Chicago, IL
o: 773-935-0206I am certified in Coaching for Learning and Performance from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy and hold the Associate Certified Coach credential from the International Coach Federation.
I am certified to administer and interpret the following Assessment tools:
I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Quantitative Methods from the University of Illinois with an academic emphasis in statistics and information technology. I attended executive education programs at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
I work with mid-career and senior professionals who are seeking to grow within their position or through a job transition. I’ve worked with clients across a wide spectrum of industries including professional services, healthcare, insurance, real estate, education as well as business owners and nonprofit organizations.
I work with my clients in person, by phone and/or by Skype. The client sets the agenda for what she wants to focus on during each session. If appropriate, I offer an assessment. Every session begins with a discussion of current pressing issues as well as an examination of what was accomplished from the prior session. The session is then followed up with an email detailing any agreed upon homework assignments.
I help my clients create a plan of action around their overall goal and then provide the support they need to further those actions.
I generally speak to my clients every other week; however, they determine the frequency depending on their needs. Engagements can run from 3 months to a year or longer, depending on the services requested.
I expect my clients to be committed to furthering their professional and leadership development. They have to be willing to view coaching as an investment in themselves as well as in what they can contribute to their career and their life.
Clients can best engage in the process by bringing a willingness to set goals, be vulnerable, self-reflect, follow through on their assignments and hold themselves accountable. Clients who are open and honest with themselves and with me get the most benefit from coaching.
I work with my clients on a confidential basis and consult with others only if invited by the client to do so. When I am engaged by an employer, I will speak to the sponsor in order to gain an understanding of the organization’s goals for the coaching. If a 360-degree assessment is requested, the options to conduct that assessment online anonymously or obtain feedback through an interview process are discussed and determined by the client and the sponsor.
Scenario 1: Career Development Coaching
A client who had been in nonprofit organizations her entire career and had only worked for strong powerful women felt stuck and lost her confidence. She did not envision a future for herself in the organization and didn’t know whether she should pursue other opportunities. As she had been promoted several times and was in a second-in-command position, she felt guilty about leaving the CEO. We unpacked the emotions she was feeling as a result of a lack of transparency combined with the stress of a potential career transition. Through the coaching process, she realized that she wanted to pursue her dream of moving into a corporate role. I helped her improve her resume and LinkedIn profile and guided her with a networking plan as well as helped her prepare for the interview process. We worked together for 9 months until she successfully transitioned into her new role.
Outcome/Results:
From the client’s perspective:
“Cathy is an exceptional business consultant who provides unique, thoughtful coaching focused on positive solutions and building skill sets to last a career. Her professional and warm demeanor fosters honesty and holds you accountable to the goals you’ve set forth.”
Scenario 2: Transition Coaching:
A client in a strategic role at a Fortune 500 company was struggling with feeling trapped as a director in the company he had been with for 15 years. He had three years of international experience including accountability for the company’s southeast Asian region plus he had received consistently positive feedback on his performance. He instinctively knew it was time for an executive position, but yet he was continuously told there were no promotional opportunities available. After coaching him around his strengths and values, he came to understand that he not only had the potential for future growth at his current company, but he also he had the skills, knowledge, and experience for extensive opportunities outside the company. He recognized that he had not been sufficiently assertive in expressing his needs and that he was well position to explore other opportunities. He had a great career at the company and really did not want to leave after a successful 15-years there, but realized through the five-month coaching process that he needed to actively pursue new opportunities and that he had the leverage to be transparent about his plan.
Outcome/Results:
From the client’s perspective:
“Cathy was a really great help at a pivotal time in my career. She was able to help me confirm my readiness to move to the next level in my company and the value in exploring all my options while also giving me insights on areas that I could improve. I never thought executive coaching would be for me, but I found it to be extremely valuable, especially with her as my coach.”
The is no single most important factor that contributes to a client’s success. Success is dependent on the client’s motivation, honesty and authenticity to develop a trusting relationship along with a commitment and willingness to embrace change.
My fees vary depending on the engagement. Please contact me directly to discuss.