276: A Look Inside My Coaching Practice

The Exclusive Career Coach

There is a change to my podcast starting with this episode. I will begin offering a segment at the end of episodes called “DIY vs. DFY” – Do iI Yourself vs. Done For You.

This segment will tie into the podcast episode whenever possible and offer 1) a top tip or resource for those of you who want to tackle that episode’s subject on your own, and 2) a service or program for those of you who would like help.

So stay tuned to the end!

This week, I wanted to give you a peek inside my coaching practice…to pull the curtain back, Wizard of Oz-style. Sure, I mention the various things I do with clients throughout episodes, but I’ve never given you the full tour. Here we go.

My practice began as a resume writing service once I got my initial resume writing certification back in 2009. At that time, my business was called LEK Consultants. Previous to that, I had LEK Presentations while I was still working in higher education, focused on providing training programs for companies, higher education, and non-profit organizations.

Along the way, I became a Certified Executive & Leadership Development Coach (CELDC), a Certified Job Search Strategist (CJSS), and a Master Resume Writer (MRW). My practice expanded with a full slate of coaching services, with the goal of being a full-service career coaching practice.

So what are those services? And how do I charge for these services?

The “inner circle” of my practice is in service to clients who are in job transition. First of all, I determine where the client is in their career – Early Career is within about seven years of graduating from college; CareerSpring is my sweet spot, folks who are mid-career; Executive is folks at the VP or C level.

At each of these levels, I offer three packages:

Document Package: Resume, Cover Letter, LinkedIn profile

Document & Coaching Package: Resume, Cover Letter, LinkedIn profile + 3, 1-hour coaching sessions

VIP Package: Resume, Cover Letter, LinkedIn profile + 6, 1-hour coaching sessions + 6, 30-minute Accountability & Support calls

The next “rung” of Exclusive Career Coaching is coaching for people who aren’t looking to change jobs or employers in the immediate future. Rather, they are dealing with something in their career that they know they need help with. Here are some recent examples of clients I’ve worked with:

-A Senior Manager who is now managing a large team and dealing with politics in a way she never has before

-The senior-most female executive in a male-dominated company and industry who is being told to act “more like a man” and is understandably confused by the mixed messages

-A project manager managing a $1B infrastructure project in Canada who has been told his micromanagement is hindering his chances for upward mobility with his employer

-A woman in banking who is seeing younger employees pass her by. She’s become very negative in her thinking and has been “phoning in” her work.

For these complex issues, I typically recommend a 12-session coaching package. We typically meet every other week for six months – this is sufficient time to really move the needle in their area(s) of concern.

As I mentioned last week, I have just begun a very structured program called Highly Promotable – for people whose goal it is to land in the C-suite. This program involves a 360-degree assessment, 10, 1-hour coaching sessions + 2, 90-minute mega sessions at the beginning and as we wrap up, + follow-up sessions at 45 days and 6 months.

The Highly Promotable is for mid-career professionals who want to land in the C-suite. They have either identified an area that is holding them back, been given feedback of an area they need to work on, or just want to optimize their chances for rapid promotability.

Using the 360 feedback, the client and I determine 1) an area of strength that we will intentionally and strategically leverage over the six months we work together to make it a signature strength, and 2) a developmental area that, with that same intentionality and strategy, could become a strength.

There will be homework between each session, such as reading, listening to podcasts, talking with specific people, or implementing specific strategies at work.

DIY vs. DFY Segment

Welcome to DIY vs. DFY! For those of you who want to improve in an area of your job by yourself, here’s a resource for you – and it’s around goal-setting for the area you want to improve.

Here’s where most people go wrong with goal-setting: they aren’t creating SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Sensitive.

Here’s an example: Let’s say you have identified public speaking as an area you want to improve on.

A SMART goal might look like this:

I will identify, sign up for, and participate in three public speaking opportunities by the end of 2023.

Once you’ve identified that SMART goal, chunk it down into bite-sized pieces and calendar those steps in. You’ll need time to identify potential opportunities, time to prepare your presentations, time to practice, time to actually deliver the presentation, and possible follow-up time.

You may also want to measure your improvement in public speaking as you make these presentations: Will it be from participant satisfaction surveys? Will you have mentors in the audience to give you feedback? Could you have the presentations taped for you to review?

Now for DFY. In our example above, you can’t hire someone to do the presentations for you, but you can engage with a coach who specializes in public speaking.

You can expect this coach to help you with your topic, fleshing out your talking points, coaching you on your delivery and how to make your presentation more engaging, and even how to overcome your fear of public speaking through thought work.

BOTTOM LINE: Here’s how I like to think of DIY vs. DFY – what is my investment vs. what is the potential payoff?

For example, if I have to give a presentation this fall that could make or break my career – there’s a lot at stake, so a coach would probably be the best idea. Also, if I know my public speaking skills are really terrible, then a coach would be the best idea to make real progress fast.

If, on the other hand, I’m already pretty good at public speaking and just need opportunities to present so I can demonstrate my strength in this area, I may not need a speaking coach.

If you are a high-achieving professional with the goal of landing in the C-suite, the Highly Promotable coaching program may be just the ticket! This 1:1 program is targeted to strategically leverage one of your strengths to become a signature strength, and move the needle on one of your developmental areas so it becomes a strength.

This is a high four-figure investment in your professional future! If this sounds like just what you need, schedule a complimentary introductory call to determine if you are a fit for Highly Promotable:

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/highly-promotable-introductory-call