Stirling Advisors

Background
I wanted help transitioning to a new environment.
I had just begun a new career with a not-for-profit foundation. My previous work had been in academia, and while it was similar in content to my new employment, I wanted help transitioning to a new environment. When we met, Karen was very accommodating. At our first meeting, we examined whether we would have a compatible coaching relationship. She asked me exactly what sort of work I was looking to do with her – whether I wanted homework, wanted to take assessments, or just wanted to talk – and what my goals were for coaching.

Process
She has been a steady sounding board.
The most valuable part of my relationship with Karen is the way she has been a steady sounding board. I will often speak with her before a big meeting, asking for advice on the best way to approach a topic or interact with other members of senior management. Working with Karen has also taught me many things about myself and my organization’s culture. I learned that as you climb the ladder, though you may not have changed as a person, people will perceive you differently based on your title and position. Knowing that has led me to be more conscious of what I say and how I behave and to understand that people may take you to mean quite a bit more than you actually do.

Outcomes
I have been promoted three times.
My relationship with Karen has lasted nearly eight continuous years, during which I have been promoted three times – astounding in what my colleagues, and I consider to be a relatively flat organization with little upward mobility. I can credit at least part of this success to my work with Karen. As I have been promoted and my responsibilities have changed, Karen has been extremely intuitive and thoughtful in helping me work through these transitions and identify new objectives for my career. I am confident in my own abilities, and wherever my career takes me, I feel capable of excelling in any senior or executive role.

Background
I had taken a new position as head of a not-for-profit organization.
My career had turned a corner, and I had taken a new position as head of a not-for-profit organization. I had worked with Karen in my previous role, so when I needed some perspective on my changing situation, I again reached out to her. The structure of my new organization was different than I was used to, and I also wanted advice on improving communication and trust between our chapters.

Process
Karen’s very good at helping you see the long view.
Karen helped me sift through the things I needed inorder to establish myself as a new leader, providing lots of suggestions and examples from her experience of what worked. She interviewed many of the people I work with, highlighted the areas where we could improve as an organization, and helped me visualize a long-term plan. Karen’s very good at helping you see this kind of long view – which is especially valuable when you get caught focusing on what’s happening right in front of your nose. Her perspective helped me figure out how our different chapters fit into the organization and got me thinking about methods to improve how we worked together.

Outcome
She helped me understand where we were headed.
I was able to establish myself as a leader by taking advantage of Karen’s advice. She helped me take a step back from the little stuff and understand where we were headed by taking a fresh look at the organization, our goals, and the way our people worked together. While it is still a rocky road, and there is always room for improvement, I found the work we did together to be extremely helpful and quite valuable.

Background
“It’s a great thing to have somebody help you break out of the patterns you tend to follow and develop the skills you need to get where you want to go.”
When I started in my current position, I managed three departments and about 20 people. The organization was in the process of transitioning, and one of my departments was becoming increasingly important and visible. With visibility came increased pressure from higher-ups to perform and growing competition for control over my area. Confronted with these managerial challenges, I needed help honing my personal and executive skills.

Process
“It’s about getting some perspective on what I do well and where I need to improve.”
Karen and I worked together on several levels to assess where I was and where I needed to be. In particular, she used her 360 approach, interviewing my managers, my colleagues, and those I managed. A lot of people would be nervous about receiving that sort of feedback, but I looked at it as a great learning opportunity. I knew Karen would handle it in a respectful and constructive manner. It was particularly interesting to hear different perspectives on how I had been buffeted as my department rose in prominence. Armed with this knowledge, Karen helped me to clarify my thinking and develop plans for coping with the new pressures.

Outcome
“You need to know your strengths to improve on them.”
With Karen’s coaching, I managed to break out of the behaviors that weren’t helping. She gave me the tools to work through challenges differently by recognizing how I respond in certain situations and teaching me how to develop a more constructive approach. Faced with management challenges, we’d put the problem on the table, and Karen would help me understand all of the forces at work and the best way to handle them. Most importantly, she helped me realize where I was and where I wanted to be and to develop the skills I needed to get there.

Background
“I felt my work had reached a plateau.”
When I first met Karen, I was a young manager overwhelmed by frustrations with the organization’s executive director. In addition, I was dealing with some difficulties, such as, personality conflicts within the organization, understanding the challenges the company faced, as well as seeking out my growth and development as a professional. I wanted to address the issues I faced and take charge of steering my career in new directions, so when my organization began working with Karen, I was enthusiastic.

