Coaching FAQs

Any businessperson who wants to continue to foster his/her own growth and development as a leader can benefit from the highly customized services of an executive coach. For example:

  • Early and mid-career professionals aspiring to executive roles
  • C-suite executives wanting to improve productivity and effectiveness of themselves and/or their organization
  • Individuals who feel that they have stopped learning and/or growing in their present role
  • Individuals who want to learn more about their leadership style in particular and how they can best impact and influence those around them
  • Individuals who are dealing with change or experience a “trigger event,” can benefit from the support of an expert and unbiased coach
  • Those who are going through a personal or career transition or have taken on new roles and/or responsibilities
  • Leaders of any organization that is going through change
  • Individuals who are struggling with the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of today’s business world
  • Anyone who has experienced a setback or failure and needs help getting back on track

There are many situations over the course of your career when you might benefit from having an executive coach. For example:

  • Seeking something more, better, different from today
  • Navigating politically charged environments with panache
  • Sustaining momentum during transition periods (e.g., between jobs or moving into new companies)
  • Managing or leading change (e.g., mergers, acquisitions, new senior leadership)
  • Succeeding through life transitions (e.g. relocations, expanding families, aging parents, retirement)
  • Integrating feedback and refining relationship skills
  • Overcoming road blocks or career stagnation
  • Embracing a recent promotion with expanded leadership expectations
  • Finding your sense of balance as a new C-suite executive

Coaching is a great way to carve out dedicated time from your busy schedule to focus on your specific goals and objectives. This dedicated time will give you the space to challenge yourself, reflect, receive new insight and see opportunities in new ways to help you accelerate your personal progress. Coaching is a journey – it takes time, thought and a helpful sounding board in your coach to build your awareness and activate personal change.

Coaching will take place over the phone, unless you are located in the same city and jointly choose to meet in person. We have found that the outcomes remain the same regardless of whether or not you are remote from one another.

Yes, we recommend that you reach out to one or two coaches for a 15-30 minute conversation as you make your coach selection. Use this time to assess how your coach may help you with your goals and expectations, as well as your comfort level with his/her approach.

While we will always strive to assign you to your first choice coach, at times your desired timeline and the coach’s availability may not match. In the rare occurrence that we are unable to match you with your first choice coach, we ask that you please be prepared with the name of an alternate coach that you believe could also meet your needs. Note that you are more likely to be paired with your desired coach if you have flexibility with regard to your start date. If the timing is more important than the coach, we will match you with your alternate choice.

Our packages are designed to accommodate your budget and your availability. Below are some things to consider as you evaluate whether coaching is right for you at this time.

First, remember that coaching is a process. There will be times when you may need to spend time outside the 1×1 coaching session to prepare, reflect or plan. Consider your ability to preserve dedicated time within your calendar to both meet with your coach and do any preparation or homework that may assist you in the process.

Second, consider your goals and objectives. What are you hoping to achieve through the process? If you have a short-term goal and need a sounding board to help you gain clarity, you may opt for a Silver package. If you have long-term goals and/or more complexity to your situation, you may benefit from one of the more robust packages like the Gold or Platinum selections.

Third, consider your budget. Coaching is an investment in YOU. Gaining self-awareness and seeing your plans come to fruition may take some time and thus require more of an investment. Using the supplemental leadership tools in conjunction with one of our coaching packages can be invaluable sources of information and worth the investment to gain a different perspective. You will receive copies of those tools and may find them useful in years to come.

Finally, regardless of whichever package you choose to start, you do have the option to renew. You may continue your coaching engagement by returning to the Owen Coaching Network website and registering again by making an additional package selection.

The tool is designed to help leaders recognize shortcomings and maximize strengths in both the normal day to day and during times of stress. It gets at not just how you see yourself but how others might see you – the difference between intention and perception. It gives leaders insight into their natural leadership tendencies and allows a rich conversation around the impact of those tendencies in various situations.

The tool can be used throughout the life cycle of an individual’s development and career. No matter what level you are within an organization, the assessment data can help you improve your workplace performance (how you approach work and working with others to get the desired outcomes).

Finally, we use this particular assessment for three main reasons:

  1. Global Portability – In this highly globalized world, it was important to us to use a tool that was effective across cultures.
  2. Rigor – Hogan is a highly researched and validated tool with strong test-retest validity. It was important to use a tool that had stability over time.
  3. Practice – We also use Hogan because it’s a tool widely used in industry with 50% of the Fortune 500 companies currently using Hogan in their organizations.

For more information see Supplemental Assessments.

No, there is no application process. The Owen Coaching Network is open to any interested Owen alumni.

Please email any additional questions to alumni.LDP@owen.vanderbilt.edu and a member of the LDP team will respond.

Go to the Owen Coaching Network website and follow the steps to Choose Your Package, Choose Your Coach and Purchase Your Package.

Once you have decided which package you would like to choose and have selected your coach, click on Purchase your Package. After you click to purchase your package you will be taken to the registration website. There will be an opportunity for you to select your package and designate your coach of choice within the registration process. Fill out all of the fields completely and also be sure to note your goals and objectives and provide any other information that will help your coach best meet your needs. Finally, you will select your preferred payment method and complete your registration. Note that if you elect to pay by credit card, you will be taken to a trusted third party website to enter your payment information.

You will receive two emails from us once you have completed the payment process. One will be a receipt. The other will be a confirmation email from the LDP team. After you receive the confirmation email from the LDP team and we are able to verify your completed registration information, you can expect to hear from your coach within 5-7 business days. When connecting with your coach for the first time, you can expect to review your needs, timelines, and expectations as well as discuss any next steps with him/her.

No, the payment system does not store your credit card information.

American Express, MasterCard, Visa or Discover.

When you register online you will have the option to select pay by check. Please make a note of the address where you will send your check(s) and note that payment terms are net 30 days from completing your online registration.

You will be able to indicate your desire to make multiple payments within the registration system. In all packages a minimum payment is required to get started. If you elect to make multiple payments, be sure to bookmark the link to the payment site so that you can return to complete your series of payments.

The pricing is based on remote coaching unless you are located in the same city. If you desire to have your coach visit you face to face during the engagement, you would need to work that out directly with your assigned coach and any travel expenses would need to be covered by you above and beyond the package pricing.

You can renew up to one (1) additional package simply by repurchasing via the Owen Coaching Network website. After that, you would just negotiate directly with your coach.

You can cancel the package by providing 30 days’ notice in writing to both Owen and your coach. Any payments already received will not be refunded.

At present, the Owen Coaching Network is available to Owen alumni. At present it is not available to other Vanderbilt graduates outside of Owen Graduate School of Management.