"While I honestly wasn't conscious of it, Gary's notion of 'leading by asking' nicely captures my own style. This approach creates a more collegial attitude, it opens dialogue and shows respect for those who are closer to and have responsibility for the issues. In many cases it is also appropriate because each generation seems to be smarter than the last. As a tool, Gary's book can raise everyone's awareness of the social and intellectual power of asking rather than telling."
Captain James A. Symonds USS Ronald Reagan - Nimitz
class aircraft carrier.
Executive and Business Coaching Articles
CO2 Partners In The News
Below are a selection excerpts from recent articles and press interviews. The Leadership Mail delivers content that is helpful to those in leadership positions. All of our feedback is welcome - Contact Gary Directly.
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Chief Learning Officer
“Despite a trend toward greater teamwork and maximizing individual contribution, it’s disturbing that the input of so many people is still ignored. After all, employees are a key source of valuable information needed to enhance organization performance,” according to CO2 Partners President Gary Cohen.
Chief Learning Officer (website), September 15, 2006
HR News
“How foolish to think just more educated or higher-ranking employees are worthy of being consulted. It’s less educated workers…I’d want to talk to first,” said Gary Cohen, author of the book, Just Ask, which is to be released in 2007.
HR News (SHRM), September 26, 2006
Washington Post
Nearly half of workers who earn less than $25,000 a year said they were rarely asked for their opinions at work, vs. one-quarter of those earning $75,000 and up, according to a poll for executive coaching firm CO2 Partners.
Washington Post , September 27, 2006
Business Week
They may intone mantras citing the importance of front-line employees, but a new survey shows that managers seeking advice tend to ignore lower-grade workers, the ones who “actually make the stuff or are dealing with customers,” says Gary Cohen of CO2 Partners, which commissioned the study.
Business Week , October 2, 2006
Kansas City Star
What a quandary… One in three employees is seldom or never asked for advice on solving a problem at work, says a national telephone survey by CO2 Partners.
Kansas City Star , October 3, 2006
Wall Street Journal Europe
Most people who have worked somewhere for more than 25 minutes have an opinion about the place, and many would love to share insights with their managers. Yet one in three workers polled recently said they were seldom or never asked for input, according to executive coaching firm CO2Partners.
Wall Street Journal Europe , October 2, 2006
Indianapolis Star
Unasked resources…33% of U.S. employees are never or seldom asked for advice on solving a problem at work, according to a survey conducted by CO2 Partners. Of female respondents, 35% said they are never or seldom asked for advice at work, while 31% of male workers said they are never or seldom asked for their advice.
Indianapolis Star , October 6, 2006
HR.com
As executive coaching continues to expand, the field is shifting away from a therapeutic model to a greater emphasis on business performance and leadership development, according to Minnesota executive coaching firm CO2 Partners.
HR.com, October 16, 2006
Chief Learning Officer
“Sometimes a top executive will spend months seeking to improve his or her leadership skills, when they ought really to be improving job performance,” said Gary Cohen, president of Minnesota firm CO2 Partners.
Chief Learning Officer (website), November 2, 2006
Management-Issues.com
The cult of ‘leadership’ has hooked managers and executives to such an extent that they almost always opt for ‘leadership development’ when asked what kind of coaching or training they would prefer, even though they seldom know what it is they are asking for. That’s the message from a new survey on executive coaching carried out by Minnesota-based CO2 Partners, which found that six out of 10 executives believe that leadership training would be of most use to them.
Management-Issues.com, November 3, 2006
Investor’s Business Daily
Managers and executives nearly always opt for leadership development when asked what kind of training they would prefer, according to CO2 Partners.
Investor’s Business Daily , November 6, 2006
Chief Learning Officer
Leadership development tops the list of training managers, coaching managers and executives say they prefer, according to a survey by CO2 Partners, an executive coaching and leadership development firm based in Minnesota.