Process
“Her ability to communicate to me on a level I could comprehend was so valuable.”
Karen and I worked together to address these issues. With inquiry and assessments, such as ProD, she helped me understand what kinds of work I would find fulfilling and what I wasn’t receiving at my job. We worked on gaining clarity about my value to the organization and increasing my confidence. She helped me in learning different methods of management and supervision, how to achieve career growth and development, how I fit into the organization, and how to improve relationships with individuals with different work styles – including my boss, the executive director.

Outcome
“I wouldn’t be where I am today had I not been introduced to Karen.”
The work Karen and I have done together has been invaluable. I learned how to manage my supervisor in a way to get things done for the organization. I would never have known or understood that concept had I not worked with Karen. I was able to leverage my professional and personal growth as a foundation in salary negotiation for a C-level position within another organization. She has become a resource, an advisor, and a mentor over our ten-year relationship. I’ve worked with other coaches, but Karen has a way of relating to me as an individual I have not experienced in the coaching world. She is able to translate complex concepts in an understandable way and make connections I do not immediately see. Working with her, I learned how different personalities function and how to manage better and collaborate with them. Today, I run my own business and employ the tools Karen taught me on a daily basis.

Background
I needed someone slightly removed from the organization for advice and guidance.
The organization I was a part of had made Karen available as a resource. We were in the process of transitioning from working as individuals to working as teams, and I wanted some help adjusting to this new cooperative style. Additionally, I was having some difficulties fitting in and needed to adapt. I had met Karen previously and liked her, so I felt comfortable asking her for help navigating these obstacles.

Process
Her experience with organizations helps her understand issues individuals might not be aware of.
Working with Karen was enormously helpful. In our sessions, I learned that work is not just about you – it’s also about everything else that’s going on around you. When I would explain an interaction I didn’t understand, she would help me take a point of view outside my own and understand the event on many different levels.

Outcome
Karen gave a lot of practical how-to-do-it advice.
Because of my experience with Karen, I have learned to work exponentially better with a team. Karen helped me understand how my work fit in and the larger goals I needed to keep in mind. She gave me some really solid and practical advice on how I could do things better, present things better, and ameliorate situations that I felt were uncomfortable.

Background
“I wanted to improve my management ability.”
Despite having worked for my company for many years and in many different roles, I felt that I was not realizing my full potential. I ran a fairly large department and wanted to improve my management ability so I could add greater value to the organization and also determine where my future roles would lay. I discussed my concerns with my HR department, and they suggested I contact Karen.

Process
“It’s an inside job.”
A lot of what we did was very personal: exercises to build self-esteem and confidence and learning how to interpret messages in the different ways people communicate. Most important was the realization that outside change and improvement always has its foundation in the individual. What it came down to is that it’s an inside job, and by improving my strengths and becoming a better me, the people around me would also become better. Karen and I found the environments and structures in which I work best in and figured out how to create them.

Outcome
“Improving my management style so I’m actually empowering my staff.”
With Karen’s help, I became a stronger manager. Together, she helped me realize that the best way to improve my staff was to do with them what Karen did with me. She taught me the value of spending time with them, listening to their input, and how to manage business relationships through ups and downs. I’ve learned how to help my staff grow so they could take on more responsibility, and I could delegate more of the work that I used to do. Overall, I’ve become more valuable and useful to the organization.

Background
…I was experiencing difficulty working with a colleague
When I first began working with Karen, I was experiencing difficulty working with a colleague on a project. Certain situational factors added to my stress: I had recently gained a new supervisor and had a six-month-old child at home. I highly respected my colleague, but we did not seem to agree on the next steps for the project on which we were working. I needed her to work with me on this project and sensed she was unwilling to do so. Every effort I made seemed to make the situation worse, not better.

Process
…leveraged frameworks, tools, and assessments to help guide me
A key benefit of working with Stirling Advisors was having an outside point of view regarding situations and circumstances that puzzled me. Karen was able to view the situation objectively and to present several frameworks that helped me to break down the issues I faced in a systematic, logical way. In addition, she helped me to focus on the core issue and not get sidetracked by outward symptoms. Karen’s view was to take a holistic approach to my work world. She leveraged frameworks, tools, and assessments to help guide me in what I now recognize as a career journey. Karen focused on me, the individual, and how I fit within the context of the organization and my department. An individual’s need is not always in perfect balance with what the organization is asking of that individual. The solution is to achieve harmony and balance that leads to productivity for both the individual and the whole. Karen’s goal guided me to alignment – finding the employee/employer synergy that results in a mutually beneficial working relationship.

