PROFESSIONAL & CAREER COACHING

At Haskell Associates we coach individuals in the business world to achieve a goal, solve a problem, learn new skills, make a career change, build confidence, or change an ineffective behavior.

We coach teams to understand what it takes to be a productive team---by helping them look at how they work together, and what's effective or not effective. And we help them to develop strategies and build skills that will make them a winning team.

How does the coaching process work? Click Here to read about some of our successes.

What Is Coaching?

A Process that enables an individual - or a team - to:

• Prepare for a specific challenge.
• Develop skills needed to be more effective.
• Close the gap between where they want to be and where they are now.
• Keep on track toward reaching a goal.
• Change behaviors that are ineffective.
• Get more of what they want in work or personal life.
• Be the best they can be.

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What is a Coach?

• A person who...
• Listens
• Motivates
• Teaches
• Advises
• Helps
• Enables
• Encourages
• Empowers
• Guides
• Supports
• Challenges
• Assists
• Enables others to be the best that they can be

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Who Hires A Coach?

• Executives
• Managers
• Entrepreneurs
• Professionals
• Artists
• Writers
• Musicians
• People in transition
• People who want more out of their work and personal lives

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Here's what our clients say about our coaching:

"Without over-pushing or prodding, Jean's matter-of-fact counsel motivated me to explore my options with a different set of eyes and a fresh perspective. In the end, her simple suggestion---"make the call"---rang in my ears, and encouraged me to seek a job I truly wanted and for which I was well qualified. My advice to any wayward professional: Call Jean. She'll set you straight." -- Betsy Wollam, Coordinator, Public Affairs and Community Relations, Rohm and Haas Company

"I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been referred to an individual who gave me the reinforcement, support, and training I needed, as well as knowledge of the market, to feel confident to move from a corporate womb to success in managing my own firm." -- Howard Feldman, Esq., Attorney & Business Owner, Santa Fe, NM

 

Coaching TEAMs

"In an attempt to prepare for upcoming organizational changes, I asked Jean Haskell to work with the staff to help build a sense of cohesiveness, shared purpose, and mutual respect between two very divergent teams. The results have been striking! Over the course of a three-hour period, Jean guided the staff through a variety of exercises. She helped them to explore how they felt about their work, openly discuss their concerns, and plan for future work together. She elicited a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm from the group, the staff reported having "real fun", and have already requested a follow-up. 

Among the positive results of Jean's coaching: (1) Increased awareness and appreciation between two groups for the work that the other does. (2) Rather than complain when asked to offer assistance, each unit now offers help before being asked. (3) Communication between front line staff occurs more regularly as the two groups begin collaboration for cross-training. And (4) the morale of the groups remains high in the midst of significant employee dissatisfaction in health care." -- Karen Helker, Nursing Director, Pennsylvania Hospital

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How does it work?

Sometimes individuals are referred by a boss, or Human Resources consultant, for coaching to improve interpersonal skills.

Meet John.
John was referred by his boss who was tired of hearing complaints from John's subordinates and peers about John's condescending behavior. "He talks down to us", they said, "makes us feel like idiots"...tells us we're stupid...and doesn't believe we can do anything right!" John's boss acknowledged that John's behavior with superiors was totally appropriate and acceptable.

 

Individuals often refer themselves, their friends, families, or colleagues, for career coaching.

Meet Brian
Brian was referred by his sister (who had been a client) because he had a growing dissatisfaction with his career. He had a Master's Degree in chemistry and did chemical research in a large chemical organization. He seemed to have totally lost interest in the research process as well as the outcomes and was beginning to feel that he did not want to spend his life in chemical research.

 

Sometimes individuals refer themselves because they are unable to move along in their careers--- passed over for promotion, excluded from taskforces/special projects, or generally feeling alienated in the workplace---and cannot understand why.

Meet Mary.
Mary didn't want anyone in her organization to know about that she was unhappy, so sought help on her own. She said she loved her job, but couldn't seem to get along with the people at work. Not wanting to leave the company, she didn't want others to think that she was looking to make a change by seeking help.

