Debbie Radish-Respess With Invisible Horizons Coaching and Consulting

Intro: [00:00:02] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Coach the Coach radio brought to you by the Business RadioX Ambassador Program, the no cost business development strategy for coaches who want to spend more time serving local business clients and less time selling them. Go to brxambassador.com To learn more. Now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:33] Lee Kantor here, another episode of Coach the Coach Radio, and this is going to be a good one today on the show, we have Debbie Radish-Respess with invisible horizons, coaching and consulting. Welcome, Debbie.

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:00:45] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:46] Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about invisible horizons. How are you serving, folks?

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:00:53] Oh, I do it through executive coaching, leadership, coaching, trying to build the inner game of those leaders who actually want to take their organization to the next level.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:04] So you use an interesting phrase in her game. Can you tell us a little bit about how you’re defining that?

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:01:11] Yeah, I I really look at how we show up with our own biases and assumptions and how that influences our behaviors and actions, which in turn affect how we actually lead a team. So our inner game really has to do with our emotional state, our mental state and how we communicate with folks.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:41] Now you talk about biases, how like what are some maybe unconscious biases? You see, folks have that to you. It’s like, you know, maybe a flashing red light, but to them, it’s invisible.

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:01:55] Actually, I don’t think that we have subconscious biases. I think that we really are. We have we don’t have unconscious bias. We actually have subconscious biases. I think that we know that we have biases, but we don’t always see them. Two that I talk about a lot within businesses are called ones called in-group favoritism, and another is confirmation bias. And the in-group is kind of where we just kind of hang out with people who are just like us. I kind of attribute that to like the storm troopers. You know, we all look the same talk, the same act, the same. Our hair is the same. We think the same things, we believe the same things, and we really lack the diversity that really needs to occur to be an innovative organization. So that’s that’s one of the two. The other one is the confirmation bias, which is where we are going to seek out. Quote unquote, facts that are going to make our opinions be truthful, whether they’re really truthful or not. So we’re actually just confirming what we want to believe instead of actually getting the the right stuff right

Lee Kantor: [00:03:08] Now, do you find that most companies want to solve these problems or are they kind of OK with what they are? And just say, Look, this is what we are and this what we believe and and that’s it.

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:03:22] The clients that I talked with actually after we have a conversation, they see that there is a disconnect between their mission, vision and values and actually what they allow to happen in the organization so their guiding behaviors don’t necessarily fit in with what they. Have on the walls or what they preach. So, you know, my job is to come in and just see what is that alignment and when they recognize that there is a misalignment, we can then kind of go deeper into their own inner game because it starts with the leaders now.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:04] So at some point, there are some incongruity, right, that they they’re saying one thing and they’re behaving in a different way. There’s a football coach I forgot who said this, that says You kind of you are what your record says you are. So your actions are kind of what, no matter what you’re saying is is nice, but it’s your actions that are are kind of reality. When you point this out to people, is this a lot of times like, Oh my god, I didn’t realize this or is it like I sensed that something was amiss, but I didn’t realize that it was this?

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:04:39] Um, yes, to that, actually. Sometimes they do recognize that there is something that they’re missing, that’s that invisible horizon. And on the flip side, there are some times where they’re like, I had no idea that that’s what it was. So I think that it comes from two separate places, but it really comes down to that inner game. And how well, how will they know themselves or how truthful they are with themselves?

Lee Kantor: [00:05:10] Now it sounds like you’re these are or could be construed as hard truths where these are, you’re not kind of polishing up something and tweaking something. You’re really getting to the heart of kind of a true north of an organization. And that, for some folks, might be difficult and might be too painful to adjust. Is there a way to kind of ease them into this or is this something of a rip the Band-Aid kind of strategy?

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:05:39] Clients actually dictate that we it depends on how they want it. Sometimes I’m a pretty bold coach and a very strategic business consultant. And there are times where compassion I’m always compassionate regardless of whether the Band-Aid needs to be ripped off. And it really is about asking permission on how far they want to go or how deep they want to go. They will eventually get there, but coaching is all about not leading, but it’s actually walking and partnering with the client at the pace that they’re willing to go. I hope that made sense.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:22] Right, so you’re kind of letting them, you’re giving them recommendations and then but they have to ultimately lead.

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:06:32] Yeah, actually, so coaching isn’t about giving recommendations, it’s actually helping them come up with solutions because I play on both sides of that fence. If I’m solely coaching, it’s actually just partnering with that client and having them come up with their own solutions and the path that they want to take when I’m consulting. They may ask specifically what are some recommendations? And I use my coaching skill set to be able to help them come up with ideas and solutions and innovative ways of being able to address some of those things that they don’t necessarily see. Because when when a when a person comes up with their own ideas and solutions, they have one hundred percent buy in to want to make it. Can lead a horse to water. I think that you’ve got to be able to at least show the water and let that person decide, what path do I want to take to be able to go there?

Lee Kantor: [00:07:35] Right. But also remember, some of these horizons are invisible.

