My Challenge: My main challenge when I first started working with Mr. Hannasch was being disorganized and not have a focus. I also felt like a lacked a system for tracking items that needed doing to further my business. I was working independently at the time, so I felt like I was floating around without a real direction, even thought I knew that I loved my profession. I clearly could have/would lose my job as a Financial Advisor if I did not resolve these issues, and I had worked with a coach many years prior and felt like I needed some guidance and direction.
Why I Chose Aware and Willing: I sought a coach through an organization called The Coach Initiative. He and I were paired up by them. (Note: This was before Dick founded Aware and Willing.)
My Solution & Actions I Took: The most important action I took was facing the problem, which really did not make me happy because it would have been much easier to just put my head in the sand and find a different job. But getting a daily list together and creating actionable items to complete, helped me keep a focus on what my outcomes would be. Mr. Hannasch would keep track of these items and made me accountable for them. I really needed that, although there certainly were times it was frustrating, and even though I knew it would be good for me to do them, I still resisted on occasion.
Results: The greatest result, long and short term, was the “better feeling of being more on top of it”. As the systems we developed and put in place started to take shape, they got easier to work with, and ultimately it led to larger clients with more assets & more challenging financial situations, which I still today find so interesting. And, in fact, the more complex a financial situation is the more I enjoy them, working with CPAs and attorneys as well.
How My Coach Helped: He was my coach for over 2 years, and in that time he helped me shape my life-work into what David Whyte has called, 'The Pilgrimage of Identity—work \werk\ n. is an opportunity for discovering and shaping; the place where the self meets the world.' I could not imagine what my business would have looked like without Dick’s input. He is master of reflection and guidance, always allowing me the room to come to my own conclusions.
Armed with tools that helped me figure out my own path, he assisted me in seeing when it is appropriate to avoid a cliff and when it might make sense to jump off one. His candid and non-judgmental manner leaves room for self-discovery and strength to face all the fear that was stopping me from moving forward. His consistent words to me were, "Take care of yourself and take care of business"…these are words that I live by, and when I cannot remember why I get up every day and step into the skin of my profession, I hear his words in my head and attempt to carry on with grace and gratefulness for all the things that he has helped me find to bring to the world.
The best thing that Mr. Hannasch did for me as a coach was to help me not to just focus on my business, but to focus on myself as a person. It is truly one of the most meaningful things I have ever been given.
I was at a very odd juncture in my life when I started working with him, and I know without a doubt I would never be doing the job I am today without him. He literally shifted the course of my career, and I am forever grateful.
I can hear his voice in my head sometimes, as a consistent reminder… "Take care of yourself & take care of business, Janice." I will carry that all my life. I quite literally attribute all the success I have to that single mantra.
The Client: Jancie Dunn, CFP
RW Baird - The Lee & Dunn Group
My Challenge: I am an experienced internal coach who wanted to successfully implement Hogan assessments in my coaching practice in my organization after getting Hogan certified. I wanted to increase my confidence and competence with Hogan, accelerate my ability to interpret Hogan scales, and facilitate debriefs in ways that provide valuable insights and support to people I coach.
What Was at Stake for Me: I felt my organization’s interest in using Hogan assessments may fade if I didn’t gain early momentum and deliver high-quality coaching engagements. I aimed to earn high post-coaching survey scores, indicating the effectiveness of my coaching using Hogan. Also, I didn’t want my Hogan certification to be unused for my organization’s benefit.
Why I Chose Aware and Willing: First, I valued Dick’s extensive Hogan experience (500+ debriefs). Second, Dick has been an internal coach, and I wanted to learn to navigate interpersonal situations as an internal coach myself. Third, I was intrigued by Dick’s approach of including managers of people assessed in Hogan debriefs, a practice not widely used. Fourth, like me, Dick is an ICF-credentialed coach who has high professional ethics and standards.
My Solution & Actions I Took: Dick and I focused on improving my ability to interpret Hogan reports and facilitate debriefs. This included looking at samples and real Hogan reports to analyze them, discussing debrief strategies, sharing best practices and techniques for debriefs, observing actual debriefs and sharing feedback, and providing additional resources for study and reference.
Beginning in 2023, we had 10 sessions over two months. I needed results quickly and I started getting my money’s worth as early as the first session, and I got value in all sessions. Within 90 days, I felt highly confident and competent at analyzing Hogan reports and conducting Hogan debriefs on my own.
