Welcome! I hope you will find this page helpful in learning more about my approach to executive coaching and who my typical clients are. I am a seasoned coach with 20 plus years senior executive level experience in a variety of industries and organizations.  My leadership development practice has included executive coaching and facilitation of  roundtables for senior leaders since 1996. I currently have over 70 active corporate clients.

Though my experience and qualifications may be comforting - just knowing that I have walked in your shoes - effective coaching ultimately boils down to the relationship and 'chemistry' we have. Only read further if you are someone that is forward-looking and action-oriented. I am 'an early adopter',  thrive on being at the 'crest of the wave' and choose to 'live on the edge' in many aspects of my life. I like working with leaders that are intrigued with the idea of taking themselves to the next level of leadership and are coachable.

A while ago my own executive coach pointed out to me that my involvement in "search and rescue" (I have a search and rescue dog and specialize in wilderness missions) seems to  importantly impact  how I approach the flow of possibility and deal with adversity - dealing with life and death situations lend perspective!

I also like to think of myself as a "global citizen" - I was born and raised in Sweden and had to learn how to adapt to a new culture when I moved to the United States to do my graduate work at the University of California. I find inspiration in nature and currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and daughter - unlimited opportunities for outdoors adventures...climbing, hiking and skiing are part of the allure for us!

Interestingly, my family is spread out over three continents! Not surprisingly, I'd like to see my coaching practice expand internationally.

Why Do Executives Choose to Work with a Coach?

As an executive today you are probably short on time and can ill afford to go to week-long training sessions, only a fraction of which provides learning that is relevant to you. You, like many executives, may also feel isolated and unable to keep up with the need to learn at the velocity required by your changing business environment. With increasing demands on performance, stress induced by a 24/7 work environment, and a pace of change that is accelerating at breath-taking speed, you may want more than just a sounding board and support. You may want a partner that has walked in your shoes and knows what you are up against. Someone that is comfortable with a heightened level of expectation, including that of playing a key role in generating solutions to problems together with you and facilitating transcendence to new levels of awareness and leadership. Enter the new "executive coach" that is just recently emerging, one that is not wed to a particular model or school of coaching, but is willing to work with you to provide what you want, depending on your situation and need. This is the kind of coach I strive to be.

What Do Forward-Looking Executives Today Want?

If you are like most forward-looking executives today, you probably feel  you are expected to be nothing short of a magician in terms of performance and results. With the added pressure and requirements to learn at higher velocities, you need  a partner that has significant experience and sophistication and can help you come up with an organized game plan that provides context, comfort and structure. These may be some of your wants:

• To work with an advanced coach that is solutions-based, not just coaching-services based. That means being able to together invent solutions on-the-spot! You don't want a process that is focused on chasing the symptoms, but work  at the dynamic's level -- where the ultimate drivers of your thinking, behavior and performance operate. If you know these dynamics, your situation and frustrations become crystal clear, and very, very coachable.

• To tweak your ability to learn and how quickly you learn and integrate new knowledge.

• A partner that can guide you and act as a catalyst to help you move up several levels in your personal awareness and development. For example, you may want to leap from the Responsibility level to the Inspiration Level. Part of what that means is that you expect your coach to introduce ideas, perspectives, concepts, principles, models and theories that fit your situation. Truly high-end coaching tends to be more concept-based than activity or goal-based. This may also mean that you expect your coach to go beyond tweaking or upgrading paradigms, to actually introducing new perspectives. You may know that 'something is missing' but you are not sure what, exactly.

• A Coaching Plan that is far more than an intake or assessment process, and much more than a list of sequenced goals and milestones. Rather, the Coaching Plan is an organized game plan at a more profound and forward-looking level.

• In addition to working with specific issues and problems you are interested in designing a lifestyle, not just organize and reach goals.

• To change your experience of life and make it more inspiring by upgrading how and where you get creative, intellectual and emotional energy. Think a lighter, cleaner, higher source: a solar powered car vs internal combustion engine.

• Help you transcend yourself, a fancy way of saying 'get over yourself', yet it means more than that. If this is on your want list, you probably recognize that you are reacting to yourself, others and situations, and have a sense that there is a place beyond this.

• You want something for yourself that seems impossible. You want a coach that can help you generate this flow of possibility. Imagine the environment that is bigger than you are, where your coach can help you push the envelope.

At a more concrete level you may be faced with one or several of these challenges:

• Clarification of personal and business vision, purpose and direction.

• Aligning values, goals and actions with desired business results.

• Improving your organizational impact.

• Integrating your position as a strategic "player" in your organization.

• Productively facing new challenges and responsibilities.

• Effectively managing organizational change.

• Creating an environment for continuous learning and action.

• Achieving balance between work/life issues.

• Identifying and leveraging management/communication style strengths and overcoming limitations.