 

Some times two or more individuals seek help in improving their working relationship, or resolving interpersonal conflict that is interfering with business objectives.

Meet Harry and Tom.
Harry and Tom came in for consultation after Tom quit ( for the second time) and promised to come back only when Harry agreed to get someone to help them resolve their interpersonal conflicts. As founder and CEO of the organization, Harry had turned over to Tom all responsibility for day to day management. so that Harry could pursue other entrepreneurial ventures. Yet Harry could not let go. "He comes in and looks over my books without telling me," said Tom. And then he walks on the floor and talks to people and gives them permission to do things I've already told them not to do! They don't know who's boss!"

 

Working with John
John acknowledged in the initial interview, that he was sometimes "nasty" to his peers and subordinates, though he couldn't recall specifics. His first assignment was to observe himself--- to begin to keep record of when the "nasty" behaviors occurred, what happened, what proceeded and followed, and how John reacted to the whole situation. He had difficulty noticing, at first, because the behaviors were so automatic..

However, he soon was able to notice after the fact, which marked the first step toward change.  The consultant helped John understand where he had learned this style of relating and how it impacted others, then used role play, videotape, and readings to help him develop new styles of relating. Today John uses racquet ball and journal writing to "blow off steam", thinks before he speaks, and sometimes enlists the help of co-workers to let him know it he's too overbearing. At last report, his staff had no complaints!

 

Working With Brian
Brian's initial request was for some career testing, perhaps an aptitude test, as he was convinced there must be something else he could do besides chemistry. However, he felt conflicted because he had invested a lot of time and money in getting his credentials to be a chemist---a career he had pursued because his father, also a chemist, encouraged him to follow his footsteps. Brian took a series of self-assessment tools, including an interest inventory, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, an a Self-Directed Search, which indicated that he had much interest in the sciences, and was an introvert. Reviewing his career history, he expressed much interest in, and success with, writing. In fact, he had won a prize for his writing back in high school. 

Once Brian was able to work through his guilt at the possibility of giving up chemistry, we brainstormed possible alternative careers. The one that seemed most exciting to him was writing. I encouraged him to draw on his education and explore possibilities for writing about chemistry. I also helped him to develop skills in networking and information interviewing, and we did role playing to practice those skills. Four months after our last meeting, Brian called to let me know that he had attained a position as writer/editor for a chemical society's newsletter.

 

Working with Mary
Mary couldn't understand why she kept being passed over for promotions and special projects. I suggested that Mary seek her co-workers' perceptions by asking two specific questions: 1) How could I be more effective on my job? 2) What do I do that interferes with my effectiveness? Mary did question her co-workers informally including her boss, and was shocked to learn that several people perceived her as difficult and were turned off by some of her behaviors.

Once Mary understood that how she was perceived in the workplace was directly related to how she behaved, and that she could take responsibility for changing her behavior, she was willing to ask her organization to pay for Professional Coaching. Through counseling and role play, she learned alternative ways to behave and discovered that she might be happier doing a different type of work. She made a lateral move and was promoted shortly after.

 

Working with Tom and Harry
Harry called the consultant after Tom quit for the second time. He said he really was depending on Tom to take over so that Harry could get a new "start up"; yet Harry couldn't seen to let go and kept butting in to Tom's operations. Tom loved the work but knew he couldn't be successful unless Harry stayed out of the way. First, the consultant helped the two men explore their style differences and how the differences could be used to compliment each other, not destroy their relationship.

Second, she helped Harry understand how his high need for control would interfere with his long-term goal, to move on to another business; and she encouraged Tom to become more assertive about telling Harry what he needed. Today, after a year of coaching, Harry has turned the entire operation over to Tom, who created a profit-sharing plan for himself, and Harry is starting a new enterprise.

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For pricing information and initial consultations call Dr. Haskell at (215) 735-3348

 

What Is Coaching?

What is a Coach?

Who Hires A Coach?

Here's what our clients say about our coaching?

How does it work?