Coaching
Team Coaching for Offices of Diversity and Inclusion
The responsibility of managing an organization’s D&I efforts is a unique role in any company. Unfortunately there is no standard playbook that insures success in the role.
By the time an internal practitioner has developed to the point of understanding both the purpose and the possibilities of effective diversity management in their organization, they retire, move to another company, or get reassigned in their own company. The net result is, for the last 20 years we have been running in circles inside many organizations trying to gain traction on something that is as simple as night and day.
The Diversity Coach has been principal advisor to over two dozen CDOs and offices of diversity management. We offer unique perspectives on the role of diversity, inclusion, innovation, and management as a contributor to enterprise performance. Working with us, you will discover:
The historical perspective of diversity management as strategy
What to do in the first 90 days to insure long term success.
How to know what the enterprise needs from your office.
How to get top executive support for your agenda.
How to engage line managers in your plans.
How to demonstrate tangible benefit from your work.
Don’t risk becoming marginalized as so many D&I offices have. Work with the best, most experienced advisors in the field.
Our team includes the best of internal and external perspectives.
Jim Rodgers has advised dozens of CDOs (including the country’s very first CDO) as an external resource. He was instrumental in establishing the initial intent of the D&I office. Unfortunately, he has also seen how that intent has been abandoned and how the role of the office of diversity (management) has become marginalized.
Julius Pryor helps companies leverage diversity to accelerate innovation and drive business results. He has held executive D&I roles at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), Russell Athletic, Abbott Labs and Takeda Pharmaceuticals, McCormick, and Genentech. Julius has a unique vision for the future of D&I based on broad experience with what works and what doesn’t work in the role.
Executive Coaching for Top Performers
Thoughts from The Diversity Coach
One thing that great leaders, excellent consultants, and master facilitators have in common is the ability and the practice of asking great questions. Great questions immediately evoke deep, reflective, thoughtful answers from team members and move the group closer to substantial decisions, solutions, and innovations.
One of Marshall Goldsmith’s fatal flaws of successful people (from What Got You Here Won’t Get You There) is the need to show how smart we are. Interestingly, the first bit of counsel I give to those learning to facilitate difficult discussions (like diversity conversations) is, “try not to be so smart.” When you want to look smart, you become defensive when others challenge your point of view. When you want to be a great leader, you become curious (turn to wonder) when others challenge your point of view. It is more constructive to respond with a great question (why do you say that?) rather than a defensive statement (trust me, I know what I’m talking about!).
By the way, when I ask busy executives and successful entrepreneurs to identify which of the fatal flaws (twenty total) they may be guilty of, the response is predictable. Rarely can they identify any definite flaws and at best will admit to sometimes falling into one of the traps (maybe). The reason is that they (like all human kind) have blind spots. It is difficult to be objective about your own stuff. No matter how smart you are or how skilled you are, you also have blind spots – the result of your unique perspective and point of view. Have you ever gotten stuck on seemingly small issues that confound you, frustrate you, or even paralyze you? Let’s face it; we all need a jump-start, a kick in the pants, assurance or reassurance occasionally. We need to stop “breathing our own exhaust”.
Consider these three simple questions as you assess yourself as a top performer:
- What is blocking your performance or the relationships that ensure your success?
- What would expect to learn if you asked others on your team how you could get better?
- What would you tell the top performer in your group about how to get better, if they would only ask?
The top players in all games, including business CEOs, have coaches. Why don’t you?
Executive Coaching
Leaders do not lead because they expect it to be easy, and most leaders do not struggle because they lack the skills and capacity for greatness.As leadership responsibilities grow, pressures mount, and the care of the organization’s wellbeing fall more heavily on their shoulders, busy executives can develop bad habits that impede success – both their own and that of their companies. The goal of the Coaching Beyond Belief™ program is to not to “teach” you to be an executive; it is to remind you of the unique spark you have – and to reignite it.
