The Smart Summit Philosophy

At Smart Summit, clients discover and leverage their strengths to identify, clarify, manage and solve their leadership, career and life challenges.  At the same time, clients are pushed to explore their weaknesses, make distinctions about the weakness's origins and experiment with sustainable ways to improve. The purpose of any coaching process at Smart Summit is for the client to expand their self-awareness while developing skill sets and behaviors that will allow them to meet their goals. As a coach, my role is to provide objective, unbiased and knowledgeable perspective to assist my clients work through issues that often involve a complex mix of tactical, strategic, and relational components.  Our joint objective as coach and client is to create lasting, transformation positive change. 

At Smart Summit, Professional Coaching is:

• About making conscious, intentional choices. There are times when coaching involves the teaching and learning of new skills. Primarily though, coaching calls for coaches to help their clients identify, develop and apply the skills that they likely already possess but may not be aware of or applying.
• About deepening your learning and forwarding your action. I see coaching as a professional relationship between coach and coachee. Good coaches know how to balance giving direct feedback and input while asking questions and seeking clarity for both parties.  Achieving this balance is one of my core strengths, and I take pride in helping clients see their challenges differently and taking actionable steps manage and resolve them. 
• Not about fixing – you are creative, resourceful and whole.  As your coach, I have the questions, you have the answers.  While I believe that the coach should understand the issues confronted by the person being coached, it is not the coach’s responsibility to “teach” the person being coached but rather, support the coachee in applying strengths they already maintain. 
• Confidential.  As the client, you are free to share whatever you want with whomever you want.  As a coach, I am free to share     nothing. Our conversations are strictly confidential.

 With the exception of the first coaching session, you, the client, set the agenda for each coaching session.  You are in control of the challenges you raise.  The real work of coaching happens in between the sessions.  This is when you, the client, are often practicing new behaviors, perspectives, and tools.  Coaching sessions can be in-person, over the phone or video-teleconference (Skype), as jointly agreed with the client.