Executive & Leadership Coaching for Individuals & Companies
At Charles River Careers, we’re passionate about helping leaders lead. We offer a range of executive and leadership development services that will help add critical skills no matter where you are on your professional journey. Whether it’s improving communication styles, developing a compelling vision, or removing blocks – we’re here to help you get to the next level.
What We do
Whether you’re a seasoned executive, a high potential leader, or supporting others in leadership roles, we’re experts at creating leadership plans that move the dial on issues that limit potential and block organizational progress.
Our coaching levels range from leaders with P&L and institutional responsibility (C-Suite, Executive Directors, Partners, Founders, etc.), to high potential functional and group leaders who are either new-in-role or seeking to gain responsibility.
We help leaders at all levels develop the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly complex world. Whether it’s honing communication skills, building a vision, achieving exceptional results, mentoring reports or prioritization, we’re here to help.
A Personalized Approach
We use a personalized approach for every engagement. We build an engagement plan that focuses on the needs of our clients in the context of their organizational and personal goals. Our goal is to meet leaders where they are. We like to understand the big picture while concomitantly progressing a manageable set of tangible goals, including focusing on the ones that will have the greatest impact.
We engage not only the leader, but stakeholders, team members, peers, and others who are committed to positive outcomes and lasting change. We strive to build environments where the conditions for success are optimized through organizational buy-in and support.
From the outset, our goal is to build high-trust, long-lasting relationships that allow for open communication, listening and the fostering of conditions for sustainable change. By building strong relationships, we not only progress current issues, we seek to be a trusted partner on the longer journey.
A Personalized Approach
We use a personalized approach for every engagement. We build an engagement plan that focuses on the needs of our clients in the context of their organizational and personal goals. Our goal is to meet leaders where they are. We like to understand the big picture while concomitantly progressing a manageable set of tangible goals, including focusing on the ones that will have the greatest impact.
We engage not only the leader, but stakeholders, team members, peers, and others who are committed to positive outcomes and lasting change. We strive to build environments where the conditions for success are optimized through organizational buy-in and support.
From the outset, our goal is to build high-trust, long-lasting relationships that allow for open communication, listening and the fostering of conditions for sustainable change. By building strong relationships, we not only progress current issues, we seek to be a trusted partner on the longer journey.
Focused on Lasting Change
We’re experts at coaching our clients to new levels of leadership potential, developing skills and increased personal awareness that is lasting and sustainable.
We do this by leveraging methods and tools from leadership theory while progressing a mutually agreed engagement plan. Methods could include 1:1 coaching, 360 reviews, workplace exercises, visioning, interpersonal dynamics training and live coaching.
We succeed by fully understanding engagement goals, by using deep listening, assuring organizational buy-in, and by assuring the foundational conditions of mutual respect and trust. Depending on the engagement, we also deepen personal and organizational understanding drawing on frameworks from awareness training and mindfulness.
And throughout our engagements, we monitor progress, remaining open to changes in direction and trying different approaches should some paths seem more favorable than others.
Our Team
Experienced | Trusted | Engaged
Our coaches and advisors draw on a combination of real-world leadership experience, coaching experience, leadership theory and listening skills to successfully frame and implement winning engagement plans.
Prior to founding Charles River Careers, Steve Bushnell, Ph.D. has 20+ years experience in leadership roles in large multinational companies, start-ups, and non-profits. He has coached numerous Sr. leaders in incumbent roles and through career transitions. He has commissioned, led and been a member of many high performing teams, has led management teams and established advisory boards for start-ups and non-profits.
Steve is well versed in leadership style frameworks, contemporary coaching theory and the principles of mindfulness and mindful leadership. He has had P&L and portfolio management responsibility and is passionate about achieving positive outcomes for all Charles River Career engagements.
Our Team
Experienced | Trusted | Engaged
Our coaches and advisors draw on a combination of real-world leadership experience, coaching experience, leadership theory and listening skills to successfully frame and implement winning engagement plans.
Prior to founding Charles River Careers, Steve Bushnell, Ph.D. has 20+ years experience in leadership roles in large multinational companies, start-ups, and non-profits. He has coached numerous Sr. leaders in incumbent roles and through career transitions. He has commissioned, led and been a member of many high performing teams, has led management teams and established advisory boards for start-ups and non-profits.
Steve is well versed in leadership style frameworks, contemporary coaching theory and the principles of mindfulness and mindful leadership. He has had P&L and portfolio management responsibility and is passionate about achieving positive outcomes for all Charles River Career engagements.
Executive & Leadership Coaching Plans
We offer a variety of flexible coaching plans including both monthly and fixed-session plans. They include 1:1 coaching sessions that are designed to support our clients in the context of busy schedules and significant responsibilities. Don’t see a plan that’s right for you? Feel free to give us a call.
Personalized 1:1 coaching designed to support existing and high potential leaders, from short engagements, where a quick outside perspective would assist, to longer-term high-trust engagements including visioning, communication, goal setting, and leadership development.
All engagements start with a mutually agreed engagement plan that may include: assessment of leadership style, communication skills, leadership effectiveness, overcoming blocks, developing visions and managing change.
