Today s leaders are required to rise to challenges that did not exist ten years ago: economic meltdowns, a global labor pool, new environmental safety challenges, violence and instability in regional markets, as well as the unbelievably fast pace of competitive market innovation, to name just a few.  These conditions require leaders who must think and behave in new ways. Strengths that enabled success, even ten years ago, often become liabilities in this new century, at least during the first decade.  And, whether a leader manages a regional US organization, or a global enterprise, all leaders today operate in a global environment.  Even if locations, supply chains and workers are domestic, products and services have global potential due to the internet.

To a greater or lesser degree, successful leaders are able to develop productive relationships with their business environments, primarily through stakeholder relationships.  These relationships must be developed rapidly, and results implemented quickly.  Speed is a main source of advantage, and most leaders today move through a number of positions and roles in their careers.

Some leaders are able to act as change agents, actively shifting and creating new structures, systems and cultures.  Other leaders are able to fit with their organizations and lead in more subtle ways. Yet other leaders are unable to create the right relationship, or Velcro, with their stakeholders in order to influence the direction and results of their businesses.  In these cases, culture and organizational environment win.

At ChangeWorks international, we see the sweet spot of professional

Coaching for Global Advantage " A Powerful Approach for Leader Growth

This ground-breaking coaching model, created by Kathy Molloy, Principal of ChangeWorks International and Willa Hallowell, Partner, Grovewell LLC, brings an exciting, fresh approach to the development of global leaders. The environment of the global corporation is fast-moving, requiring leaders to transition quickly into new and very different business settings.  The key to successful leadership in global businesses is the ability to rapidly transform knowledge into action. Coaching for Global Advantage calibrates to the unique needs, competencies and (business and cultural) environment of each of our clients.  See the Grovewell website www.Grovewell.com/Coach.

Coaching for Global Advantage provides the environment, tools and experiences to discover and mine our clients experiences, past successes and buried talents, and leverage these to learn and express new ways of thinking and acting in different environments.  In other words, to develop the flexibility to succeed in new situations. 

Discovering and developing that underlying flexibility . or meta-competence . is a hallmark of Kathy Molloy s coaching.

At ChangeWorks International, we employ Creative Dialogue  and:

         work through our hearts to create a climate of trust, providing the client with the freedom from judgment about the thoughts, feelings, and intuitions that matter to him or her;

         make expert use of questioning and dialogue, in order to develop a tacit understanding of the participant s values, mental models, emotional responses patterns, competencies, forces/experiences shaping his/her career choices;

         guide clients to make powerful distinctions between their current ways of thinking and behaving vs. what is needed now and for future growth;

         analyze their own organizational environment " structure, process, systems, people networks and culture " and look at their own relationship with their business environment;

         Enable clients to uncover and shine light on their inner strengths as leaders;

         Provide follow-up coaching and support as new ways of thinking and acting are woven into our clients lives.

 At ChangeWorks International, we use Creative Practices to:

         identify specific learning activities that build needed skills, and provide just-in-time coaching on how to handle specific situations;

         help clients resolve apparent dilemmas in their lives and work, enabling them to move from either/or thinking to and thinking, thereby broadening their versatility and creativity as thinkers and leaders;

         enable clients to achieve results efficiently and effectively by building people networks for information-sharing, building support, and facilitating effective work flow.

         guide clients to that point of growth where they discover and learn to take important actions " to close the knowing-doing gap.

         Support the design of development plans that have the involvement and buy-in of key stakeholders, and carry specific and relevant measures for success.

In each engagement, Kathy listens appreciatively, looking for the patterns, emotions and ideas that are unique to the client, to discover the unique gift that this client and his/her business can offer.  She reflects these patterns, emotions and ideas back to the client in a way that enables the client to explore his or her potential in the current environment.  This approach helps the client draw on his or her tacit knowledge, begin to tap his or her own creativity, and frame a unique development path. 

We use open-ended and conversation-based methods to gather critical data, e.g. behavior-based interviewing, ethnographic interviews. These consider the client s professional experiences and cultural influences, along with dialogue characterized by a kind of give and take that challenges the client s established ways of thinking and acting. This involves, in part, using Dilemma Resolution methodology (Charles Hampden-Turner and Fons Trompenaars), to help clients successfully explore conflicting issues (either/or) and reframe these to achieve lasting (and/and) solutions.

These data serve as a starting point for in-depth conversations with the coach about how to achieve performance goals, short-term and long-term.  Unique development plans are crafted with the client and key stakeholders, incorporating specific development actions and clear measures for improvement.  Action plans are designed to shape new ways of learning, drawn from on-the-job assignments, external/volunteer activities, reading, classroom work, etc.  

Our focus is on transforming knowledge into relevant action.