Going The Distance: An Interview with Executive Coach Rich Gee

How do you conduct the conversation that may change your life? For starters, you can get some advice from Rich Gee. Having worked with companies like Waldenbooks, Kmart, ADVO Inc., and Gartner, he has become the 'go-to-guy' for advice, guidance, and executive coaching.

What do executive coaches do?
We teach executives how to crush obstacles that might be compromising where they want to go and what they want to be. A coach motivates you to take the right actions consistently so that you can master your time, enjoy a healthy, balanced life and achieve bigger, more rewarding goals without the steep and costly learning curve.

What’s the advantage of an executive coach versus other types of relationships?
There are no 'strings attached' to conversations. I’m interested in them, and I have no agenda other than their success.

Executive coaches provide senior executives a sounding board. The relationship created with the executive coach is in addition to and does not replace existing relationships with the their senior management, board members or other advisors.

How do senior executives of major corporations differ from the rest of us?
They’re wired differently - they carry the weight of responsibility for their division or enterprise. Where many senior people differ is in their view of self.

Many think it is important to "go it alone" due to the cultural belief that everyone succeeds or fails on the basis of the efforts and abilities of a single individual.

This assumption is so powerful that when an alternative view is suggested – that success depends on our relationships with others as much as it does on ourselves - the typical reaction is denial. Denial of the role of relationships in the senior executive’s success preserves the self-enhancing illusion that we are masters of our own fates: we get all the credit for our successes.

Once an executive has reached the top, what do they aspire to?
Invariably, once they have reached the top - the company is performing well, teams are healthy and management is locked in place - senior executives would like to take their career or company to another plane. This might entail an environmental change that might take the organization outside of their current comfortable boundaries.

How can you talk executive-to-executive, if you’re not one yourself?  Is there anything we should do differently, or just we just maintain our meager selves?
Many executives welcome receiving any feedback at all.

As individuals advance to executive levels, development feedback becomes increasingly important, more infrequent, and more unreliable.

As a result, many executives plateau in critical interpersonal and leadership skills.

Those senior executives who think they have all the answers are usually ready for a rude awakening downstream in their career.

Can you name an executive you particularly admire. Why?
One is Dan Sherr (currently SVP at ADVO, Inc.)  who taught me everything I know about corporate life and business practices. He has led an incredible career and has consistently shown me how to attack projects, people, and customers.

His ‘joie de vivre’ infects everyone he works with, motivating them to produce their best and shine. His drive and attention to detail motivated me to win the Chairman’s Award in 1996. I still regard him as the major “mental” force in my business life - I constantly say, “What would Dan do in this situation?”.

What’s are some of the most important things one should consider if they want to get on the executive career path?
Learn how to communicate. Understand the instances that require face-to-face communications, not email. Learn how to run a good meeting and how to behave during meetings. Get some advice in the art of persuasion.

Practice as much as you can in front of groups to convince and inform in a pleasant and engaging manner. Get some coaching for how to get your associates to buy-in and cheerlead your projects and initiatives.

Be authentic. Ensure each deliverable has a little bit of you - people will remember and look forward to your meetings, talks, and projects.

Treat everyone with respect. You will never know who will help you move up the corporate ladder - an assistant, a spouse, a friend - they all can make a difference.

Work smart. Learn how to retire, delegate, and streamline everything. It allows you to focus on high-priority projects and bypass the mundane that won’t give your career any momentum.

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Contact Rich at richgee@richgee.com