SHARON RUWART
Executive Coaching
Approach
Lasting change through challenge and support
Do you want to perform better, feel better or just BE better in your personal or professional life (or both)? I work with people who are ready to change, but aren’t quite sure exactly how -- or need some help to make their desired changes stick. With me as your coach, you’ll learn how to define your goals, set milestones and creative metrics, shift your perspective, and experiment with new attitudes and behaviors. My role is to both challenge and support you, providing a safe place for you to feel heard and an encouraging platform from which to launch bold initiatives. When you’re ready to take action, I can help you move forward.
Certified by Columbia University
My coaching process follows the approach developed at Columbia University, where I received my Coach Certification. The Columbia Coaching Certification Program methodology is theoretically grounded in the science of human performance, which integrates best practices from psychology, neuroscience, organizational development, business management and leadership research. The CCCP process ensures that each session, as well as the entire engagement, focuses tightly on your agenda, explores it from a variety of perspectives, and stays action-oriented so that you make progress. I view the coach-client relationship as an equal partnership, which means that my job is to help you discover insights and ideas, rather than to tell you what to do. I adhere to the ethical standards of the International Coach Federation.
How coaching works
Our 1:1 coaching sessions will take place in person for clients in the New York City area, or by video Skype for others. Our coaching engagement will begin with a 90-minute session, and then generally consists of 6 to 10 sessions of ~60 minutes each, spread out roughly 2 - 4 weeks apart. At the start of the engagement, we will explore the “presenting issue” that brings you to coaching, which will help you to define the “Big A” agenda representing the major change(s) you want to make. Together, we’ll work out what milestones and feedback will mark your progress toward the goal, and devise an action plan to get there.
Each session will also have a “small a” agenda, where we define what you want to accomplish on that day, with session-specific metrics. You’ll be free to bring up “emerging issues” on which you want to get help and support: a high-stakes team meeting coming up, a difficult feedback conversation that just occurred, an anxiety-inducing decision that needs to be made. I’ll help you link emerging issues to your Big A agenda so that the learning from a particular timely example can carry over and move you forward toward your big goal.
Between sessions, you will work on targeted tasks that might include timely reflection on particular incidents, gathering feedback and input from others, experimenting with new behaviors, or initiating and reflecting on crucial conversations.
You'll be able to contact me between sessions for short “laser coaching” calls if you need support in the moment or want to debrief an important event or insight while it’s still fresh. I’m also available by email for feedback and counsel as you move through your work between sessions.
Other services: NBI Assessment & 360-Feedback Reports
Many clients find it helpful to have additional data to inform their goal-setting. I am a certified NBI ™ consultant, and often use this simple, powerful instrument to help clients get insights into how their thinking preferences affect their outlook and actions, and to learn how “whole-brain thinking” can be leveraged to support change. In addition, for select clients, I conduct “qualitative” 360-degree feedback assessments, for which I confidentially interview colleagues, team members, clients, and advisors and write up responses that help generate actionable insights.
Getting started with coaching
The first step is to schedule a 30-minute phone or video Skype conversation so we can talk about what’s on your mind and assess our “fit.” If we decide to work together, I’ll send you a simple contract laying out the number of sessions, any assessments to be included, cost, and terms. Once we both sign the agreement, we’ll schedule our first 90-minute session.
Fees and terms
Each engagement is customized, with the total cost depending on the number of sessions, whether assessments are included, travel, etc. One-half of the cost of the engagement is due at the first session, with the other half due three months later. I am very flexible about rescheduling, although sessions cancelled less than 24 hours will count towards your total.