Chief Learning Officer (website), November 13, 2006
Chief Learning Officer
“Listen actively to an individual’s response, and it will go a long way to build trust,” CO2 Partners President Gary Cohen said. “If a manager is willing to be vulnerable and admit to not knowing the answer, there’s an opportunity to open up a deeper level of communication. But asking such questions has to be authentic, not just a phony gesture or gimmick.”
Chief Learning Officer (website), December 5, 2006
Management-Issues.com
A on-line survey of more than 3,000 employees, mostly middle to senior-level managers, by CO2Partners, a Minnesota-based leadership development firm, has found that only one in 10 (11 percent) would turn to their immediate boss for workplace advice.”
Management-Issues.com , December 6, 2006
IACCM.com
“Someone’s immediate report would be the logical starting place for advice, but for the great majority of people, it seems a supervisor is the last person they want to talk with,” said CO2Partners President Gary Cohen.
IACCM.com, December 12, 2006
Washington Post
An online questionnaire by CO2 Partners, a leadership and coaching firm…found that workers favor friends’ advice over suggestions from spouses and partners. But it’s skipping over the boss that sticks out.”
Washington Post , December 13, 2006
Chief Learning Officer
Gary Cohen, CO2 Partners President, said the low percentage of respondents who said they turn to their boss for advice reflects a lack of trust between managers and employees.
Chief Learning Officer (website), January 8, 2007
“We knew coaching was growing but are surprised by how quickly it seems to become the norm among executives in positions that require them to manage others,” said CO2 Partners President Gary Cohen. “We suspect the coaching in question encompasses various kinds of support from formal guidance provided by outside professionals to mentoring, as well as advice from one’s immediate supervisor. Nonetheless, the finding indicates a startling trend.”
Chief Learning Officer (website), January 23, 2007
Management-Issues
Cohen advised individuals that to get the most out of their coaching, they need to be clear on the results they are looking for.
"There are different types of coaching available and deliverables, styles and outcomes can vary significantly. Clarify these issues in your first meeting with a coach so you know what you can expect and if it's a good fit for you and your situation."
Management-Issues (website), January 24, 2007
Training Magazine
When asked, “If you were to receive coaching at work, what focus would be of greatest benefit to you?” 59.8 percent of respondents chose leadership development, according to a survey from CO2Partners, based in Wayzata, MN.”
Training Magazine , January/February 2007
Talent Management
Despite the growing popularity of executive coaching, its effectiveness has been hindered by common misconceptions, said Gary Cohen, president of CO2 Partners, a Minnesota-based leadership development firm.
“Some mistaken perceptions abound on what coaching is supposed to do, or can do,” Cohen said. “There’s a naïve idea that the coach is going to provide a road map for success, and there’s also the persistent psychotherapy model.
"No wonder so many coaching engagements fail to live up to expectation when the goal is so often misunderstood.”
Talent Management (website), February 12, 2007
Chief Learning Officer
For so many employees to experience an ethical conflict with how they earn a living might account for the disengagement found in so many places of work, said CO2 Partners President Gary Cohen.
“Management often seems to expect employees to ignore their personal values in favor of the ones posted on the wall,” he said.
Chief Learning Officer (website), April 4, 2007
International Association for Contract and Commercial Management
The findings reflect a pervasive, if sometimes unexpressed, ethical dissonance in the workplace, Cohen said.
“An employee listens to management’s ethical pronouncements, but may see little follow-through," he said. "For instance, top management commonly expresses a commitment to standards of high performance but then fails to act when a certain manager does not meet those standards. “
International Association for Contract and Commercial Management (website) April 2007
FastPitch Press
A major survey by consultants, CO2 Partners suggests as many as half of managers have received some sort of coaching in the workplace in recent years.
“We knew coaching was growing, but are surprised by how quickly it seems to become the norm among executives in positions that require them to manage others,” said CO2 Partners President Gary Cohen. “We suspect the coaching in question encompasses various kinds of support, from formal guidance provided by outside professionals, to mentoring as well as advice from one’s immediate supervisor. Nonetheless, the finding indicates a startling trend.”
FastPitch Press (website), May 11, 2007
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