Experience has taught that the most common client concern is they simply don't have the time - and the safe space - to consider professional development issues.  

Welcome to that safe space.

Having coached faculty in higher education and academic medicine for over 20 years, SFC Principal Susan Freimark has worked side by side with individuals as they navigate the nuances of institutional politics, power differentials, layered bureaucracies, and many other obstacles to success and personal fulfillment. Her experience informs being able to identify potential challenges in each situation and work together with the individual to achieve a fulfilling outcome.  She provides techniques to de-escalate a situation and provides a framework for moving forward.

As an objective sounding board, Susan can hold up a mirror, ask provocative questions, and help to develop a plan to move the situation forward to an actionable plan. 

Building on Dr. David Cooperrider's Theory of Appreciative Inquiry*, Susan works with clients from an asset perspective as opposed to a liability-based assessment. 

 

It's a highly collaborative discovery process of identifying (a) what's working, (b) what breeds enthusiasm and satisfaction for the individual, and (c) what the future could hold.  Susan utilizes Dr. Richard Boyatzis' Intentional Change* model to develop a workable solution to the client's challenging situation. 

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Susan helps clients work-through a wide-range of issues, including:

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• Passed over for promotions or opportunities

• Challenging relationships with colleagues

• Burnout

• Successful negotiation techniques

• Gaining credibility and visibility

• Moving beyond “stuck”

• Lack of leadership opportunities

• Dwindling motivation

• Caught in political crossfire

• Developing momentum for a new idea or protocol

• Recovering from making a public mis-statement

• Finding and working with a mentor

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She partners with clients in a wide variety of ways:

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• 1:1 Coaching Sessions

• Small Group Off-Sites

• Large Scale Ideation 

• Multi-Day Professional Development Classes

• Visioning Workshops

• Leadership Onboarding

• Team Retreats

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It might be time to make time.

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​*Citations

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Boyatzis, Richard E., and Kleio Akrivou. “The Ideal Self as the Driver of Intentional Change.” The Journal of Management Development, edited by Richard Boyatzis, vol. 25, no. 7, 2006, pp. 624–42, https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710610678454
 

David Cooperrider, and Diana D. Whitney. Appreciative Inquiry. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2005