Outcome
…I gained perspective on how to manage stressful work situations
I gained invaluable insights through my work with Karen. Karen helped me change my approach in order to get the result I needed – collaboration from a colleague. By working with Karen, I experienced improved working relationships with colleagues and increased productivity with my team. In addition, I gained perspective on how to manage stressful work situations.

Background
“Karen and I had connected so well.”
I had been transferred to a new department. I felt like a fish out of water, both personally and professionally. My previous department had employed Karen’s consulting services. I felt Karen and I had connected so well that I asked my new boss if I could continue working with her in an individual coaching experience. I had known some other coaches in the business employed, but none of us had ever really clicked. When I worked with Karen, I didn’t feel like a number; I felt like a part of her life.

Process
“…helped me determine where I really wanted to go in my life and my career.”
In our meetings, Karen and I have worked on developing my self-confidence, assertiveness, and my overall value to the organization. Our efforts are helping me determine where I really want to go in life and my career. Over the next few months, I look forward to completing a 360 Assessment. Karen said that some clients are uncomfortable with this, but I feel very open to the process because of the incredible degree of trust we have in our relationship. Together, we can look at the critique as a map for positive self-improvement rather than a list of reasons to be ashamed.

Outcome
“My best personal and professional experience thus far.”
Starting in my new department, I felt like the organization had made a huge mistake. I was uncomfortable with my new responsibilities and couldn’t connect with my co-workers. I thought, “What’s wrong with me?” Karen helped me stop feeling like a victim and understand the rationale behind the shift in my role. In just a few months we’ve worked together, I’ve learned to better understand my boss and work in this new environment. Instead of dreading work, I now look forward to contributing to my department and feel like a valued member of my organization.

Background
“I needed help taking the reins.”
I had transferred to a new organization but maintained many of the same responsibilities as my previous position. Despite familiarity with the business, the new job brought with it new difficulties. I was dealing with the CEO on a remote basis, a colleague of mine was not particularly trustworthy or supportive of my department, and the organization seemed overly concerned with internal politics. Karen and I had worked together before with positive results, so when I needed help taking the reins and keeping my team focused, I sought her expert advice again.

Process
“I learned how to leverage my strengths to my advantage.”
We started out by completing a personality profile, which helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses. Together, we looked at my how I could simultaneously leverage my strengths to my advantage and improve on my shortfalls. She helped me to stay focused on solving my problems and avoid the political crossfire. I learned how to recognize certain negative reactions and how to preemptively avoid them by channeling the energy towards more productive ends. Karen emphasized patience, empathy, and listening skills.

Outcome
“…we are in a far better position than our competitors.”
Karen and I still keep in contact, and I continue to use her as a mentor. Her help allowed me to successfully negotiate the difficulties at my organization and improve my overall management style. I now have more patience and always look at the big picture to make considered, measured decisions. The difficulties we face as an organization have increased in the current business climate, but because of the lessons I learned with Karen, I feel we are in a far better position to weather the storm than our competitors.

Background
“I needed help getting promoted from one position to another.”
I was looking to advance within my organization. To do so, I needed to improve my negotiation skills, become a better public speaker, and learn to manage relationships with my superiors and subordinates. A colleague who had a positive experience with Karen recommended I meet with her to work on my career development and leadership issues. I had never worked with a career counselor before and didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I needed an objective assessment of my skills and abilities.

Process
“We developed a non-judgmental and honest outline of my professional self.”
Karen was easy to work with and instantly created a very comfortable environment. Initially, we targeted the fundamental obstacles to my advancement. Karen’s Pro-D Assessment showed me which personality types I do and do not work well with, and we discussed ways I could manage challenging relationships. Then, we worked on building my confidence as a public speaker through the mastery of relaxation and de-stressing visualization techniques. Finally, Karen and I worked together on improving my negotiation skills and demonstrating my marketability. With this background, I was ready to make the move to a new position.

Outcome
“It was a very positive experience. I do my job much more effectively.”
With Karen’s help, I got the promotion I wanted. She coached me through the whole process, from putting together my application to going through the interview process and negotiating a new salary. I now understand my role better and work with others more effectively. The skills I developed with Karen’s help have proven invaluable, and because of them, I am a better employee and manager.

Background
I came from an academic background to work as a program director. While I was an expert in my field, I had little management experience and found my new role extremely challenging. My boss recognized these difficulties and explained to me how coaching could make me more effective. A colleague of mine was already working with Karen, so on their good recommendation and with the support of my organization, I began to meet with her.

