Real change, enduring change,

— Ruth Bader Ginsburg

happens one step at a time.

Executive coaching for higher education

Executive Coaching and Consulting

Westfall Executive Advisors helps leaders improve their work so that they and their institutions thrive. With a special focus on the needs of higher education leaders and organizations, our goal is to move leaders and institutions forward.

Leaders thrive when they are self-aware, competent, productively engaged with the organization as a whole, supported in their work toward institutional and individual goals, and committed to furthering their skills and abilities.

Institutions thrive when competent leaders are supported, when aspiring leaders are nurtured, and when teams work well.

Westfall Exec helps individuals, teams, and organizations improve their work and achieve their goals through executive coaching and consulting services. We are committed to strengthening leaders and institutions.

 

Executive Coaching

Executive coaching in higher education is a disciplined, inquiry-based process of identifying and achieving institutional and individual goals.

It helps institutions and individual leaders solve problems that inhibit their work, and does so in a way that accelerates progress with measurable results.

Data-driven, customized, and drawing on the resources of the individuals and organization, coaching has a singular focus — to strengthen leaders and improve work.

Executive coaching is relevant, highly personalized professional development for current and rising leaders with specific needs and goals. It provides:

  • An inquiry-based, disciplined process for positive, active planning and for problem response. It works equally well for people who know where they want to develop professionally on their own and in response to specific challenges related to individual or team functioning.
  • Individualized assessment and professional development in specific institutional contexts.
  • Support during leadership transitions and crisis situations.
  • Response to specific skill deficits, including behavioral and communication challenges.
  • Assistance with challenging professional relationships.

How Coaching Works

Executive coaching can engage clients one-on-one or working with teams, focused on specific goals.

It starts by determining if the coach and client are a good fit. By discussing their goal(s) and motivation for coaching, both parties can assess if the coach’s approach matches what the client needs.

Once engaged, the coach will typically complete some form(s) of assessment, depending on the client’s issues; will help the client determine goals, along with measures of progress and success; and schedule regular meetings. Coaching sessions will focus on the client’s goals and may include interim work.

Plans, strategies, and tactics for achieving goals are part of each session, along with accountability practices. Inquiry is the core of effective executive coaching.

The client’s insights and self-identified plans, strategies, and tactics keep them accountable for their own progress.

Coaching engagements typically last several weeks to several months (depending on the goals and coach’s approach) and provide sustained attention to improvement — which is what makes coaching so effective. Many clients choose to continue working with their coach to accelerate their development.

The coach-client relationship is confidential. Institutions that sponsor coaching as part of a performance improvement plan will clarify, with the coach and client, expectations for communication.

Though relatively new to higher education, executive coaching has been used — with great success — in corporate and non-profit settings for decades.

Consulting

Our approach to consulting is to, first, understand the issues and questions to be answered.

We work closely with clients to identify a clear institution-specific process for gathering information and providing relevant, useful results and programs.

Consulting services provide expertise and experience that can inform institutional planning and decision-making. Westfall Exec consults in a range of areas including:

  • Individual and organizational transition management
  • Organizational assessment and development
  • Division and administrative unit-level assessment
  • Crisis management
  • Student life
  • Leadership and professional development
  • Academic workplace well-being
  • Institutional accreditation

Consulting clients have included the University of Puget Sound, Gustavus Adolphus College, Berry College, Grinnell College, Hartwick College, Dominican University of California, Whitman College, Al-Akhawayn University (Morocco), Blackburn College, Albion College, and the College of Wooster.


Real change, enduring change,

— Ruth Bader Ginsburg

happens one step at a time.

Executive coaching for higher education

Executive Coaching and Consulting

Westfall Executive Advisors helps leaders improve their work so that they and their institutions thrive. With a special focus on the needs of higher education leaders and organizations, our goal is to move leaders and institutions forward.

Leaders thrive when they are self-aware, competent, productively engaged with the organization as a whole, supported in their work toward institutional and individual goals, and committed to furthering their skills and abilities.

Institutions thrive when competent leaders are supported, when aspiring leaders are nurtured, and when teams work well.

Westfall Exec helps individuals, teams, and organizations improve their work and achieve their goals through executive coaching and consulting services. We are committed to strengthening leaders and institutions.

 

Executive Coaching

Executive coaching in higher education is a disciplined, inquiry-based process of identifying and achieving institutional and individual goals.

It helps institutions and individual leaders solve problems that inhibit their work, and does so in a way that accelerates progress with measurable results.

Data-driven, customized, and drawing on the resources of the individuals and organization, coaching has a singular focus — to strengthen leaders and improve work.

Executive coaching is relevant, highly personalized professional development for current and rising leaders with specific needs and goals. It provides:

  • An inquiry-based, disciplined process for positive, active planning and for problem response. It works equally well for people who know where they want to develop professionally on their own and in response to specific challenges related to individual or team functioning.
  • Individualized assessment and professional development in specific institutional contexts.
  • Support during leadership transitions and crisis situations.
  • Response to specific skill deficits, including behavioral and communication challenges.
  • Assistance with challenging professional relationships.

How Coaching Works

Executive coaching can engage clients one-on-one or working with teams, focused on specific goals.

It starts by determining if the coach and client are a good fit. By discussing their goal(s) and motivation for coaching, both parties can assess if the coach’s approach matches what the client needs.

Once engaged, the coach will typically complete some form(s) of assessment, depending on the client’s issues; will help the client determine goals, along with measures of progress and success; and schedule regular meetings. Coaching sessions will focus on the client’s goals and may include interim work.

Plans, strategies, and tactics for achieving goals are part of each session, along with accountability practices. Inquiry is the core of effective executive coaching.

The client’s insights and self-identified plans, strategies, and tactics keep them accountable for their own progress.

Coaching engagements typically last several weeks to several months (depending on the goals and coach’s approach) and provide sustained attention to improvement — which is what makes coaching so effective. Many clients choose to continue working with their coach to accelerate their development.

The coach-client relationship is confidential. Institutions that sponsor coaching as part of a performance improvement plan will clarify, with the coach and client, expectations for communication.

Though relatively new to higher education, executive coaching has been used — with great success — in corporate and non-profit settings for decades.

Consulting

Our approach to consulting is to, first, understand the issues and questions to be answered.

We work closely with clients to identify a clear institution-specific process for gathering information and providing relevant, useful results and programs.

Consulting services provide expertise and experience that can inform institutional planning and decision-making. Westfall Exec consults in a range of areas including:

  • Individual and organizational transition management
  • Organizational assessment and development
  • Division and administrative unit-level assessment
  • Crisis management
  • Student life
  • Leadership and professional development
  • Academic workplace well-being
  • Institutional accreditation

Consulting clients have included the University of Puget Sound, Gustavus Adolphus College, Berry College, Grinnell College, Hartwick College, Dominican University of California, Whitman College, Al-Akhawayn University (Morocco), Blackburn College, Albion College, and the College of Wooster.