In business, individuals often secure the services of a success coach to ''fix'' certain areas of their professional lives, such as securing a desired promotion or salary increase, or enhancing performance and productivity in their jobs. Many professionals often fail to realize that these career roadblocks are actually a symptom of other, more deep-seated problems that are occurring elsewhere in their lives. In other words, the obstacles people face at work may, in fact, not necessarily be job-related at all.

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	John McKee

In my practice, BusinessSuccessCoach.net, I use a holistic process called "The Four Windows Method" to assess all of the elements required to affect my clients' success in business, rather than simply focusing on what is likely a mere symptom.

This process is designed to provide a comprehensive status review of one's life using four distinct "windows": Foundational, Attributes, Evolution, and Opportunity. From this review, a "life plan" is born to ultimately help the individual move forward with his or her career and business. Unlike other coaching methods that are tactical in nature, the Four Windows Method fosters a strategic, holistic, and all—encompassing action plan. When you move on, there will be no walls to hold you back.

What Are the Four Windows?

Window 1 — The Foundational Window:

1. Reviewing your life currently — what's great, what's not as great, and what's just not good

* You will review how you're doing at this stage using:

1. outside psychometric studies such as 360 Degree Reviews and Annual Performance Assessments
2. anecdotal feedback from business partners, spouses, family members, and of course your own opinion

* The Three Lives Concept — each of us have a professional life, a personal life, and a family life. We've been taught to keep them separate.

1. This just doesn't fly.

2. Looking at a better future — what it is you're looking for

* You will jointly develop a vision of your life in the future. This vision will consider:

1. Employment — levels, responsibility, status
2. Wealth
3. Personal Needs — time balancing work and home

Window 2 — The Attributes Window:

1. Understanding your areas for development

* Focusing on your weaknesses doesn't really support you moving forward, but it is good to be aware of them as a team.

1. Often what supports a client is not the things they add to life but the things they take away. Our action plan may be removing vs. adding.
2. You will consider your business environment and culture to review what works and what doesn't.
3. Support programs and individuals in place at work and on the personal front.

2. Assessing your strengths

* Most of us have a fairly good idea of our weaknesses. Few take the time to methodically consider all of our strengths.

1. Some even take them for granted, or believe that because they are good at something, it's nothing special and probably others are good at it, too.
2. Building on your "learned" skills for fast performance improvement.
3. Reviewing your "natural" talents and skills to determine other new opportunities.

Window 3 — The Window of Evolvement:

1. Your individual life plan

* Most executives report that they are better at managing their businesses then their personal lives.

1. You will use additional testing and assessment tools to contemplate new opportunities so you can move faster while spending fewer hours on the job.

* Replenishment /re—energizing options.

* Discussion and review of opportunities on the personal front. I have found that executives often consider this element the last thing to focus on, but results prove it is a critical element for holistic success.

1. 30 Key Goals will be established reconsidering existing plans and establishing new ones.
2. You will create an action plan for each desired goal and develop the timeline and steps needed to get you there as soon as possible.

Window 4 — The Window of Opportunity:

1. Establish prioritization

* Dealing with our true priorities — using conjoint analysis, clients choose between the intellectual and emotional at this stage.

* We finalize the Top 10 One—Year Goals, and develop multi—year plans.

* Setting up structure to support the actions you need to take is an important step in the process of achieving goals. To be successful, we want to prepare ahead of time.

2. No walls will hold you back

* How to ensure a life of ongoing success.

* The law of attraction.

* The concepts of abundance vs. lack.

* Anticipating slippage

• Scheduling follow—up activities and dates

This reasoned, methodical, and life—balanced approach helps individuals understand who they are, what they want, and how to get there.

About the Author

John McKee, founder and president of BusinessSuccessCoach.net, is the author of Career Wisdom - 101 Proven Strategies to Ensure Workplace Success and 21 Ways Women in Management Shoot Themselves in the Foot.  He can be reached at 720-226-9072, john@businesssuccesscoach.net, or through his websites at www.BusinessSuccessCoach.net and www.BusinessWomanWeb.com.

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