FAQ
Q: What is the goal of Leadership Productivity Coaching?
A: The goal of Leadership Productivity coaching and consulting is to attain breakthroughs in performance. A breakthrough is an accomplishment, an achievement or some progress that is beyond the realm of expectation. It is something that visibly—and perhaps dramatically—changes the way an individual or group behaves. A performance breakthrough means putting everything together, using one’s potential and doing one’s best—on demand, especially in competitive or high stress conditions. You feel the flow and act with competence and confidence. You increase productivity, profits and life satisfaction.
Q: What is a productivity coach?
A: A productivity coach helps leaders get things done effectively and efficiently. Once learning strategies and developing productive habits, clients get more done while achieving greater accuracy, completeness and satisfaction—and less stress. A productivity coach brings insight and reality to the phrase, work smarter, not harder.
Q: Why coaching? Can’t or shouldn’t I be able to do it on my own?
A: All true professionals in athletics or the arts have coaches: the greater the competition, the more critical the coaching. No matter what your field, the right coach is essential whenever you have trouble moving from intention to action—and sustaining positive performance and productivity. You need strategies to collect unbiased performance data, select from an array of strategies based on your unique needs and interests, and have support to overcome inevitable challenges you confront during the change process. Whether for a leader or staff, the coaching process yields results.
Q: Why Geri as a coach?
A: As a performance coach, Geri specializes in helping you (or a team) get where it’s necessary to go. Collaborative, systematic, and confidential, Geri cuts to the core issues, helps to create results-oriented action plans, provides simple but powerful strategies, and uses feedback to ensure rapid improvement. Using a systems process, Geri helps leaders and teams navigate the competing values, goals and consequences to realize greater productivity. When needed, Geri works closely with departments of human resources or mental health professionals to help a leader (or team member) to keep a job, earn a promotion or succeed in a new position.
Q: Who are typical clients?
A: Geri helps corporate/business leaders and their teams confront rapidly changing systems. Additionally, there is help for aspiring or newly promoted leadership; professionals who fail a high-stakes licensing examinations; corporate business owners or coaches who need to reduce distractions and increase profits; and entrepreneurs with ADD who need to overcome work/life challenges.
Q: What is the coaching process?
A: Leadership Productivity Coaching was developed based on years of behavioral research in learning and performance. Although customized for specific work settings, it incorporates several key steps to help you reach the Performance Breakthrough Zone. Aligning system components, you analyze the elements and processes that involve you (or your team/business), your tasks (including roles and responsibilities), and the settings in which you operate.
venn diagram of the performance breakthrough zone
Q: What are the steps within the coaching process?
A: There are 5 basic steps that reflect decades of research on learning, performance and change:

  • Step 1: Assess: Where am I, my staff or organization now?
    You discover your current strengths, style, vulnerabilities or gaps, and challenges. This may
    include interviews, paper and pencil survey, and interpretation of 360 degree survey results.
  • Step 2: Set Goals: What are the intentions?
    You identify competing demands and consequences; specify reality-based goals, including
    priorities, schedules, action plans and possible pitfalls.
  • Step 3: Take Action: How do I move from intention to action?
    You put systems in place to manage your responsibilities and reduce distractions and other
    barriers. You master immediately applicable strategies to enhance processes and productivity
    and take step-by-step actions specifically suited to your goals, strengths, style, and interests.
  • Step 4: Monitor: How do I keep track?
    You develop checklists and job aids to monitor and continuously improve your performance
    and productivity. This helps you maintain focus and motivation as well as spur creativity.
  • Step 5: Reflect: Where do I go from here?
    You realize performance breakthroughs and benefit from greater productivity, profitability—
    and life satisfaction. You have the time and energy to be vigilant while engaging in creative
    problem-solving to confront evolving uncertainties and unremitting change.

Q: What geographic area do you service?
A: The majority of my on-site business and personal coaching clients are within the Ann Arbor/Detroit Metro area. In addition, I work on a national and international level on-site and via telephone, Skype and online learning
Q: Where else can I find you online?
A: You can find tips and coaching information at my LinkedIn profile or here on my Blog. If your productivity is sabotaged by distractions or disorganization, go to my blog at demonsofdistraction.com or my twitter feed.
Q: What are the benefits and potential advantages of working with Geri Markel?
A: Leaders gain powerful insights, become motivated and energize to use strategies, and gain long-term success. Leaders and teams enjoy increased and sustained productivity as well as greater work/life fulfillment.
Q: How do you ensure that clients move from good intentions to productive/positive action?
A: Geri identifies each leader’s core productivity challenges and provides a system with research-based strategies and on-going support. Compassionate candor and constant feedback on progress enable the use and modification of new habits and routines.
Q: Why is coaching useful?
A: Coaching saves time and energy—and reduces stress. This allows leaders to focus on the change progress, enhance productivity and enjoy sustained work/life satisfaction. The coaching goal is to attain performance breakthroughs.
Q: What industries are represented in your coaching services?
A: Geri has in-depth experience coaching leaders and their staffs in business, health, wellness, and educational settings. In addition, Geri works with independent professionals in medical, legal and educational settings who are confronting challenge passing licensing and certification examinations or attaining promotions.
Q: What other services besides business and personal coaching do you provide?
A: Other services include: customized speeches for conferences, staff development seminars, retreats and team development projects.
Learn more about Dr. Markel’s coaching. Also, please visit our media appearances, our most requested programs, and books, or contact us directly.