The Executive Coaching from The Diversity Coach™ is based on the belief that every person has a unique combination of gifts, skills, and talents that they can use to achieve exceptional things in life and work. We get in our own way, though, and block those gifts from bearing fruit. We stagnate, form unproductive habits, develop blind spots, or “breathe our own exhaust.” Our expert coaches help executives and teams gain the perspective they need to explore their own depths and transform good intentions into great results.
Benefits of Executive Coaching
Clients who put in the work can expect to gain:
- Perspective and clarity.
- Insight into unproductive habits and ability to alter these patterns.
- Confidence in skills and abilities so they can make the tough decisions.
- Improved image and performance.
- Competency in leading and managing diverse employees.
- Accountability for their actions.
- Tangible results.
We are committed to helping organizations get 100% effort from 100% of their people 100% of the time – and that starts with its leaders.
Is Executive Coaching for You?
It is if you:
- Recognize the need for change.
- Are willing to change.
- Are able to change.
Coaching is not for the curious; it is for the dedicated. Through this intensive process, executives work with our coaches to develop and strengthen strategic, behavioral, and tactical aspects of their work. From framing their value to working with teams to approaching difficult clients, executives explore their own strengths and weaknesses in order to overcome barriers and seize opportunities. These candid conversations are challenging, and those who are ready for change will use them as a springboard for action.
What to Expect
Our private roster coaching is available in the following formats:
Annual Subscriptions. This includes:
- A rigorous intake process that explores natural tendencies, goals, and desired behavioral changes.
- Twelve monthly, one-hour sessions.
- Up to 6 spot coaching sessions (typically 10 minutes or less each) via phone, email, or texting.
- One group session (in person or via web conferencing) to take advantage of peer advice and guidance for most pressing or persistent business problems.
Six Month Subscriptions. This includes:
- A rigorous intake process that explores natural tendencies, goals, and desired behavioral changes.
- 6 monthly phone sessions with pre-call planning and post-call review to prepare for and reinforce learning.
- Renewal option at either annual or six-month level.
The Diversity Coach™ invites you to download these helpful resources to learn more about our unique approach to executive coaching and how your leaders, and organization, can benefit.
Testimonials
Bill Woodson
Jim Rodgers is an outstanding Management Consulting resource, as well as a terrific mentor and coach. He has been extremely gracious and generous in his support of multiple business endeavors in which I’ve been involved. Not only does Jim have deep expertise to offer, he is also an outstanding communicator, exceedingly insightful, and unfailingly encouraging. Truly a world class professional!
Doug Balog
For 6 months i got a chance to have Jim coach me on executive leadership and found him to be thoughtful, engaged, and very direct with me on the areas we discussed that i wanted to focus on improving. I would definitely recommend Jim to any senior executive looking to transform themselves and their business.
Vickie Sullivan
Executive Teaming
Through Executive Teaming, leaders will be able to:
- Identify strengths that can be leveraged.
- Identify behaviors that limit success.
- Accept greater accountability.
- Identify obstacles to effective decision-making.
- Increase candor and trust.
- Engage in “Courageous Conversations.”
- Develop recommendations for aligning strategy and execution.
- Plan learning and development activities to continue growth and development.
At the heart of every challenge – and every opportunity – is people. The Diversity Coach™ is committed to helping teams understand and leverage the value of each member and magnify the contribution to the whole. Creative and targeted learning experiences allow teams to explore challenging issues, process the information constructively, and use that insight to become more effective leaders of more successful organizations.
Workplace Diversity
Do you understand your diversity strengths? Companies who simply accept diversity as a fact of life and develop strategies for utilizing it, experience significant organizational growth.
Each member of a team possesses unique skills; in successful teams, these individual strengths complement one another, creating a cohesive whole that is more than the sum of its parts. Executive Teaming enables leaders to discover how to leverage this diversity of expertise, experience, and perspective to develop stronger relationships and become the guiding force for positive change within their organizations.
What is keeping your organization from achieving objectives and meeting strategic goals? What is preventing performance from reaching breakthrough levels? How can your executive team lead change initiatives more effectively and confidently? The Executive Teaming process from The Diversity Coach™ focuses on the client’s unique situation and crafts a solution that will best meet their needs.