Coaching

Coaching

I am a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and The Leadership and Diversity Coach™. I have more than 25 years of coaching experience — first as executive, manager, consultant, and coach in the Federal Government. Now I provide coaching services through my coaching and consulting firm, Brazzel Associates. I am also a member of two coach networks:

and I am Co-Steward of the NTL Institute’s Coaching Community of Practice.

My coaching clients are leaders, executives, managers, consultants, and coaches. They are individuals and members of business, non-profit, government, education, labor union, and health-care organizations. My clients are committed to learning, changing, and growing; being their very best selves; having a fully-alive, rich, and fulfilling life; enhancing leadership skills and presence; attaining performance goals; enhancing strategic thinking; being diversity and inclusion leaders; having a career path of heart and passion; balancing work/family/life; pursuing and addressing the hopes, dreams, and conditions of being human, and overcoming life hurdles like procrastination, fear, anger, and depression.

As Mentor Coach for coaches, I work with coaches on their coaching journey, including:

  • ICF Core Coaching Competencies for ICF Credentialing, rather than coaching on practice building, life balance, or other topics unrelated to obtaining an ICF credential.
  • Coaching competency and skill assessment – observe/listen to actual coaching sessions and recordings to provide feedback focused on ICF core coaching competencies.
  • Client case/situational support with specific client issues and challenges.
  • Assisting coaches in their human developmental journey from an emphasis on external authority and skills to greater awareness, responsibility, accountability, and mastery in relating to self and others.
  • Support for development of coaching education plans and processes.

What is Coaching?

Coaching is a partnership between coach and client that fosters

  • Self-awareness of purpose, values, beliefs, behaviors, and performance,
  • Achievement of life and work desires and goals,
  • Personal and professional development,
  • Conscious choice for an inspired future,

and that supports action and change for long-term fulfillment.

Coaching is a relationship with

  • Total focus on the client and what they want in their life and work
  • Confidentiality
  • Mutual trust
  • Respect
  • Honest feedback
  • Safety
  • Positive support and encouragement
  • Challenge
  • Accountability
  • Self-Responsibility

For leaders, executives, and managers, coaching is a relationship where there is freedom from judgment and expectations that they will behave according to corporate and organization mandates. In this relationship, it is safe to question, to be vulnerable and observe, explore, experiment, learn, and change. Leaders, executives, and manager can use the coach for:

  • Training, developing, and managing staff
  • Reaching individual and team goals
  • Business planning, budgeting, and goal-setting
  • Relationships with supervisors, direct reports, and peers
  • Prioritizing actions and projects
  • Leading change and diversity initiatives
  • Gaining organizational support for initiatives
  • Resolving difficult situations
  • Difficult conversations
  • Conversations and feedback across race, gender, nationality, and other cultural differences
  • Integrating and balancing business and personal life

Leadership coaching for leaders, executives, and managers includes:

  • Outer skill-set” work of – skills, competencies, behavior, performance – and
  • Inner “mindset” work of — awareness, purpose, values, thought patterns, beliefs, assumptions, attitudes, and stances.

Getting Started with Coaching

You can contact me to schedule a free sample session. Sample sessions are usually 20-30 minutes. Once you decide you want to move forward with our coaching relationship, we will discuss the fee structure and schedule initial coaching sessions. I will send you a packet of information and a questionnaire to complete before our first session. In this first session we will design our coaching relationship and how we will work together and begin exploring who you are today and what you would like me to hold as your goals, vision, and dreams for the future.

Typically, in each coaching session, you, as the client, choose the focus of conversation, while the coach listens, contributes observations, and asks questions. This interaction creates clarity and helps you move into action. These sessions are about you, where you are in this moment and where you would like to be. Our goal in each session is to bring forth greater self-awareness and to use this awareness to create greater fulfillment in your life. Coaches believe the solutions lie within you. The coach’s job is to help you achieve your goals and dreams for a rich and fulfilled life by helping to clarify your goals, provide support, and enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that are within you. There are often follow-up activities between sessions that help clients move ahead. That forms the basis for the next call.

After the initial session, we will meet for regular coaching sessions by phone. Typically, there are two one-hour coaching sessions per month. Normally I work with clients for three-six months. This gives us time to explore your goals, identify obstacles, and develop a plan to get you where you want to go.