74 50 TOPEXECUTIVECOACHES
Dave Ulrich
Vision, Style, and Strategy
L
eaders envision a future and invest in the present. They need to have a
sense of where they are headed through their strategy, mission, purpose,
vision, goals, or whatever word works. Then, they need to see how their deci-
sions today move toward that endgame. Connecting present decisions with
tomorrow’s visions is a key part of coaching. Often, we articulate a glorious
future but cannot translate it into the routines of today.
Professionally, I work with senior line and HR leaders who want to articu-
late a vision for the future and make it happen today. I begin coaching by
asking leaders to define their personal style and organization strategy. Per-
sonal style deals with how they make decisions, interact with others, accom-
plish work, and determine what matters most to them. Organization strategy
deals with envisioning a future state and investing in the present to get there.
I then help them review the key stakeholders they have to serve (e.g., in-
vestors, customers, employees, community) and articulate specific goals for
each stakeholder. Then, I help them think about what decisions they can and
should make to meet these stakeholder goals. With the decisions in place, we
then prepare a time map where leaders figure out how and where to allocate
time to meet stakeholder goals. This time map deals with who they meet
with, how much time to spend on each decision, what issues they should deal
with versus someone else, and so on.
I try to instill a spirit of learning into the coaching experience. Learning
often comes from failure and the cycle of making choices, having conse-
quences, and taking corrective action with the consequences. Mistakes areDave Ulrich is on leave as Professor of Business, Univer-
sity ofMichigan, and currently serving as Mission Presi-
dent Canada, Montreal Mission, Church of Jesus Christ
ofLatter-day Saints. He is the author of over 100 articles
and book chapters, including Why the Bottom Line Isn’t:
How to Build Value Through People and Organization
(with Norm Smallwood); Results Based Leadership: How
Leaders Build the Business and Improve the Bottom Line
(with Norm Smallwood and Jack Zenger); To m o r row’s
(HR) Management(with Gerry Lake and Mike Losey); and Human Resource
Champions: The Next Agenda for Adding Value and Delivering Results.He c an
be reached by phone at (514) 342-2243, by e-mail at [email protected], or via
the Internet at http://www.daveulrich.com or http://www.rbl.net.