Ways to Improve Work Performance

Every one of my clients who feels overloaded wants to find ways to improve work performance. They recognize making some changes isn't optional, but essential.

When we meet, each client puts more emphasis on one or two specific areas they deem important to their success or the success of those things they work on.

I've kept track. Over 25-plus years of coaching, clients have identified at least 12 key work performance themes. In any given week I end up discussing several of them.

Executive Coaching's 12 Key Themes

Here's the summary. An expanded write-up is further down on the page. For me they seem to group in three areas: self-leadership, working with people, and getting the job done.  

Self-Leadership

• Time Management, Managing Stress and Avoiding Job Burnout
• Career Satisfaction and Transitions
• Values, Integrity and Personal Contribution
• Changing Possible Career Limiting Behaviors

Working With People

• Managing Critical Conversations and Communications
• Motivating, Leading and Developing Others
• Succession Planning and Grooming for Advancement
• Building Key Relationships

Getting the Job Done

• Increasing Daily Productivity and Effectiveness
• Planning, Goal Setting and Decision Making
• Fostering Significant Ideas and Projects
• Maximizing Opportunities in Change and Transition

In order to prevent burnout AND move forward with greater effectiveness in today’s challenging environment, you must at some point, pay attention to something in each and every one of these areas. 

Below, you can reflect a little more on the 12 "themes" if you wish.

Look here to read what clients work on, in their own words.

What to Do Next

• Review this site, to get an understanding of who I am, how I work and whether or not you would be the type of leader I assist. 

• Contact me to let me know you are interested in having a conversation where we can discuss your situation and what you would like to achieve with executive coaching.

• I cannot always guarantee we can start coaching right away, but if after we have a conversation together we feel we are a match, I'll give you the next available opening.

• Once you have completed the Coaching Agreement and paid your Coaching Retainer, we'll get started.

Executive Coaching Presents an Opportunity

It is not uncommon for me to hear leaders in diverse fields of endeavor say that thanks to our coaching, they have achieved more than they ever thought they were capable of. Dealing with the overload and finding new ways to improve work performance made the difference.

Only a small number will ever be intentional about taking charge of their life. And only a small percentage of that number will put in place the plan and coaching support they need to follow through and reach their goals.

Will you be one of those individuals?

I welcome the opportunity to discuss your specific needs and how executive coaching might assist you or your organization. 

Your organization or company will also reap the benefits of you engaging in executive coaching. Check your organization against this list.

12 Ways to Improve Work Performance

Here's a longer version of the 12 key themes. Focusing in on one or two of these to initially start our work together will help you find ways to improve work performance and beat burnout. 

1. Increasing Daily Productivity and Effectiveness: 

Streamline your efforts. Make sure the things you need to have happen get done - every time. Do the right things better and accomplish more important things each day that will make the biggest difference to yourself and your organization, now and in the future. We will work together on consistently working the priorities.

2. Planning, Goal Setting and Decision Making:

Short, medium and long-term planning are the backbone of an executive’s moving forward – both for themselves and their organization. We’ll work on having you craft and convey a superior plan for tomorrow, next year and beyond while providing clear leadership in day-to-day operations.

3. Fostering Significant Ideas and Projects:

You’ve got a great staff! You see exciting possibilities. Now make those needed adjustments to get the most from your people and yourself by fostering creativity and shepherding terrific ideas and suggestions through to fruition.

4. Maximizing Opportunities in Change and Transition:

Periods of change provide windows of opportunity to those who are attentive. I’ll work with you to take transition and use it to your advantage, arriving at the best outcomes possible, even in the poorest of circumstances.

5. Managing Critical Conversations and Decision-Making:

Often times, success or failure can hinge on a single conversation, or even a brief moment where you have to “make a decision on the fly.” I’ll help you prepare to have increasingly better conversations and make the best decisions possible when doing so may make a significant difference.

Coaching leaders and professionals always ends up dealing with issues surrounding people, because ultimately it’s the people who will provide performance and productivity. Additionally, some of them (hopefully very few) might also contribute to increased stress in the leader.

6. Motivating, Leading and Developing Others:

You’re leading this organization or some significant part of it. Congratulations! We’ll work together to have you do what it takes to delegate responsibility, be a great motivator and get the most out of your supporting players. Since working with people is an area that often causes the greatest stress, it’s possible you’ll want to spend considerable time here.

7. Succession Planning and Grooming for Advancement:

Whether your plan is to groom or be groomed, we’ll work on helping you get a better understanding of how to enlarge your capacity for successfully carrying out greater responsibility. Discover and cultivate the best talent for moving forward key priorities.

8. Building Key Relationships:

Family, Work, Community: 99% of the time, people and your relationships with them will determine your success. I'll coach you as you work to achieve stronger, healthier, more loving relationships at home and enhance and navigate those critical to success and satisfaction at work. Again, this is a critical area most leaders and executives spend time on.

9. Time Management, Managing Stress and Avoiding Job Burnout:

Do you want to stop working the insane hours and carrying the world on your shoulders, while staying on the upward path of advancing your vision? We'll work together, helping you determine and manage your priorities and put in place self-leadership habits that are the best for you.

10. Career Satisfaction and Transitions:

What good is all your hard work if you aren’t really happy with your personal work situation and leadership? We’ll work together to help you achieve real satisfaction on the job – or find a new track that gets you there!

11. Values, Integrity and Personal Contribution:

Is what you contribute and how you do it, at work, at home and in the community, in sync with your values, beliefs and who you are as a person? I’ll show you why those who pay attention to this internal compass are the most likely to get ahead and be the most personally fulfilled.

12. Changing Possible Career Limiting Behaviors:

You might be holding yourself and your workforce back and not even realize it! I'll provide an objective, outside sounding board about possible negative behaviors you might be exhibiting, and how to get rid of them intentionally.

Twelve opportunities for professional development. Twelve ways to improve work performance. And all aimed at improving your capacity to work and lead with greater effectiveness. Where will you start? Would you like to have a conversation about it? 

* A large number of my clients are Christian leaders and executives. They work on the very same areas, but approach them from a faith-based mindset.