Executive & Senior Team Coaching
Ashley|Rountree and Associates consultants provide one-on-one professional development with individual clients (such as a senior manager, director, vice president, president, or member of the C-suite) with the goal of inspiring him or her to maximize their personal and professional potential. What separates Ashley|Rountree from other executive and team coaches in the nonprofit space is our history of establishing a thorough understanding of each client organization, our years of exclusively serving the nonprofit sector, and constant interactions with effective senior leaders and leadership behaviors.
Coaching is an individually tailored practice in talent development, and it involves a close and confidential relationship between the coach and the participant. The executive coach provides a safe, structured, and trustworthy environment in which to offer information, support and guidance to the participant. The coach may use some assessment to help the leader understand their current competencies, see how they’re perceived by others, and focus on identifying not only development goals but also the most appropriate action steps to reach those goals. At times the Coach is a sounding board to help the participant make difficult decisions, someone to prevent a misstep in a particular situation or might help them prepare a strategy at a key time in their professional life.
Team Coaching is similar to individual executive coaching in that both focus on senior level leaders, but Team Coaching is directed towards group dynamics rather than individual performance. Ashley|Rountree consultants recognize the importance of a highly functioning senior team because whatever the senior team does well or does poorly will be repeated throughout the organization. Senior Team coaching usually involves some form of team or individual assessment with the goal of improving communication and raising the collective performance of the group. Sometimes this could be a remedial effort to address dysfunctional behavior, improve performance or re-align divergent goals. It can also be undertaken to capitalize on strengths in order to enhance current levels of performance or to consciously move the organization’s culture in a desired manner.
Success Stories
Case #1
Challenge
The most senior executive at a continuing care retirement community was new to senior management and needed to talk over the novel experiences and expectations of the role, dealing with difficult team members, working with a board and managing a few immediately critical strategic and financial decisions.
How We Helped
The confidential nature of the sessions with an experienced professional from outside the organization was key to the success of the relationship. It was a safe space where the individual could ask any questions. With years of practical management know-how, coaching experience and training in effective leadership behaviors, the Ashley|Rountree consultant was able to serve as a sounding board, advisor and as a resource to point the participant towards additional relevant information.
Outcome
The coaching relationship lasted about three years and met almost monthly at the beginning. The pair met less frequently as the participant gained more practical experience and confidence. The development of the executive in the position was regarded as exceptional, and the organization was able to recover from a very tenuous financial situation.
Case #2
Challenge
A Board member from a nonprofit human services organization contacted Ashley|Rountree to provide some executive coaching for a recently hired CEO. The individual was new to the region and was not having a smooth start. For him to be more effective he needed to establish a professional network in his new town. He also needed to improve his relationship and communications with the Board, and better conceptualize and articulate to all stakeholder his vision for the organization.
How We Helped
Ashley|Rountree provided an executive coach to share with the individual best practices on articulating and communicating a vision at the senior executive level and progressively improved the message. He also was provided with assistance in getting to know his new hometown, and collaboratively devised a strategy to become better connected in the community, in part through the more active use of his Board’s contacts. This structured use of the Board provided both parties to engage more openly with each other outside of formal meetings and helped with overall communication and individual relationships.
Outcome
Since the end of the coaching engagement the Board has reported satisfaction with the individual, his interactions with the Board and his performance. Together, the CEO and the Board have successfully led the organization through some unexpected challenges.