Jennifer Doyle Vancil, M.Ed., PCC

In strengths based leadership development and Executive Coaching I ask people to first address these two questions: 1. What are your unique talents/strengths and how much are you using them? 2. What do you need because of your unique qualities and how can you get those needs met in the workplace? Then I challenge them to ask each member of their close working group these same questions. It’s a game-changer for most of us if we really examine this to leverage our own strengths and the strengths of those around us, and if we really identify our needs in the workplace (more direction, more autonomy, more interactions with people, time to think, etc.) and seek to meet them.

I’m a strong believer in strengths-based leadership development so I ask all of my Executive Coaching clients to take the CliftonStrengths assessment. Based on the results that identify their natural talents we can set goals that leverage them. But it’s not only about strengths. We can also discuss areas for growth and identify potential blind spots that are important to address as a leader. The important philosophy here is that everyone leads differently and until we really understand what they means, we are always going to be trying to emulate other leaders instead of developing to be the best version of ourselves. Strengths-based development is authentic to each leader and leverages their natural ways of leading most effectively.

I use the CliftonStrengths assessment as a foundation for the career exploration work I do with clients and students. While it doesn’t tell us what exact job they will enjoy, it can tell us what kind of role they will naturally thrive in. For example if they are “Analytical” and have high “Input” and “Learner” and “Intellection” we know that data-gathering and research-focused jobs will be a good fit. You can find those in every industry. But at least then you’ll know what kinds of roles to research in your fields of curiosity.

I often show clients the “Career Clusters” that exist in the state they are in. Most people can pick out areas of interest. I live to share the quote from the book “Designing Your Life” that says, “Everyone tells you to follow your passion. But how do you know what you’re passionate about if you’ve never tried it? Instead follow your curiosity.” So I’ll ask people which of the career clusters are they curious to learn more about? It’s a great starting point. Ultimately we need to find jobs that fit their interests and their strengths but this is a great place to start.

Constantly learning is critical as a professional coach. I’ve pursued additional certifications, regularly attend webinars, trade coaching with other professionals, read books, stay active in LinkedIn following workplace trends, and attend a professional conference at least annually. I recommend new coaches create a professional development plan through the communities they are connected to. You don’t need to do everything, but having 2 or 3 professional associations like ICF or Gallup or your coaching certification program to stay connected keeps you relevant, knowledgeable, and encouraged.

Constantly learning is critical as a professional coach. I’ve pursued additional certifications, regularly attend webinars, trade coaching with other professionals, read books, stay active in LinkedIn following workplace trends, and attend a professional conference at least annually. I recommend new coaches create a professional development plan through the communities they are connected to. You don’t need to do everything, but having 2 or 3 professional associations like ICF or Gallup or your coaching certification program to stay connected keeps you relevant, knowledgeable, and encouraged.