavior began to change. He took the same energy he put into creating effective teams and used it to become an effective leader with strong communication skills.

Months later, a new job within the company became available, and Brian applied. Even though his behavior was changing and the executive team recognized this, the job was offered to another candidate. Brian was very disappointed. But instead of getting angry, he worked with Kashbox Coaching’s coaches to discuss approaches he could take to generate feedback from those who had interviewed him for the job.

Brian moved forward, in a professional manner, garnering feedback and greater self‐awareness.

Eight months after his disappointing, yet valuable, learning experience, Brian became aware of another position that was right in line with his skills and knowledge. It also involved managing a very large field sales force. He applied for the job and got it. Brian said the new position was actually a better fit for him, and the experience reinforced what he learned during his coaching sessions.

The Process

What Goes on in Coaching?

David Herdlinger, founder of Kashbox Coaching, structured an effective means to grow leaders using a combination of group and individual executive coaching sessions, divided into three phases:

The Process

Phase 1

In the initial phase, starting with the top of the organization, eight to 15 leaders attend eight group sessions over eight weeks:

> 8-15 Leaders
> 8 Group Sessions
> 8 Weeks

Phase 2

Leaders are coached individually by phone:

> 3 Phone Sessions (30 minutes)

Most participants value the opportunity to express personal fears, questions, and ideas with an assurance of confidentiality.

Phase 3

Participants are offered the opportunity to continue their individual coaching by phone for as long as it proves beneficial:

> 2 Phone Sessions Monthly

In the case of Southeast Georgia Health System, CEO Gary Colberg strongly believed in the value of coaching

Gary Colberg offered leaders ongoing individual sessions as a fully funded benefit. This involved two phone calls per month, with participating managers encouraged to call their coaches whenever they had a difficult decision or concern, The calls usually confirmed actions they had already planned, but some participants became aware of issues and options they hadn’t considered.

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Confidentiality Matters

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Because corporate coaches have access to leaders at all levels within the organization, they are often able to serve as a catalyst for cross‐pollination of useful information. But this also requires sensitivity and diplomacy. Executive coaches rely on their years of experience, professional training, and a high level of ethical standards.

The Kashbox Coaching team is sensitive to potential minefields. With a CEO’s permission, coaches can help promote teamwork, trust, and morale by passing on compliments.

Similarly, coaches can defuse potentially troublesome issues. Rather than opening the door to negative gossip, the coach encourages personal responsibility.

The Benefits

High Expectations for Leaders

The Benefits

Do we ask too much of our people in organizations?
CEOs understand leadership demands better than anyone. Their own developmental paths have often been rocky and perilous. To make matters worse, the pace of business doesn’t allow for much on‐the‐ job mentoring anymore.

“Organizations expect a great deal from their Executive Leaders,” writes Thomas Teal in “Human Side of Management”. For starters, they ask them to acquire a long list of traditional business skills: finance, cost control, resource allocation, product development, marketing, manufacturing, technology.”

It is also critical for them to master leadership competencies that include:

Strategic Thinking, Planning, Analysis
Problem Solving and Decision Making
Organizing and Delegating
Persuasion and Negotiations
Effective Communication and Motivation
Judgment and Control

Effective leaders must also take responsibility for organizational success. It is important for them to demonstrate the attributes and qualities of leadership:

Passion
Vision
Integrity
Intelligence
Commitment
Insight
Resilience
Courage
Tenacity
Sensitivity and Humility
Trust

It’s no wonder that executives feel a great need for support, as well as a sounding board. Executive coaches have stepped up to the plate as a specialized profession that provides these vital services.

Trained coaching professionals can deliver the assessments, feedback and awareness‐enhancing questions necessary for leadership development to occur.

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How Does Coaching Help?

Kashbox Coaching

Hewitt Associates has conducted some interesting research that documents the positive, long‐term relationship between investment in leadership development and long‐term financial success. Their research shows that companies that invest in developing leaders tend to have greater long‐term profits.