• Increasing effective communications and management of style differences.

• Addressing work conflicts and/or team issues with staff or peers.

• Overcoming career challenges and "burnout." Increasing enthusiam for life and work.

• Transitioning from a "corporate career" to business ownership and/or consulting/coaching.

• Identifying your "passions' and future options for your personal and professional life.

• Effectively using time, skills and resources.

My Thoughts on Coaching

My coaching practice is centered on the executive that wants to learn, is coachable and intrigued with the idea of going beyond the traditional list of sequenced goals and milestones. I work with executives that are interested in developing a game plan in  a partnership - where I can be the soundingboard as well as a solution provider 'in the moment.' I believe in a coaching meta-model -- one that is inclusive and does not rigidly adhere to meeting your needs in a prescribed manner. My tool box is vast and evolving!

I believe that coaching can be sophisticated and advance significant learning very quickly, yet can be both easy and simple. I work with fully capable, high-performing professionals, who sometimes want to work on a particular challenge, style issue or shortcoming, but more frequently, engage me to get stimulation, optimize strengths and help them transcend to the next level of leadership.

I feel I am most effective as a coach when  able to move beyond the place where I feel I am critical to your success and where you need me. I believe the coaching process is most effective when we are both continually discovering and creating. I can add more value when I am not stuck in a "role as a coach" or "teacher".

My Ideal Clients and Niches

I work primarily with executives, managers, entrepreneurs/business owners and consultants/coaches that are highly capable and want to forward learning and action at an accelerated pace.

My niches include working with human resources and marketing executives, both as a coach and facilitator of roundtables. I currently have over 70 high performance corporations participating in regular, ongoing roundtables to build community for human resources and marketing leaders at the senior executive level.

Here are some typical situations and issues clients have presented as reasons for exploring coaching:

► You have been identified as a high potential manager/executive.

► You are taking on a new role or have to acquire new skills.

► You need to develop leadership skills; create a vision; develop followership; implement the vision; follow through; achieve results; play on a team.

► You have a project you want to start and don’t know where to begin.

► You have a decision you need to make and want to brainstorm.

► You  have a new boss with different success criteria and standards.

► Your organization is undergoing major change.

► You have something specific you want to change in your life/work.

► You have plateaued or feel burnt out in your job.

► You are having a conflict with your staff, peers or clients and need to work on interpersonal skills communication skills, organizational skills or problem solving.

►As a result of an acquisition it is uncertain what will happen to your role in the organization.

► Your professional growth is limited with your current company. You want to explore career options.

► You feel a major project you are championing is out of control. You want to get back on track.

► You do not feel you are being integrated as a strategic partner by your peers.

► The leadership team in your organization is dysfunctional. You want to take some steps to improve.

► A major life area feels out of balance and is impacting your effectiveness.

Complementary Collaborative Interview.

For information about a complementary collaborative interview and fee schedules click here or call me at 425.742.5950. In addition to working  with clients face-to-face, Suzanne works via telephone (telecoaching), e-mail and instant messaging.

The Coaching Process

Though the process varies depending on your situation and issues, a typical approach will include some or all of these stages:

Problem Definition/Focus. We will meet/telecoach several times to determine your current perception of strengths, weaknesses, abilities, issues, objectives and focus for the coaching process.. In addition, I may interview others in the organization as appropriate and agreed upon. Or, we may decide to use an online 360 instrument to get feedback from your team, peers, superiors or customers.

Assessment. One or more assessment instruments may be used to develop a more in-depth understanding of your style profile and help you understand yourself as well as your impact on others.

Feedback/Analysis. We will analyze all of the data from the fact-finding process and assessments and jointly decide what is pertinent for the issues/learning opportunities you want to focus on. I will provide feedback and perspective as appropriate.

Game Plan. We will work together to develop a gameplan This could include traditional elements of a development/action plan with a sequence of goals and milestones as well as a more profound plan to dramatically help you transcend to the next level of leadership. You will be encouraged to share some aspects about the plan with the appropriate leader within your organization. I am available to facilitate this meeting.

Coaching. I will regularly meet/telecoach with you over a period of time, usually no less than four (4) months and typically more like 6-12 months. Meetings/telecoaching sessions will focus on action taken to forward you Game Plan. In addition I am available for e-coaching throughout the process.

Reassessment.  I will help you assess the outcomes of the coaching process, including the level of accomplishment of the Game Plan.

Coaching Program Options  I coach clients globally in person or using telephone, e-mail and instant messaging. You can consider  several different packages. If you are a corporate client work is typically priced by the project.  All  assignments have a minimum four-month commitment. After our initial round of coaching we can step back and determine what future actions, if any, we would like to take together. However, if at any time you feel that the process is not working for you, please bring it up with me right away. If we are not being productive together, we can bring the process to an end at that time.