Results: I increased my competence and confidence with Hogan; I successfully integrated Hogan into my coaching relationships in ways that clients identify as being of high value (via post-coaching survey); clients gained self-awareness that improved individual and team relationships; self-awareness and coaching aided career advancement of multiple coached employees; I improved my ability to offer more personalized and effective coaching.
How My Coach Helped: I deepened my Hogan technical knowledge by analyzing reports and discussing interpretations with Dick. I improved my derief skills by observing live debriefs facilitated by Dick and then by doing debriefs that Dick observed and provided feedback on. Dick’s propensity to share stories and to use metaphors and humor enhanced my learning. Further, Dick readily shared his own materials as examples I could adapt, plus he shared tools and resources available from Hogan.
The Client: Chris King, ACC
Learning & Organization Development Manager at Kirkwood Community College
My Challenge: I reached out to accomplish two goals. One, complete my required training to recertify my ACC credential. Two, grow my abilities as a coach to actively listen, analyze and appropriately respond and/or question clients on the topics they bring to a coaching conversation. I wanted to enhance my ability to help clients have awareness of their behaviors, choices and hesitations so that they can achieve their goals without sabotaging themselves or having guilt, and instead work with a sense of positive energy and self-confidence that they can and will take action and achieve great results. I felt my coaching style was good, but I could be better. With a refresher, I could bring more value to my clients and become more adaptable to their needs. I felt like my coaching style was missing a deeper level of understanding and imposter syndrome was creeping into my thoughts about how effective I was being for my clients.
Why I Chose Aware and Willing: I partnered with Dick after working with and consulting other coaches because he brought a seriousness to his work combined with a light-heartedness that worked with my personality and coaching style. It was a great fit.
My Solution and Actions I Took: From Dick in session to session, I found myself picking up new ideas, tools, and approaches to my coaching that I would try to implement in my coaching sessions with clients. In some cases, I would find simple phrases that reworded or approached from a different perspective would change the vibe of a coaching session which would lead to more in-depth conversations that encouraged the client to discover.
Results: I found a quick wins in my coaching as a result of working with Dick. For starters, I am actively practicing to work with precision with my coaching, becoming more effective with my questioning and providing more space for the client for discovery. I have a new approach and better grasp on adapting and analyzing what the client is stating in what they are saying, or not saying so that the client is aware and taking accountability for themselves during their self-discovery. Overall, I am seeing clients open up more and requesting more coaching time as they are feeling like progressis being made in their sessions, which in return makes me feel like I am bringing value to their sessions.
How My Coach Helped: Dick brings a light-hearted and good nature sense of humor to his coaching style, while staying on topic and treating each session/topic with seriousness and professionalism. One area I found helpful was that Dick shared his approach he created in regards to how he engages in questioning, which takes the pressure off of worrying "What should I ask next?" and allows me to be a better active listener.
In addition to the tools, suggestions and ideas he shared, I learned from his example of how he engages in the conversation, his approach, demeanor and precision. I am really glad I looked around and ended up partnering with Dick because he has a welcoming style I can relate to and his coaching helped encourage me to believe I am doing the right thing and am on the right path.
The Client: David "Bernie" Bernhardt, ACC
Below please find our recent results for the contact center (Service) and the operations department (Support). As you can see, we had amazing results this year as compared to last year, specifically with our Support area, who tends to be more resistant to change. There is no doubt that your training helped them "change their lens" on their roles and some of the initiatives we are implementing this year. They are certainly more engaged and feel more enabled than last year, and these are very tenured people who are many times resistant to change, and we have had a lot of it over the past couple of years.
In regards to other stats, our asset retention goal for the year was $10 million and we will end up around $40 million, blowing our goal out of the water. We started with a lower goal, thinking this would be a benchmark year, but our team has embraced this huge culture change and delivered amazing results. Changing our culture from "order takers" where we helped people fill our their distribution forms (to take their funds out) to talking to them about retaining assets was a massive culture change and no question that the change management training helped with this as well.
We also do an annual customer satisfaction survey and our goal is 91% and this year, we hit an all-time high of 97%. Happy and engaged employees who can better embrace change=happy customers.
The Client: Bank of a Fortune 500 Company, name withheld by request