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2014 Executive Coaching summary from the Conference Board

Hello friends,

I thought you may want to see some recent trend data for external coaching and internal coaching, by industry and size of company.

Highlights:

  1. After the recession, companies are investing more than ever in leadership development and key talent, with both external and internal coaching  
  2. 39% of these 140 companies use internal coaches for leaders who are lower in the organization, and over 75% use external coaches for their senior leaders (directors and above)
  3. The top 3 types of coaching remain 1) development-focused coaching, 2) performance-focused coaching, and 3) 360 debriefs
  4. Fees invoiced at a standard or fixed rate per engagement, rather than an hourly or variable rate, have increased from 26% in 2012 to 38% in 2014
  5. Hourly rates for executive coaching range from $600+/hour for CEOs and direct reports to $300/hour for directors and above; naturally, those rates vary by size of the company, industry, and level of the leaders
  6. The top 3 topics covered in coaching engagements have not changed for many years; they include:  1) executive presence/ influencing skills, 2) relationship management, and 3) leading teams and people development

If you should have any questions, please let me know.

Doug Gray, PCC,  CEO/Founder www.action-learning.com

2014_TCB_Executive_Coaching_Survey

Riding a bicycle, learning, and neural plasticity

Like most of you, perhaps, I have demonstrated some expertise at the ability to ride a bicycle since the age of 3.

Unlike most of you, I have perfected that skill in multiple expedition bicycle races, featured on CBS Sport three times, bicycle tours throughout Europe, the maritime provinces, and the U.S.  Big deal, right?

So what would happen if I tried to UN-LEARN that skill?

1.  In this cool video clip, a bicycle was re-engineered so that when the handlebars were turned one way, the wheel would go in the opposite direction.

2.  It took an adult 8 months to LEARN how to ride this new bike.

3.  It took his 3-year old son 3 weeks to LEARN how to ride this new bike.

What do these two facts say about the brain’s ability to learn a new behavior, then to unlearn that behavior after 8 months of reinforcement?

(Pause and reflect here…)

 

One of my Dartmouth College professors, in an obtuse course called Developmental PsychoBiology, taught me that we have neural pathways that reinforce certain behaviors.  Call them habits.  When we practice using our right hand with a fork to eat spaghetti, we can reinforce that pattern until it becomes “learned.”  If we want to eat spaghetti with chopsticks we need to learn a new neural pattern, until it becomes a habit.

Too many adults say “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”  Nonsense.  There is abundant empirical evidence to the contrary, for both dogs and humans.  Such a perspective is based upon ignorance.

So an executive coaching question may be, “What new behaviors do you need to learn?”

Examples include:

  • calling 10 former friends to say “Hello, how are you? I miss you.”
  • being kind to someone who needs kindness
  • supporting the strengths of your loved ones, immediately, by doing or saying something complimentary and true.  Immediately.  Repeatedly.
  • learning a new skill, such as how to play the banjo, speak Spanish, or write javascript
  • self-advocate for that promotion or new challenge at work
  • re-design your career or future

If you need a boost (and we all need a boost at times) then give me a call today.

 

I’d like to know what you are interested in doing.  Or UN-Learning.

 

 

What is Action Learning?

Action Learning is a behavioral change process model that works 1) for groups and 2) for individuals.

 

For groups, Action Learning occurs when stakeholders use real problems to acquire learning and implement system-wide solutions.

For individuals, Action Learning is a behavioral coaching methodology that applies the same 4 steps.  

 

The Action Learning change process model includes four steps:

1) decide what breakthrough requires you to invest resources,

2) act with a talented, cross-functional team and executive endorsement,

3) reflect on steps achieved, and

4) connect or expand the results across business or functional lines, to new markets or clients.

We have facilitated organizational Action Learning change using both virtual and direct processes:

 

1. Technology processes: SharePoint, Action Item task lists, virtual teams, e-coaching and e-consulting, digital consulting and short implementation teams.

2: Direct meeting processes: assessments, facilitation in a series of workshops, coaching and consulting, project initiatives, leadership off-site retreats, strategic reorganization

For a summary of consulting fees and investment levels for organizations click here, and for individuals click here.  

 

Our Services typically include:

Assessments  (e.g. individual, group, organizational, strategic)

        Qualitative or Quantitative 360 assessments

        Organizational Culture Assessments

        Leadership competency assessments

Leadership consulting and behavioral coaching (e.g. individual, team or group levels)

Strategic planning and organizational redesign

Videography

Shadow Coaching

Facilitation, training, retreats or workshops

 

The result is that the Action Learning process helps individuals and groups become true learning organizations.

What are you waiting for?

Download this list of services and investment levels now:

Please contact us or call immediately at 704.995.6647 or schedule your initial consultation here.

Expert interview with my brother, Stuart Gray…

Expert interview with my brother Stuart Gray, founder/president of www.4remarkable.comwww.hospitalityrocks.com, and www.bluecollarsalesguys.com.
Stuart is an expert sales consultant, recruiter, customer service trainer and technology provider for independent restaurants.
Based near Minneapolis, MN he promotes excellent customer service throughout the world.
Check out this MP3…
Stuart Gray 7.19.13

Success is in your blood…

… maybe.

Consider your antecedents.

“Antecedents” refers to your family or origin, parents, and grandparents.  These are “your people.”  They left you with strong messages about your probability of success.

If in doubt, read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.

If still in doubt, reflect on the messages passed on by your antecedents.

Here are two examples:

My running partner, George, has parents who met in the second grade, as school children in the midwest.  One grandfather took him for ice cream almost every day.  The other grandfather took him on weeklong trips every summer.  His extended family lived within blocks of one another.  They slept at each other’s homes.  Some family members disliked each other. But they traveled together and kept their differences to themselves.  And in the depression, one patriarch left the banking world to sell life insurance.  He made money for over 50 years… In a similar way,  George does the same work that he started at age 17 when he joined the Air Force.  Executive assessments and coaching and consulting.  His antecedents taught him something about independent judgement, business, and long term focus.

My former client, Harry, has family roots from Ontario and Buffalo, NY.  Everyone in his family skates backwards.  His grandfather was the personnel manager at the largest local business.  As such, he hired hundreds of people, including all the sisters at Harry’s grandmother’s side of the family.  All of them were employees, workers.  They measured success by hours endured at work.  During the depression Harrys’ grandfather on his mother’s side was given enough wood to build a cottage on Lake Erie.  For generations thereafter, hundreds of his descendants gathered there for summer picnics and volleyball games.  Then they returned to work early Monday morning… In contrast, Harry rebelled against that life style.  He travelled the world.  He became a masterful salesman.  Then he started his small business.  He became very successful.  His passion?  Harry refused to life the same life as his antecedents.

So, take a minute to do the following:

1.  Make a list of “who” and “what.”  Who were you antecedents and what did they teach you?

2.  Share that list with 6 people in your Inner Circle.  If you do not have 6 people, then you need to invite them.  Or hire me.

Success is largely shaped by our antecedents.

For details on how to be more successful, then call me at 704.895.6479