True Directions Coaching, Teambuilding, Facilitation

Business Coaching

Are you searching for a way to take your business or your productivity, effectiveness, and leadership to the next level?

Are you desperate for more work/life balance?

Are you feeling bored and burned out, and eager to re-engage in your job?

If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then coaching could be just the thing for you! Click here to sign up for a 45 minute complimentary sample coaching session. Or give me a call at 413-586-5125 so you can get a taste of my coaching. The best way to understand the power of coaching is to experience it.

"Thanks to Mary's coaching, my team is more engaged, and they see increased leadership from me. As to business results, based on prompting from Mary, I engaged my team in a process that unleashed the team's creative potential in a huge way. The result - one idea surfaced that will generate an incremental $80 million in next year's revenue."

— Tom Finocchiaro,
Vice President,
Applebee's International.

I work primarily with executives, small business owners, executive directors, and managers. Common results of the coaching are:

Greater productivity and effectiveness
Increased and self-confidence
Greater work/life balance
Improved leadership, interpersonal skills and team results

The case for Business Coaching

In today's knowledge economy, the assets of a modern business aren't buildings and machinery, but rather the understanding, skills, experiences, and intelligence of employees. Harnessing the capability and commitment of employees is crucial. Coaching is a fast and effective way of developing individuals and of achieving sustainable growth, change and development in the group and organization. The return on investment in coaching has been shown to be over 500%, and The International Coach Federation (ICF) studies have shown a 98.5% client satisfaction rate. The ICF exists to build, support, and preserve the integrity of the coaching profession through programs, standards and research.

Success stories

Here are some samples of the kinds of situations and people I work with and the results we generate:

The president and owner of a small PR business significantly increased her bottom line and improved retention.

"After several decades of running my own business, I had hit a wall professionally. Mary's coaching over the last eighteen months has given me clarity of vision, new energy and forward direction. She has helped me identify my goals, taught me about prioritizing projects and improved my corporate strategies, improving my skills and my business at all levels. My bottom line has increased significantly, my staff retention is dramatically improved and most importantly, I am jazzed again about my business. I highly recommend Mary as a professional coach!"

— Lisa Ekus, President, The Lisa Ekus Group

A newly promoted VP of a large company improved his leadership and increased the engagement level of his team, unleashing their creative potential. One result is an idea that surfaced that will generate an incremental $80 million in revenue for the year.

A mid-level manager in the food service industry secured a promotion to the job he'd had his sights on for several years.

A human resources executive, feeling underutilized and stagnant, clarified her career goals and values and landed a job as a VP of human resources in a new industry. She is now thriving as a full-fledged member of the decision-making team and has lots of input into the strategic direction of the company. Her quality of life has soared now that she's living in a part of the country where she can easily pursue her outdoor interests.

A manager who lost his job in a downsizing, found another management position in the same industry within 4 weeks. His new salary represented a 9% increase over his old salary, and his commute was shortened.

How I work with coaching clients:

Mary Hulbert - True Directions - Coaching

We start with a three-hour discovery session in which we:

establish your goals for the coaching

identify what's working and what's not in your work and life

determine what's important for you and what your passions are

create a working relationship based on trust, honesty and safety

agree on some assessment tools that may be used such as the DiSC and 360 degree feedback

With that foundation in place, we meet by phone for one hour twice a month. The calls typically end with homework: a focused action to do, some reading, and/or a relevant open-ended question to ponder. Part of the power of coaching lies in the accountability that's designed into the relationship, and the momentum that is created with the bi-monthly calls.

"Mary brought me exactly the right mixture of loving support and no-nonsense honesty at a time when I most definitely needed both. I was always a competent leader, but my work with Mary has given me the confidence to 'kick it up a notch' and bring more of who I truly am to what I do every day."

— Posie Taylor, former Executive Director, The Aloha Foundation

What can I expect from Mary?

That your success, fulfillment, and best interests are my priority
Confidentiality: the content of our coaching is completely confidential
Accountability: during each coaching session, you will get an assignment that is related to your goals and areas of focus. During subsequent sessions we will check-in on your progress, celebrating your successes, exploring your failures, and continuously nudging you forward
Respect for who you are and no judgment
Compassionate listening and the ability to help you make clear distinctions
Powerful questions that evoke discovery and insight
Candor: no-nonsense honesty about your gifts, strengths, and opportunities
Challenge at the level you desire
Book and other resource recommendations

What's expected of you:

Are you ready for coaching now? Take this quick questionnaire to see if you are!