According to their report, 47 percent of companies rated for strong leadership regularly assign coaches to their executives. They know coaching provides a powerful way to accelerate performance and strengthen leadership. Regular use of executive coaches separates top companies from the rest.

“There’s no question that future leaders will need constant coaching,” notes Ram Charan, author of Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty. “As the business
environment becomes more complex, they will increasingly turn to coaches for help in understanding how to act.”

Coaching leaders yields tangible bottom‐line results. First and foremost, it allows them to know and understand themselves more deeply. On a more pragmatic level, it helps them  successfully grapple with day‐to‐day issues.

A review of white papers and research literature reveals that executives who received coaching cite far‐reaching benefits that extend from the superficial to the profound, including:

1. Leadership – developing interpersonal and team leadership skills

2. Self‐Awareness – becoming more aware of strengths and shortcomings, understanding one’s impact on others and being better able to control behavior

3. Life‐balance – balancing personal and professional roles more effectively

Other skills that benefit from coaching include:

Team Building
Communication
Decision Making
Developing Others
Conflict Management
Strategy Execution
Negotiation Skills
Goal Setting
Openness to Feedback
Giving Feedback to Others

Coaching Delivers

Coaching aims to change behaviors and increase skills, professional development, and performance.

It can help a client improve current job effectiveness, prepare for higher levels of responsibility, better manage work‐related stress, and clarify or modify career goals.

Coaching focuses on improving organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and impact.

Individuals and businesses have come to the same conclusion: They want lasting help and results.

Coaching delivers these lasting, significant results.

What Would You Like To Know?

About KASHBOX COaching

Our founder, David Herdlinger, creator of the KASHBOX is a pioneering leader in the development and application of this dynamic corporate coaching program. 

  • Kashbox Coaching is headquartered on beautiful Saint Simons Island, just off the southern coast of Georgia, in the United States.

  • We have associates located throughout the country – helping people like you and your employees identify, develop, and realize their potential.

  • We are committed to a common purpose; your success, and are available when you need us and where you need us.

  • We believe it is the most effective means for promoting positive, rapid, and lasting organizational change.

David Herdlinger creator of the Kashbox framework for executive coaching

We Work For You

Our individual and corporate coaching clients are diverse and span many industries, including but not limited to:

> Hospitals & Medical Facilities
> Pharmaceutical Companies
> Resorts & Hotels
> Insurance Agencies
> Law Firms
> Churches
> Security Companies
> Restaurants
> Retail Sales
> Home Health Care Providers
> Sales Reps
> Health Care Technology Companies

This partial listing will give you a better feel for the types of individual and corporate coaching clients we serve. However, we truly value and respect our clients’ time and privacy, so we’ve elected not to list all of our clients here by name in a public format.

Our development process is applicable to an international corporation, a unit or department, a management team, or a small, privately owned company.

Our goal is to help you achieve your goals. We are committed to helping you and your organization get results. Developing People to Achieve Their Full Potential… That’s What We Do!

Results Speak Louder Than Words

Take a look at some of our client testimonials to read excerpts from actual letters and emails we have received from some of our clients – who’ve given their permission to post their comments.

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What’s Next?

No one can predict how today’s business climate will affect us over the next few years. The current downturn will undoubtedly bring a new upswing because of the cyclical nature of the economy. Successful businesses always return to—and ultimately exceed—previous levels.

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The real question is whether your company will be prominent and do well. Will it have to change to survive? Will you hire and retain the right people, in the right seats, on the right bus?

If you’re doing OK right now, will “good enough” suffice in the future?

Are you interested and willing to take steps to go from good to possibly great?

If the last 15 years are evidence of stable trends in leadership development, companies will continue to hire and use corporate coaching programs to develop the people who are so vital to their success.

Will you be inspired to engage coaches—or desperate to hire them?

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