What is one tool or resource that you find invaluable in your executive coaching practice? How does this tool enhance your coaching?

I love my AI notetaker, Fathom. I always ask permission to record, and explain how it works and how I use it, the first time I meet with a client, and so far, no one has objected. The benefits: - If I'm focused on taking notes, it's hard to be 100% focused on my client. I may miss something they're saying now, or a facial expression or intonation, because I'm still capturing something they just said. With the notetaker, I can be fully present and listening deeply, with no distractions. - I end up with three things: a summary, a transcript, and a recording of our session. I use a combination of these to review before our next session. I have an accurate record of topics, action items, things to follow up on--these help me keep myself and my client accountable. - I can send the recording to the client, along with the summary and transcript. Clients are usually grateful for it. It's so helpful to be able to review the recording days or weeks after the session; it offers another perspective and opportunity for reflection when you watch yourself and listen to the conversation from a different place (emotionally and temporally, at least). In specific contexts--preparing for an upcoming interview or speaking engagement, for example--watching themselves afterwards can be a game-changer for clients. I've conducted a lot of mock interviews and run-throughs of talks; it's so much more effective with video. We don't often have the chance to see ourselves as our audience or interviewer does. I understand that there are privacy concerns with AI. I don't share anything with anyone but my client, and clients have been thrilled that they have something concrete and accurate to review and reflect on whenever, and as often as, they like. My Fathom notetaker's been an invaluable tool.

The resource I find most invaluable is the Gallup CliftonStrengths Assessment. Leaders who learn and lean into their Top 10 Strengths supercharge their communication, relationships, and leadership effectiveness. Understanding the unique complexity of one's Strengths (or Superpowers, as I refer to them) is critical in knowing what levers to pull in individualized situations. Understanding why they've been successful in the past and understanding where they are best served in filling the areas of gap allow leaders the freedom to lead from a place of strength and confidence. Using the Gallup CliftonStrengths Assessment provides both the client and the coach a shortcut into the leader's leadership DNA. Using Strengths as the lens to frame and conduct coaching conversations affords us a vocabulary that we can consistently return to and and a place in which to anchor the leader's development. I recommend this assessment and spend significant time discussing it with the bull of my clients. It's always spot on and the insight it provides is transformative my leaders.

One tool I find invaluable in my executive coaching practice is systems thinking. Many leaders struggle because they approach challenges in isolation rather than seeing how everything is interconnected. By applying systems thinking, you can identify inefficiencies, streamline operations, and create repeatable processes that lead to sustainable growth. This tool enhances my coaching by shifting my clients from reactive problem-solving to proactive strategy. Instead of constantly putting out fires, they develop structured, scalable solutions that free up their time and allow them to focus on high-impact leadership. Systems thinking transforms businesses from chaotic and dependent on the owner to efficient, profitable, and self-sustaining.

One really simple tool clients have found extremely effective for getting to the next level (raise, promotion) is my Relationship Mapping Worksheet. It's really simple, anyone can do it. Here are the steps. 1. You make a list of the key decision makers who decide your future at the company. 2. You make a list of the people who influence them. 3. You list each person's goals and pain points at the company level, department/team level, and personal level. 4. You figure out little ways you can help them and improve your relationships with them. It's really important to go 3 layers out (decision makers, the people who influence them, and the people who influence the 2nd layer). That's because you want to plant lots of little seeds, so people are talking positively about you in rooms you're not in.

The Gene Keys are a brilliant system of Living Wisdom. This is my go-to to really understand my client's at a complex level of psychology and spirituality mixed together. My interpretation is they provide a mystical and practical way that we can see an actual map of our Sacred Soul Plan. Everyone has a Sacred Soul Plan which is my fancy way of saying your spiritual curriculum. It's life's learning journey which lays the foundation for your deepest personal growth and evolution. I define your Sacred Soul Plan as:: The unique spiritual curriculum designed specifically for your journey by your soul. The core life lessons and patterns that keep appearing for and inviting your growth. The deeper purpose behind your challenges and triumphs. Your soul's roadmap for awakening and evolution. Your Sacred Soul Plan is your spiritual DNA - the unique blueprint held in your Sacred Soul Signature that shapes your journey of awakening. It contains the divine unfolding of the experiences, relationships, challenges and gifts that catalyze your deepest transformation. What I love so much about the gene Keys is they offer a laser beam of light directly into YOUR personal plan. I'm talking specifics. The system was created by mystic and poet Richard Rudd and marries the ancient wisdom of the iChing, Astrology, Human Design to reveal the code hidden in your DNA. It's fascinating right! AND, it can be a little bit of a rabbit hole! As I've been deeply obsessed with this Living Wisdom for a while now, I recently became a guide so that I could deepen my own awareness and understand all of it at an even deeper level. With that came my higher intention for supporting my clients in helping them see and understand their soul's plan! If you feel called to explore your Hologenetic Profile, you can access it directly on the Gene Key site. And, if you want to sit with someone who can hold the light on your map and guide you through your own deeper understanding of your Sacred Soul Plan, you can schedule a session with me. Let me guide you to change the way you see yourself and your potential in the world.

