Transforming Organizations. Improving Results.
Coaching
Seasoned Leaders
Your growth journey should not plateau just because you are the top dog. The best leaders have an insatiable growth mindset, and they lean on trusted external advisors to augment their strengths and weaknesses. They understand that it can be hard to achieve 100% objectivity regarding their behavior and performance from the inside only.
A coach can make a big difference. But not just any coach will do. The executive coaching industry has blossomed over recent years, but many of these coaches have only studied what they are practicing rather than lived it. You need a coach who has actually run many miles in shoes similar to yours.
What sets JDR apart is our wealth of experience actually navigating challenges and opportunities similar to those that you are experiencing. We've been there and actually done it successfully, not just studied it and consulted. Of course we possess the requisite understanding of the psychological aspect of coaching based on years of studies and practice, which is vital. But it is our strong track record of coaching and developing seasoned and emerging leaders on to fulfilling career paths and improved results that separates us from most executive coaches.
SMART Start™ Coaching for New Leaders
You just learned that you have been awarded a coveted leadership role. Decades of hard work has paid dividends. You’re excited to take on this next challenge, but you also realize that it’s a big leap in responsibility. You’ve landed the job, and now you must earn it all over again by proving that you can live up to the high expectations of the people you will lead and your stakeholders. Feelings of joy and accomplishment are tempered by pressure and anxiety. It’s time to get busy preparing and planning for the journey ahead. The JDR 7-Step SMART™ process is a proven way to achieve a successful lift-off and build sustainable results.
Teams
There is no perfect team. Even the highest performing teams can improve. The bar can always be raised. But it takes objectivity, courage, determination, and a growth mindset. Most teams think they are performing well enough, or they think they are too busy to invest the time and energy required to perform at a higher level. These teams are often willfully blind to the maladies that hold them back from peak performance.
We love working with leaders and teams with the burning desire to improve their performance. Our proven process encourages all team members to step up and elevate their game by leaning on each other's strengths and proactively addressing gaps that hinder performance. Based on our experience leading and contributing to high performance teams over the last forty years, we have found the following ten traits are vital:
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Synergy: Team members complement each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and behavioral preferences.
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Commitment: Team members are fully committed to the team’s success, and they are willing to sacrifice their egos for the good of the team.
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Constructive Contention: The toughest challenges and issues are put on the table and debated vigorously. Team members are passionate and unguarded, and everyone commits to and supports resolutions and next steps even when consensus is not possible.
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Accountability: Team leadership is shared, and members hold each other accountable, challenge and help each other, and are deeply concerned about letting down their teammates.
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Purpose:The team develops shared goals, purpose, and core values aligned with stakeholder needs.
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Rewards: The team shares in significant rewards for achieving their goals and even bigger rewards for exceeding expectations.
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Transparency: Communication is fluid and transparent, and all information is shared openly and candidly.
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Collaboration: Team members exude a “we are stronger than me” attitude by breaking down silos, working across functional boundaries, and proactively tapping into each other’s strengths.
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Growth Mind-Set: There is a growth mind-set grounded in curiosity. Team members are aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and they seek feedback that will help them improve performance.
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Ownership: The entire team feels a joint sense of ownership for their collective results, and they behave like owners.
Of course, no team scores a 10 out of 10 on all of these traits. The one team trait we find lacking most often is constructive contention. Either because there is a lack of debate, or the debates are too often unhealthy. At JDR, we are exceptional at stoking constructive contention and improving collaboration, team health and productivity. For the team leader, our process is an excellent tool for assessing teammates and solidifying succession plans. Most importantly, it always fuels changes that lead to improved team performance, results, and personal fulfillment. Guaranteed.
