Harlan Consulting Services, Inc.

About Harlan Consulting Services, Inc.

During the 16 years that I’ve had my consulting business, I’ve had the pleasure of coaching individuals at all levels of organizations and at all stages of their careers. Additionally, I have had the good fortune to have been coached by several excellent coaches. As a coach and a protégé, I know the value of good coaching. I’ve successfully coached individuals who: -Have strengths that have not been utilized. -Have needed to calibrate their thinking and actions to a new job. -Have faced performance complexities and challenges. -Have been misunderstood by their supervisors. -Have been affected by someone else’s unconscious bias. All accomplished their goals and continue to apply the insights from coaching to new situations. Contrary to popular assumption, I believe that people do not resist change; they resist someone else directing their change. Once an individual chooses to change, possibilities open up. I believe the client owns the agenda and I provide a structure to focus on short-term performance objectives that are aligned with long-term goals. I am keenly aware of cross-cultural/diversity dynamics and knowledgeable about adult development and emotional intelligence. My approach is positive – together we will build on the client’s strengths and define strategies for breakthroughs in professional excellence and personal fulfillment. I adhere to the ICF code of ethics and practices. Performance matters. Change is constant. Focused development is the imperative. Satisfaction is the benchmark. "Personally, I have engaged Mary as a 'thought partner' many times regarding the challenges I've faced in my role. I would describe her as a trusted advisor who understands how the right question asked at the appropriate time can lead to a wealth of self-discovery. I've experienced several epiphanies during our conversations. Professionally, I have the utmost confidence in Mary as an executive coach.She won't accept an assignment until she is certain that she understands theexact nature of the need and is confident that she can contribute to helpingbridge the developmental gap of the individual being coached. I respect herintegrity and desire to be a good steward of my company's limited resources. Mary's strengths include patience, perceptiveness, ability to help others beintrospective, honesty, optimism and encouragement. She has an amazingreservoir of knowledge to share, which she balances with her consultative skills to help people come to their own conclusions." Director, Learning and Leadership, Financial Services Corporation "Mary helped me during a period of major transition in my life and career. I was leaving a company after 27 years to set up my own business and go back to school. She was able to to coach me through the many issues, both emotional and practical that came up for me and to help me to widen my perspective about what was important in making the change. I go back time and time again to the discussions we had which serve as an anchor when thinking about the future. Mary helped to make the process go very smoothly and to helped me to face the fear and do it anyway!" Sarah McConnell, former VP, Aker Kvaerner