We recently connected with Sara Sheehan and have shared our conversation below.
Sara , so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I am a naturally optimistic person. It’s part of who I am and is one of my strengths. One thing that is important to point out is that I am not optimistic at the expense of proper understanding or being realistic. Further, optimism for me is not fake positivity or putting a brave face on a bad situation. Optimism is akin to the science of hope for me and seeks to give others the best possible environment to succeed. In a personal or professional case, I try to look at situations from an uplifting perspective that attracts others. Where negativity has the power to disengage and fracture connections, optimism has the power to bring people together and influence them to work towards challenging goals. Based on my experience, people reveal strength in all kinds of situations, and when you come into an interaction with the belief that they can succeed, you will be more likely to see a team that thrives. I believe that optimism is a quality that provides my clients with a foundation that helps us both be more productive, more engaged and achieve more business results.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a strategy consultant that improves human performance through consulting and executive coaching. I support clients in organization design, leadership and talent development, change management, and executive coaching. I love working with clients who want to apply what they have learned and have a growth mindset.
The unique part is helping clients adapt and adopt new behaviors or ways of working on various projects. Whether it is implementing a new strategic initiative, developing an innovative approach, integrating an organization following a merger or acquisition, scaling the business for growth, outsourcing a global function, or implementing a new digital solution, leaders need support in understanding how these business imperatives impact their team and organization. Leaders also need to have a plan for addressing business impacts and understand how to operate efficiently in the future. The human side of the equation is much more challenging than many leaders expect. Once they have worked with an expert through a complex project, they will likely work with a consultant and coach again.
Large transformation projects frequently fall short due to a lack of project resources to support the human side of change, the engagement’s lengthened duration, the failure to recognize crucial milestones during frequent project checkpoints, the strain placed on internal resources to manage the business as usual, and project priorities (Sirkin, 2023). The weight of the demands on the client team can be all-consuming. Many clients find that having a trusted advisor to help them set priorities and follow a specific plan focused on the human side of the project helps them achieve measurable results.
The executive coaching side of the business is where the magic happens. Helping a leader develop new insights and determine the plan forward is exceptionally motivating and gratifying. Executives should expect to have access to executive coaching in the workplace. Executive coaching has a phenomenal return on investment (Sheehan, 2022). Individuals can achieve aspirational goals that seem unattainable. In terms of results, one client set and achieved a goal to save her company more than a million dollars in less than one business quarter. Other clients have been able to expand business offerings, increase revenue, save money, be more efficient, and increase their performance.
Sources:
Sirkin, H. L. (2023, January 9). The Hard Side of Change Management. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2005/10/the-hard-side-of-change-management
Sheehan, S. (2022, November 7). The Impact Of Executive Coaching On Business Performance And Employee Performance. Brainz Magazine. https://www.brainzmagazine.com/amp/the-impact-of-executive-coaching-on-business-performance-and-employee-performance
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
First, my tangible experience working with the world’s leading consulting firms and Fortune 100 clients is indisputable and irreplaceable. Understanding the value of business development, delivery excellence, client relationship building, account development, and team development are foundational skills for my business journey. For newer professionals, examine every experience and what can serve as a career-building block. Stay focused on refining strengths to improve your performance.
Second, developing foundational healthy life habits, like prioritizing regular exercise, sleep, and healthy eating, helps me stay focused daily. However, a critical addition is developing a healthy mindset. We can all work on it daily; if you practice these skills, it is impressive to see the results. Mindset can support up-leveling achievements or drive a deep downward spiral of despair. Simple things like gratitude journaling and meditation are great places to develop the mindset superpower. Start small with repeatable tiny habits that can become part of a typical day, like writing down three things you are grateful for or facts that reveal abundance is ever-present in life. The latter is powerful and helps increase awareness of how abundance appears. For meditation, start using an app for as little as two or three minutes a day, building from there. Over time, the mind becomes more resilient and optimistic. Building foundational habits for newer professionals will support health and wellness for life.
Third, the content creation side of my business is a perfect opportunity to share more of who I am, shape my brand, and extend my thought leadership. My marketing and thought leadership strategies will evolve. The result will still be that I am putting myself out there visibly so that my ideal clients can find me. Creativity and sharing more allow me to reveal personal character, values, and heart-centered intentions. Sharing more in my marketing has led to more conversations with clients, business partners, and close contacts with business referrals. For newer professionals, starting with journaling may be one way to take steps to develop your voice and expertise. However, you can always look for opportunities to set yourself apart from others by taking a leadership role and purposely sharing or demonstrating your unique style. Finally, experimenting with posting and engaging with social media is a great way to establish visibility outside of an organization. Everyone has different strengths, and over time considering actions that align with your values and purpose helps fine-tune the message.
In summary, the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that impacted my journey most are real-world work experience, foundational habits, and extending thought leadership through marketing. For new professionals, be strategic by identifying career-building experiences to obtain and actively manage the opportunities to attain them with leaders.
How would you describe your ideal client?
My ideal client for consulting and executive coaching is the same. My ideal client is an organization or leader with 100 million dollars in revenue and up to 2 billion dollars in revenue. Once clients reach this level of success, they need structure, processes, technology, and people to support it. This business size is perfect for someone with my skills, as many organizations are already considering business operating model changes, technologies to support efficient operations and effective decision-making, or other businesses that could be ideal partners or their next acquisition target. In terms of industry, I have strong experience in consumer packaged goods and biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. Further, I have worked with clients in many industries at this point, including hospitality, telecommunications, airplane manufacturing, sheet metal manufacturing, information technology, chemicals, healthcare, and professional services, to name a few.
When I think about the characteristics of ideal clients, whether an organization or a leader, I love working with people interested in building skills in new areas and wanting to grow, it’s also ideal when a client is the economic buyer of services. They prioritize the value a trusted advisor can bring them through time saved in reducing the time to get the team productive, money saved through efficiencies gained, or money earned when expanding the business. People with positive outlooks and who want others to succeed also align with me. Finally, I love working with organizations or a leader that chooses to work with ease and joy as their approach to work and life. The right advisor can demystify complexity with a client that operates easily, and aspirational goals are within reach when working with clients with this positive mindset.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sarawsheehan.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-sheehan
- Other: Headshot Photo Credit: Ryan M. Brown Photography
Image Credits
Headshot Photo Credit: Ryan M. Brown Photography
