Executive Coaching for Organizations
Invest in the leaders your organization is counting on
Organizations bring me in when a strong performer is stepping into greater responsibility, leading through more complexity, or finding that the way they’ve always worked is no longer sustainable.
Coaching helps them develop the self-awareness, communication, and leadership capacity their next chapter requires. We align on clear goals at the outset while protecting the confidentiality that allows honest, meaningful work to happen.
When organizations bring me in
The moments when coaching can help most
Coaching is often most useful when a capable leader is facing a new level of responsibility, complexity, or pressure.
- Stepping into a bigger role. A newly promoted manager or first-time executive is learning that leading at the next level requires more than doing the work well.
- Preparing someone for what’s next. A high-potential leader is being considered for greater responsibility, and you want to help them grow into it before the transition.
- Strong results, difficult relationships. They deliver, but the way they communicate, respond to feedback, or work with others is limiting their effectiveness.
- A leader who has become the bottleneck. Too many decisions still run through them, slowing the team down and leaving little room for higher-level work.
- Leading through significant change. A reorganization, new strategy, period of rapid growth, or prolonged uncertainty is asking the leader to operate differently.
- A leader you want to retain. Someone valuable is stretched, discouraged, or reconsidering their future, and meaningful investment could change the conversation.
Good to know
How a sponsored engagement works
Sponsored coaching involves three parties: the leader, the organization, and me. We begin by getting clear on the goals, the boundaries, and what confidentiality will look like throughout the engagement.
- A conversation with the sponsor. We’ll talk through the leader’s role, what prompted the coaching, and what you hope will be different as a result. I’ll also be honest if coaching doesn’t seem like the right fit.
- An introductory call with the leader. This gives us a chance to meet, discuss what they want from coaching, and decide whether working together feels like a good match. Participation has to be their choice.
- A shared alignment conversation. Together, all parties agree on two or three development goals and what meaningful progress might look like.
- Regular coaching sessions. Sessions are typically 60 minutes over Zoom (or in person if you are in the greater Salt Lake City area), every other week, for six to twelve sessions. The leader brings what is most relevant in the moment while we keep the larger goals in view.
- A closing conversation. At the end of the engagement, all parties reflect on progress, identify what the leader wants to carry forward, and decide whether the work feels complete.
Questions I’m often asked
A few specifics
What do you share with us, and what stays private?
What the leader shares in coaching stays between us. The sponsor may receive updates on whether the engagement is progressing and how the leader is developing against the agreed-upon goals, but not the details of individual sessions.
The leader will always know in advance what will be shared and will often participate in communicating their own progress. This confidentiality is what allows honest coaching to happen.
Coaching also does not replace direct performance management. If the leader’s role or employment is at risk, that conversation should happen openly between the organization and the leader.
How is this different from a leadership training program?
Training usually teaches a shared set of skills or ideas to a group. Coaching is individualized and shaped around one leader’s role, goals, habits, and current challenges.
Rather than working through a fixed curriculum, we focus on what will help that person become more effective in the situations they are actually facing.
How will we know it’s working?
We begin with two or three clear development goals and discuss what progress would look like in practice.
Over the course of the engagement, the leader, sponsor, and coach can reflect on changes in behavior, decision-making, communication, relationships, and overall effectiveness. Progress should be noticeable in how the leader operates, not just in the work they accomplish.
What does it cost, and how is it invoiced?
Executive coaching is typically offered as a package based on the length and structure of the engagement. After an introductory conversation, I’ll recommend an approach and provide a clear proposal outlining the scope, fee, and payment schedule.
What if the leader isn’t sure they want coaching?
The leader needs to choose to participate. An introductory call gives them a chance to ask questions, understand how coaching works, and decide whether it feels useful.
If they are not open to the process, coaching is unlikely to be effective—and I’ll be honest about that before an engagement begins.
The introductory call
Explore whether coaching is the right fit
A complimentary 30-minute call over Zoom. We’ll talk through the situation, what you’re hoping changes, and whether coaching is the right support — with no obligation to go further.
If coaching isn’t the right tool for what you’re describing, I’ll say so.
Prefer to reach out directly? Email me at silenttreescoaching@gmail.com.