CLIENT EXPERIENCES
Dan M., was a new principal at a private college preparatory school in California. He had been a principal at two other schools and was now in the heart of Silicon Valley. High expectations, parent involvement, student academic stress, and experienced teachers wanting the status quo were some of his issues. He was a lone soldier, with no other administrator on his level to confide in. He was looking for, ways to implement academic change, revamp the schools LMS, connect more with his staff and create a strong culture.
"I was uniformed about what coaching was. I assumed, unintentionally, that it was counseling, and I had a problem. Putting that aside and realizing that we would work on the now and future, Matt was the person I needed at the time. We worked for six months, with regular zoom meetings 2-3 times per month. It was so refreshing to speak openly with him without having to worry about who I may offend, who would take it wrong, and who I had to please. I am a pleaser by nature, which he pointed out quickly, and that was a huge takeaway. The self and community process was crucial to my development. Having a clear understanding of myself and constituents was crucial in my transformation. I had never put much though into myself and my desires. My pleaser was always about not worrying about what I wanted. What a gift. My school paid for my coaching. I am so grateful."
Dan M., Santa Clara, CA
Tom is an assistant principal at a private school in Massachusetts. He has been at his school for 25 years, in various roles. He came to me to improve job satisfaction, create new ideas, be challenged, and to find a neutral sounding board. His principal was not unavailable, as they lacked a trusting bond. Tom had 10 years till retirement, and was in a place he felt stuck. His family wanted to stay in the area and his salary was too good to give up. We went through my 6 step process and after learning deeply about himself, creating goals and desires, working on his presence and creating leadership opportunities for himself, Tom has a new perspective on his job.
“Matt helped me check-in with myself, which I had never done. I was scared in our first sessions as my self-discovery was new, and quite frankly scary. Working on presence, as Matt calls, “how I show up”, gave me insight into a new avenue of myself. I love my job, the students, the staff, and now I feel ready for 10 more years of service. His process was tremendously helpful. “
Tom K., Springfield, MA
Nitin came to me in January of 2020. His story was one of low confidence, wanting more job satisfaction, speaking in front of teachers more effectively, and improved time management. He was a Dean of Discipline at a private school outside Chicago. We spent time diving into self: how can you be more present, and where can you step up at work. After fully understanding his situation, self and community, and him fully owning where is is at and how he is showing up, we transitioned to his community and desires. We unpacked his level of discomfort with his assistant principal. We came up with a plan of what he wants out of coaching and his desires for change. Once we were clear on where he wanted to go, we spent a handful of sessions working on his presence and how he can show up as a strong leader at his school. He had a pattern of being non-committal and not having a back bone. We worked on his leadership skills and came up with goals of stepping into his discomfort. He has had a rocky transition to becoming a strong leader, but he is more comfortable making decisions, isn’t afraid of having a tough conversation with his science department head, and is more calm in his body. The transformation begun with his willingness to open up and see all the areas that he was hiding and not being fully present and aware.
"I needed the one on one coaching. I love my job, but, after 10 years of professional development workshops, in-services all towards making it better for our students, I needed some attention on myself. His 6 step process was smooth, challenging and made me see myself in a different light. Wow, what I didn’t know about myself came to fruition. I felt exposed at times, challenged at others, but feel that I am a better contributor to my school."