Coaching levels range from clients with P&L and institutional responsibility (C-Suite, Executive Directors, Partners, Founders, etc.), to high potential functional and group leaders who are either new-in-role or seeking to gain responsibility.
1:1 coaching sessions are held in-person, or by Skype or Zoom. We support clients in greater Boston and across the U.S.
Have a question about one of our plans? Sign up for a free 30-minute consult=>here
4 Sessions/mo
- Executive & Leadership Coaching
- Monthly Payments
- Weekly Coaching Sessions (up to 4/mo, 1:1, 60-90 minutes)
- Personalized Plan
- Visioning, Effectiveness, Style Assessments, Communication, Stakeholders, Delegation, New In Role
6 Sessions/mo
- Executive & Leadership Coaching
- Monthly Payments
- Weekly Coaching Sessions + 2 Supplemental Sessions (up to 6/mo, 1:1, 60-90 minutes)
- Personalized Plan
- Visioning, Effectiveness, Style Assessments, Communication, Stakeholders, Delegation, New in Role
10 Session Plan
- Executive & Leadership Coaching
- One Time Payment
- 10 Coaching Sessions over 3-4 months (1:1, 60-90 minutes)
- Personalized Plan
- Visioning, Effectiveness, Style Assessments, Communication, Stakeholders, Delegation, New in Role
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What follows is our list of frequently asked questions. Have a question not listed here? Feel free to call or drop us a note on our contact page. Our goal is to reply to all inquiries in 24 hrs.
Coaching sessions are typically 60 to 90 minutes.
The length of coaching engagement varies by plan. The ‘Jib’ plan 3 sessions, and typically runs three to four weeks, but can be accelerated as needed. The ‘MainSail’ plans is 10 sessions. The timing of these plans vary. During the first session we develop the personalized engagement plan, and then prefer to meet sequentially for 3 weeks to make progress. After that the spacing of meetings is adjusted to meet the needs of the client and his/her process. In all cases, we offer our offer services for no more than 6 months from the date of purchase. This time bounds engagements and is sufficient time to implement the engagement plan and complete any additional purchased services.
Yes, you can sign up for a one hour consult, or purchase hours in increments you prefer. You can purchase 1:1 consulting time => here.
Please note, in our experience, it typically takes 5 or more coaching sessions to connect core interests and purpose to a sound vocational plan and getting unstuck. As such, it is usually preferable to purchase one of our plans.
We serve most of the communities in the Charles River Watershed including, but not limited to: Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Watertown, Newton, Waltham, Weston, Wellesley, Needham, Dover, Sherborn, Medfield, Natick, Norfolk, Franklin and Dedham.
This said, we also support clients regionally and nationally using video-coaching using a variety of platforms (i.e. Skype, Facetime, Facebook Video Chats and Zoom).
If you’re in Massachusetts or Rhode Island and don’t see your town listed, no worries, we’re happy to help.
If your outside the region or even international, we’re happy to support you through video.
Given our service geography, we meet with clients at a variety of locations in the Boston area. This includes co-location spaces, our main office, or should it be more convenient, by Skype or video conference.
For corporate clients we typically meet at their office, campus location or site.
If possible, we appreciate the opportunity to meet people 1:1 for the first few meetings. This said, we we appreciate that schedules and travel-times can make video conferencing preferable and often more convenient.
We use Skype, Facetime, Facebook Video Chats and Zoom conferencing for video coaching sessions. We’re open to using different platforms/tools that you may be more familiar with.
Once you have signed up for a plan you will recieve a welcome email with instructions on how to use our scheduling system. If you haven’t spoken to us already, we’ll invite you to a free information call to discuss engagement scope and any other logistical questions you may have.
No. Our services support individuals with career development, job search preparation, search execution, leadership training and team assessments & performance. We are not search firm nor do we work with any.
For a specific consult:
We ask our clients to notify us 48 hours in advance of any appointment. Cancellations after this time will be counted as ‘completed’.
Cancelling your plan before your first consult:
Prior to completing your first consult, you may cancel your entire plan and receive a full refund. Please see our policy about cancelling specific consults above.
Cancelling your plan after your first consult:
If you cancel you plans for personal or other reasons, including securing the job of your dreams, you will forfeit the fee. Please note that you can use our services for 6 months from the start of the engagement and in the event you find your dream job, we’re happy to apply any unused sessions towards professional coaching.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with our services, consistent with our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee we will offer you a 100% refund. As an engagement represents a commitment on both sides, if you are not satisfied with our services, we ask that you inform us early in the engagement.
Cancelling optional services that have not been initiated:
You can cancel additional services (i.e. resume makeovers, portfolio development, interview training, etc.), and receive a full refund as long as they have not been initiated.
We designed a flexible approach to allow our clients to use our services during a 6 month period at a pace that best serves their needs. In some cases you might find you have enough guidance for the moment and want to set sessions aside for downstream or follow on support. As our services are bundled using a plan-based approach, any unused sessions will expire at the end of the 6 month period.
Plans are purchased using the checkout process and may be initiated using our pricing page. We accept credit cards, checks and most common payment methods. Payment methods are selectable from the checkout page.
Of course! You can sign up for a free 30 minute coaching session => here