Process
Karen and I started out working to improve my communication style and abilities. Because of my new, unfamiliar role and strong desire to prove myself, I became too preoccupied with wanting to contribute my own views and knowledge to the point that I stopped listening to my colleagues. With Karen’s help, I realized I didn’t need to prove myself this way and that my personal insecurities were unfounded. Worse still, they were getting in the way of what I wanted – collaboration and respect. We practiced listening exercises and did work on group participation. On her advice, I met several times with another coach who helped me improve body-language communication. Throughout the process, Karen was able to gauge what I was ready for and when. If one or both of us needed more information before we could proceed, Karen would reach into her bag of tricks and pull out an instrument, tool, or some other way of helping us ground our conversation. It helped me understand myself, reflect on my experiences, and recognize the effect I have on those around me.

Outcome
There were times when I felt lost at sea, and Karen was the compass that helped me stay on course and keep moving forward. Since I began my coaching experience, I hear and participate in groups differently – a fact supported by those I work with, who now credit me with being a good listener. Karen also helped me become more centered, balanced, and less inclined to spar with colleagues. Our program is in transition, and Karen and I are beginning the closing-out process, but if I was ever thrown into unfamiliar waters again, I would reach out to Karen immediately. Her work has helped me to become the most effective leader I can be, and it has benefited everyone around me.

Background
I was among those in my organization selected to receive coaching.
I had worked for a large philanthropy for several years. The organization recognized that the services of a professional coach would be beneficial for certain employees and departments, and I was among those selected to receive coaching. Karen was matched to me by HR based on personality and fit – a match that was both appropriate and positive.

Process
It was rare that I encountered a situation that she had not seen.
I had not previously worked with a coach, but I imagined the experience would involve the coach assessing situations I brought to her and fixing them. But that wasn’t really what it was about. My experience with Karen was more of her listening, offering her perspective, and helping me develop potential solutions to problems I faced. We did some assessments and exercises which were required by my organization, and while I don’t know how much they helped, it was interesting to see the academic approach to some problems. Karen’s feedback in our discussions was by far the most valuable part of the coaching. Because of her business experience, training in coaching, and diversified client base, it was rare that I encountered a situation that she had not seen.

Outcome
She helped me improve my professional relationships.
Over the course of our two-year relationship, the work I did with Karen helped me with a lot of personal and professional improvement. It was a great experience that got me to where I wanted to be. She helped me improve my professional relationships with my boss’ peers and also helped me assist my boss in better managing those relationships through me. Karen also worked with several of my colleagues in the organization, helping them learn to manage up, gain confidence, stop micromanaging, and learn to delegate tasks more effectively. I continue to maintain a relationship with Karen.

Background
I was eager to have some help adapting.
I was facing several difficulties adjusting to a multitude of changes in my life. For one, I had changed careers and was having difficulty transitioning to a new organization and boss. I was also confronted with the challenge of moving from the small city where I had spent most of my life to living and working in New York. Many of my peers had met with executive coaches through the organization, and I was eager to have some help adapting.

Process
The work we were doing wasn’t just relevant to the office but to life in general.
Initially, the work Karen and I did together helped me to readjust my attitude so I could better transition to the organization. We started by doing assessments, figuring out my personality type, and determining my strengths and weaknesses. Together, we took that information and worked out ways that I could more effectively interact with my boss – a process Karen calls ‘managing up’.It was particularly challenging for me to adapt to my boss’ particular style of communication, but with Karen’s coaching, I was able to meet these new expectations. Knowing my own strengths and weaknesses also helped me figure out how I could be more productive, contribute more to the organization, and become more flexible both personally and professionally. Karen was very helpful in helping me identify what sorts of people I work best with those whom I find challenging, and how to best avert and manage conflicts. It really pleasantly surprised me when I realized that the work we were doing wasn’t just relevant to the office but to life in general.

Outcome
The skills I cultivated with Karen have made it seem natural to have people reporting to me.
Karen and I worked together over two years, and in the ensuing years was given several raises along with increased responsibility within the organization. Over time, the work we did evolved from a focus on my adjustment in a new career to growing my career and developing relevant skills to help me become a leader. I have become better able to deal with other people in difficult situations and at reading people’s personality types. My new responsibilities now include some management responsibilities. Though I am not necessarily a take-charge person, the skills I cultivated with Karen have made it seem natural to have people reporting to me.