.....................................................

We offer coaching services in France and Belgium, in English and French.  Managers usually desire coaching because they become aware of a need to develop new behavioral skills and new self-knowledge or to learn how to manage in a new country.  Our approach is to start by looking at the manager's talents and strengths.   In today's organization, which has to learn continually, every leader must be able to reflect knowledgeably about how to make the most of what they are naturally good and not-so-good at doing.  It is amazing how many managers put down to "luck" systematically good results which in fact stem from their talents.  A manager should know when it is necessary to be surrounded by people who have talents which compensate for his or her weaknesses.   We can help a manager to reflect on his or her professional practice in such a way that s/he will get even better results.  All of our coaches in Europe teach at MBA level in French and/or English.

The purpose of these coaching sessions is to maximize the talents of the managers and leaders we are asked to coach.  One interesting branch of coaching that we are involved in is multi-cultural coaching, especially in helping expatriate managers get rapidly up to speed in French organizational cultures.  We use psychometric instruments such as the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, Marston's Colours and the Kirton Adaptation-Innovation inventory.

1. Effective communication

The key concepts to establish an effective communication network are:

• the importance of reciprocity in good communication
• non-verbal communication
• a communications model for awareness, understanding, commitment and action
• active listening
• giving and receiving feedback : one approach to coaching others
• holding effective meetings
• obstacles to communication such as "information overload"

The difference between power, authority and influence.  The use of influencing strategies :

• role-based management vs. classical hierarchical authority
• the psychological contract
• motivation
• recognition and reward strategies
• introductory confirming strategy
• persuasion
• how to put in place a regular, systematic communications framework

3.

• knowing yourself and others  
• Emotional Intelligence competencies : what they are and how to develop them
• win-win-win collaboration
• network building, operating and maintenance
• problem solving in groups 

• setting SMART objectives
• achievement of objectives : the control loop model
• internal and external focus
• vision and values
• hierarchy of challenges : wicked challenges and tame challenges
• decision-making and decision traps
• a set of tools for systematic problem solving
• the 8 stage planning approach to project management
• the importance of team roles

Who are we ?

French and American Management Cultures

.......................

There are more than thirty words in the English vocabulary to describe differents types of depression, neurosis and psychosis.  However there are very few words to describe the state of being well.  This is a link to a site where you will learn how Martin EP Seligman, Ph.D., conducts research on Positive Psychology, learned helplessness, depression, and on optimism and pessimism. At this website, you can take the VIA Inventory of Strengths questionnaire that measures positive traits.