Close Up Radio Spotlights Joan Caruso of Development Directions Consulting Group

Greenwich, CT – Executive coaches can help leaders maintain focus to keep their people motivated.

Joan Caruso is an executive coach and the founder of Development Directions Consulting Group, where she works with senior level executives who are already successful that want to improve their leadership skills to continue on the track toward success.

“You're already successful. What's missing? What do you want to be better at that you're already good at?” says Joan. “Sometimes we overuse strengths because that's what made them successful, so it’s about helping people expand their comfort zone and their competencies. It's time to start growing and expanding our repertoire.”

An organizational psychologist by training, Joan worked in corporate America as an internal organizational psychologist before executive coaching even had a name. Joan says what's fun about executive coaching is that everyone is different and they perceive that their challenges are unique to their situation.

Joan’s approach to coaching is coaching by specific objectives, identifying these objectives through stakeholder interviews.

“Magic comes out of these stakeholder interviews. You look for themes in what people say,” says Joan. “Most of the time my clients are surprised by what they hear and want to change that perception. That gives you an objective to get started, like emotional intelligence.”

In the end, says Joan, the coach doesn't do the work. The client does the work, but they will succeed so long as they are willing to commit to change.

Says Joan: most proud of seeing somebody who says that they can’t achieve something realize that they can.”