One on One Coaching
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One on One Services:
- Pinpoint Your Top 3 Unique Talents
- Tools I Use to Propel My Clients to Success
- Create a Resume that will Make it to the Top of the Pile
The Challenge:
Typically, an organization spends its entire training budget on the bottom 20% of its workforce; those whose performance is lacking.
The Solution:
In reality, organizations would be better served “helping” that bottom 20% of under-performing employees graciously exit, and find a career that fits their personality and skills much more appropriately. The training budget can then be allocated to improve the skills of the leaders it depends on to inspire and motivate the organization’s workforce.
“Managers often have the mistaken belief that they have to know more or be more skilled than the employees they coach. Not necessarily so! Olympic athletes each have a coach, yet I am confident that none of the coaches can out-perform the athletes.”
- Eric Allenbaugh
The Challenge:
It is widely believed that 85% of people do not experience real satisfaction from their work. I certainly believe those figures. Most of my clients are over 40 years old, with the majority of them now in their 50s. The realization that they may have to do the same thing for the next 10 or 15 years is causing them to re-examine their work environment. but they frequently struggle to pinpoint what isn't quite right.
The Solution:
When I worked for the Anthony Robbins franchise in Portland, Oregon, we conducted day-long seminars. Each participant received an hour of 1:1 coaching after each event for which I served as the frontline coach When I asked, "What would you like to work on?" Their reply would often be "I just don't know what it is I want to do for a living. I know I want to help people, but...", etc. People really do struggle to match their talents with fulfilling work. Sometimes an outside, objective opinion can provide just the right insights to uncover the type of work that best suits an individual's personality and talents. As an Executive Coach, that's the kind of help I can provide.
How I Can Positively Impact the Course of Your Career:
Pinpoint Your Top 3 Unique Talents!
After hearing such confusion and confliction time and time again, I developed a process that helps people identify and understand their top three unique talents and determine the ideal industry in which they would like to work. In my experience, this process is far more effective than written assessment tests, which are often outdated as soon as they are printed. Plus, I take pride in keeping abreast of what businesses are looking for in their employees and the new positions that are constantly evolving and being developed.
People know what it is they would like to do but a mentor, friend or parent may have convinced them that they "Couldn't make a living doing it." I met a man who was in his second year of college and a professor told him he couldn't make money working for the U.S. Forest Service. Having been discouraged from pursuing his passion, he was now 44 years old in a job he hated and was sitting in front of me in search of a fulfilling career. We went through my process to reveal his talents and made an action plan that would lead him to fulfilling and profitable work for the U.S. Forest Service.
My Process for Pinpointing Your Top 3 Unique Talents:
- We set a date to meet for a maximum of two hours.
- Prior to our meeting, I ask you to do some homework. Just by completing the exercises, more often than not, the client comes to me and says, "That was really helpful and insightful. It spurred great conversations with friends and family about my unique talents and what kind of work I might find fulfilling. I can already see what I have been doing wrong." Example: A person sits behind his/her computer all day when they really want to be outside or meeting with people.
- We meet in person or by phone and I ask you questions about your homework. We end up laughing and really "talking" about the things that bring you joy.
- I reveal to you the patterns I heard in our conversation and suggest the talents I believe you possess. There has NEVER been an occasion when a client has disagreed with me about these talents - after all they are the ones revealed during this process.
- We brainstorm where the talents can be used and explore industries that would appreciate a person with such talents and enthusiasm.
- The first plan of action is developed. Rest assured, a client will always leave our meeting feeling motivated and with viable information to start his/her journey towards a new career.
It is rare that I meet with someone who already has the skills necessary to get a job in that career. We develop plans to get a position in that industry so they can learn the skills necessary or in some cases decide what course work they may need to take to add to their knowledge bank. Often it is a case of "networking" your way into a newly uncovered career.
Tools I Use to Propel My Clients to Success
This certification has given me a great tool to help people understand how others perceive them. In other words, what is their personal branding?
The best way I can describe 360 Reach is to explain to you what happened to me when I was being certified in the process.
I was asked to fill out my own survey and answer the following questions:
- Identify which words best describe me.
- Which skills do I feel I'm great at?
- List my strengths.
- List my weaknesses.
- What type of cereal would I be and why?
- What type of car would I be and why?
Under each category, there was room to write any additional comments or add things that were not listed.
I was asked to send the survey out to at least 25 people that knew me so that they could anonymously answer the survey.
Once the completed surveys were compiled, I was given the results, which revealed how I was perceived by the people around me.
Naturally, I focused on the weaknesses first. I was irritated with some of the things that were said but those comments turned out to be great nuggets of information for me. I still keep those comments in mind as I move about my day and work to transform my weaknesses into areas of strength. And I was gratified to learn that what I perceived as my strengths, were indeed, confirmed by others.
I am proud that I have been certified in 360 Reach and can administer and analyze the results of this assessment. The additional classroom training I received illustrated to me how this assessment opens up communications with an individual. The certification provided me with tools that will help the individual "hear" both his strengths and weaknesses. It provides a great launching pad for helping to develop career plans or highlight rungs in the ladder that must be scaled in order to achieve that promotion.
Create a Resume that will Make it to the Top of the Pile
“Before working with Kathy, I had been looking for a job for over a year and only landed one interview. Frustrated and discouraged, I knew something wasn't working so a friend recommended I contact Kathy Condon for help. And help she did! After implementing Kathy's suggestions to improve my resume, I had 4 requests for interviews in just three weeks!”
- A recent client
Why are my resumes more effective?
It is my strong belief that 95% of people fail to use their resumes as a place to highlight significant actions they have taken in their lives. Depending on the job you are applying for, volunteer work could have more relevance than some of your professional career achievements.
While Internet resume formats and published books may provide outlines, many of the formats do not match what Human Resource People and Hiring Managers are quickly looking for in resumes and cover letters.
Let me give you some examples from actual resumes I have helped to improve in the past:
Example 1:
Prepared and managed budget.
My question: Iss that a $500 budget? The person looked at me said, "Kathy, of course not, it was $12 million budget."
Example 2:
Collected Monthly Rental Checks.
My question: How many did you collect a month? Answer 375. I said "Is there anything else you care to tell me about the checks?" Answer, "Well does it make a difference that I just didn't get three over a three year period?"
Example 3:
Presentations. If you say you have a skill, you have to prove it. Can you give me an example of a presentation you have made? Person retiring from the military said, "Does it count that I debriefed President Reagan in the White House?"
If something is easy for you and you do it on a routine basis, you think others can do it easily too. It's important to have an "outsider" ask you these kinds of questions so that you clearly communicate the significance of your skills and achievements on your resume. Once revised, these resumes were much more impressive and garnered great results for the job seekers.
The specific language you use in your job and on your resume may not translate to a similar company. Clarification of terms or jargon need to be addressed. We don't want people confused about what something means.
Resumes are time consuming to prepare. Why do I continue to do them?
When jobs are lost, self-esteem takes a big hit...no matter if it was through expected downsizing or a mismatched employee/employer relationship. When a resume is prepared correctly it reminds the person of all they have accomplished. As a result, a person is more confident going into interviews and is better able to articulate the real story of his or her working career.
A resume, done right, contains most of the answers to interview questions. You don't have to search your mind for examples to prove your skills - they are already on the resume and at the top of your mind.
One-on-one coaching is a powerful experience and can change your life. You can sit at your computer and prepare a resume that will likely end up somewhere in the stack or you can contact me, Kathy Condon, and be one of the first candidates called for an interview!
