BlueSteps Career Advisor Spotlight Interview: Empowering Executives with Kathryn

In our quest to bring you the most insightful voices in career coaching, BlueSteps is thrilled to present an exclusive interview with Kathryn, a distinguished career coach and thought leader in leadership and team effectiveness. With a wealth of experience garnered from her tenure as a former business executive at prestigious organizations like American Express and Automatic Data Processing, Kathryn brings a unique blend of practical wisdom and academic rigor to her coaching practice.

Can you discuss your experience and qualifications as a career coach?

Kathryn is a renowned coach and thought leader in the field of leadership and team effectiveness. With her experience as a former business executive at American Express, Automatic Data Processing, and fast-growing startups, she uniquely understands the challenges leaders face to build and lead high-performing teams. Her expertise is centered around helping leaders empower and inspire their teams, make a lasting positive impact, and become the best versions of themselves professionally and personally.

She holds an MBA from Northwestern University, a Certificate in Executive and Organizational Coaching from Columbia University, a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University, and a BS from Indiana University. Moreover, Kathryn is a National Diversity Council Certified Diversity Professional (NDCCDP), Associate Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation, and a faculty member at New York University.

What specific services do you offer for executive-level job seekers?

One-on-one, group, and team coaching to help you lead to your full potential, including:

• Inspiring and leading through others
• Leading through uncertainty, change, and transformation
• Enhancing executive presence and communication

How do you approach coaching executives, and what sets your approach apart from others?

Kathryn's methodology is based on Harvard University’s research of the six conditions that correlate with leadership and team effectiveness. Moreover, her insights and strategies have gained recognition in prestigious publications like Harvard Business Review and Fast Company, further establishing her reputation as a sought-after expert in the field.

How do you work with clients to identify their goals and priorities?

The initial phase will enable you to conduct honest self-appraisal; and translate strengths into focused and aligned goals in the context of the situation at hand. During the second phase, we will determine a path to achieve these objectives with measurable benchmarks along the way. Lastly, we’ll put your plan into action, emphasizing your strengths and achievements in order to implement change and realize your goals.

How do you tailor your coaching sessions to meet the unique needs of each executive client?

Kathryn tailors her coaching sessions to the specific needs of each executive client by starting with a comprehensive assessment of their current situation, goals, strengths, and opportunities. This allows the co-creation of a personalized development plan that aligns with the client’s unique aspirations, which will evolve throughout the coaching engagement to maximize the client’s professional growth and success.

Can you provide examples of specific challenges and successes you have had with executive-level clients?

Senior Vice President of $104B USD multinational conglomerate: led U.S. office to successfully overcome intercultural conflicts with global senior leadership counterparts that resulted in a 40% investment increase in the U.S. market YOY.

Can you share any success stories of executives you have coached who have made significant career advancements?

• Executive Vice President of $988M USD financial software company: drove a 254% increase in Client NPS within 6 months of coaching while exceeding Client Churn goal by $6.2M YTD. 
• Vice President of a $1.2B USD software company: promoted into a C-level direct role based upon business performance during 1st year of coaching and identified for net new promotion in 2024. 

What is your approach to helping clients transition into new executive roles?

When stepping into leading a new team, you are the change, and with any change, the team is going to hold some Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (or F.U.D.) These feelings aren’t because of you, but these feelings are about you. So, how do you fight the F.U.D.?

• Introduce yourself and your expectations: Most people want to excel in their performance, so set them up for success by letting them know who you are and what they can expect. This introduction should provide insight into your leadership style, communication preferences, team expectations, and personal background.
• Listen to the team: Listening needs to be centered around actively hearing your new team’s very real thoughts and concerns so you can properly address them. This active listening should be accomplished through multiple tactics, including an anonymous open-ended survey, an introductory meeting with the team facilitated by a third party, and individual listening sessions. What’s worked well for the team in the past? What do individuals want to keep or change about their team dynamics? These listening sessions afford the team an opportunity to share what they need in a leader, their current working styles, current successes, and current challenges. You are building a culture of trust. You need to hold yourself accountable for this listening or the trust is broken. 
• Focus on learning and plan for quick wins: The impulse to demonstrate your value as you onboard is tempting, but DON’T DO IT. You need time to listen and process all this new information. Hold back on any big decisions for the first 30 days. Instead, create a plan to accomplish a few meaningful quick wins at the 60-day mark. 

Interested in learning more? Please read my article How to fight the F.U.D. and set up your new team for greatness.

How do you measure the success of your coaching, and how do you ensure that your clients are seeing results from your work together?

Kathryn and her client will co-create an action plan to identify what success looks like for the coaching engagement, including:

• Specific focus areas that the client would like to work on
• Actions/Behaviors to start or increase
• Milestones/Metrics to measure success
• Potential obstacles the client may encounter and resources to overcome these challenges

How do you handle difficult or sensitive situations that may arise during coaching sessions with executives?

Kathryn prioritizes open communication, active listening, and a non-judgmental approach. When challenging issues emerge, she creates a safe space for clients to express their concerns and emotions. Together, Kathryn and her client(s) explore the underlying causes and develop actionable solutions. Confidentiality is maintained, and trust is always upheld. It's crucial to remain empathetic, respectful, and goal-oriented while addressing these situations, ensuring that the coaching process remains constructive and beneficial for the executive.

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