In my executive coaching practice, one tool I find invaluable is 360-degree feedback. This tool gathers input from a variety of sources--peers, subordinates, and superiors--providing a holistic view of a leader's strengths and areas for improvement. It enhances my coaching by offering data-driven insights that guide our conversations and help the clients see themselves from different perspectives. The feedback creates a strong foundation for personalized development plans and helps the client understand the impact of their actions on others. One specific example is using feedback to address communication gaps. A client was unaware that their leadership style was perceived as overly authoritative by their team. The 360-degree feedback brought this to light, and we worked together to implement more collaborative communication strategies. This tool fosters openness and trust, making it easier to set concrete, actionable goals. It ultimately empowers clients to improve self-awareness and take steps toward more effective leadership.

Tool/Resource: "Based on the experience of our collaborative coaches and therapists, one resource we highly recommend for executive coaches is KEYS to your relationships. This comprehensive self-help system includes 90 reflective cards, an extensive report book, instructional videos, and intuitive illustrations. It serves as a powerful tool for coaches to foster deeper self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and alignment in their clients. KEYS is particularly beneficial in an executive coaching context, as it helps clients gain insights into their thought patterns, emotional responses, and leadership dynamics. The reflective cards guide clients to explore critical aspects of their relationships--both with themselves and others--allowing them to break through unconscious barriers that may be hindering their professional growth. When integrated into coaching practices, KEYS to your relationships provides a holistic blend of mindfulness, emotional healing, and energy alignment, enriching the overall coaching experience. It helps clients develop clarity, emotional resilience, and the confidence to lead with authenticity and purpose." Why it Enhances Coaching: "Drawing on the collective experience of our collaborative coaches and therapists, we've seen how KEYS can deepen a client's understanding of their leadership style and help them realign with their core values. By incorporating this tool into their practices, executive coaches can guide clients toward sustainable transformation and authentic leadership."

One tool I find invaluable in my coaching practice at ChessEasy Academy is the use of personalized performance journals for each student. Initially, I relied on memory or scattered notes to track a student's progress, but shifting to structured journals has significantly improved both my coaching effectiveness and students' outcomes. After each coaching session, students note key lessons, strategic insights, and reflections on their emotional and mental state during practice games or tournaments. As a coach, reviewing these journals weekly gives me a clear, real-time window into each student's development. It helps me spot patterns quickly like confidence issues under pressure or recurring strategic oversights and tailor my next coaching session accordingly. This structured reflection process enhances coaching by fostering deeper self-awareness in students, building their confidence, and allowing me to provide highly targeted, personalized guidance. My advice to any executive or performance coach is this: Always implement tools that encourage active self-reflection because awareness is often the first step toward meaningful improvement.

In my executive coaching practice, the use of reflective questioning has proven invaluable. This technique involves asking open-ended questions that encourage clients to think deeply about their experiences, behaviors, and goals. By prompting them to reflect, these questions help executives gain insights into their own leadership styles and areas where they can improve. It facilitates a self-discovery process, which is crucial for personal and professional growth. Reflective questioning also enhances the coaching experience by establishing a space where clients can explore their thoughts and feelings without judgment. It helps them to articulate challenges and identify the steps needed to overcome those challenges. This tool strengthens the impact of coaching by making the learning and development process deeply personal and tailored to each client. Ultimately, this leads to more profound leadership transformations and better decision-making skills. In essence, reflective questioning isn't just about finding the right answers—it’s about discovering the right questions to ask.