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:07:39] That is correct. But it’s all about the deep questions. That’s that’s part of the journey. And it’s a journey, Leigh. I mean, it’s not like there’s never just a destination. That’s why coaching occurs year after year after year because we continuously grow and learn and develop and just we have such awesome depth within ourselves that you can’t get it all at once. I mean, that’s just not reality and and businesses change and leadership changes. And, you know, let’s just look at the world environment right now that has changed, which means we have to also be able to step into a new and different version of ourselves. And that’s it’s a beautiful journey.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:24] Now what are some of the symptoms that an organization might be going through or or seeing show up that it might really be attributed to these kind of core issues that you’re dealing with?

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:08:37] Um, turnovers, always a big one, though, that’s a really tough one nowadays, because there there’s a lot of people that are just leaving organizations because they can, you know, there’s there’s such a high unemployment rate, there’s a lot of jobs on the market, on people. Unhappy people is a big thing when you’re, you know, this has been since as long as I’ve been in business. When you have your good employees, you’re strong. Employees become less engaged or even disengaged. You know that there’s a problem. Leadership is typically a big challenge when when you start seeing that or not so big, you know a big word right now and turnover is a big word and not, you know, retention is a big word right now. All of those underlying things, when people start complaining more than they ever have before it, it’s it’s the same to me. It’s the exact same problems as it has been. I’ve been in business for 30 years. Those haven’t changed and the underlying currents are, are you listening to the employees? Are you watching them? Are you looking at their behaviors and where is the disconnect in what you think you’re doing within the organization to what’s really happening in the organization? You know, are your clients happy? Are your are your vendors happy? You know, I look at the entire supply chain and go, Where’s where are you seeing the hiccups or the bottlenecks that need to be looked at? And then you start looking at it always comes down to people. And I think that that’s I think that that’s where the you just have to be aware it starts with awareness.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:32] And then so but when you start seeing some of these things pop up and they might be like, you know, you can attribute it to outside forces and you’re like, Wow, it’s not me. It’s, you know, the pandemic or it’s not me. It’s, you know, this is happening everywhere. But at some point you have to kind of look in the mirror and say, OK, what can I control and what can I help? You know? And then this is where it sounds like somebody like you or your firm can come in and really kind of help me see holistically my role into this and what I can be doing to improve the situation for my team and my company, my community.

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:11:10] Correct. Correct. And and you have to want you have to want the change. It’s it’s not, you know, I don’t I don’t want to work with someone who is not willing. To take some tough steps, coaching and consulting can become very uncomfortable because part of the transformation that happens is you have to get out of your own way and that’s uncomfortable because it means that you’re going to try something different. So, you know, you’ve got to want the change, and that means you have to want to be a little uncomfortable. And again, the client sets that that rating of how uncomfortable they want to get and how soon.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:56] So now how do you kind of allay some of the fears for folks that are maybe new to this or I haven’t taken these kind of bold steps when it comes to showing some results. Is there a way to kind of take some baby steps in this in terms of show, some results get some momentum or this is to me an area where I think people hesitate before choosing a coach because they’re unsure that this change is going to be for the better.

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:12:28] Yes, changes, changes always for the better, you know, you make it what you make it. When a person literally starts thinking about, OK, what am I doing that I could be doing differently? That’s that’s the first step and and it’s literally just having a conversation with someone like me just picking up the phone and saying, All right, let me just talk this through. What do you offer? What where do we want to go? And I just ask the question, what what’s important to you? What’s the underlying current? Why now? What have you tried in the past? What hasn’t worked? What has worked? Typically, there’s a lot that has not worked in the past, which is why they’re trying something different. And it really is that the first step is just having the conversation. I offer free consultations. You know, it’s just, Hey, let’s just have a conversation and see if this is even a fit for you. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it’s not. And that’s OK. And you know, my job is to serve my clients, whether they’re really my clients or not. I got into this because I love I love serving others, and I love seeing them prosper in a way that touches their heart. It’s not just about the financial goals, it’s about building teams and building trust and having respect and all of those soft skills that leaders are not always taught that actually drive the bottom line. So when a person starts feeling the change within themselves, the results of that is manifest on their team and on the others that they that they are actually serving.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:17] Can you share an example of a group you work with, an individual you work with that maybe went in thinking, OK, we’re going to solve problem a but then after working with you, they realized that the the impact is going to be greater than just that maybe tactical thing they were after initially. But it was more kind of cultural and it impacted the whole organization and obviously don’t name any names. But if you have an example that can illustrate maybe the challenge they had and then how you were able to inject yourself and help them get to a new level, that’d be great.

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:14:49] Yeah. One of my favorite stories is I worked with a CEO. He owned his own business and we had worked together in a past life. And he said, Deb, you’re in this new thing. Let me try this out. What is it? I don’t even know what I’m going to get out of it. So he actually kind of came into it haphazardly, did not really think that he needed to learn leadership skills. He was the owner. He could make the decisions. He was successful. And we started with executive coaching that transitioned into not just the executive coaching, but we did some team coaching where I got his group together and they had a bed of very nice family feel. But there was an underlying current of distrust and we got to the heart of that, and we went through about a four month program of learning to trust each other, being able to be open and honest but compassionate. And they the success of them they had in over eight hundred percent revenue increase. The team has been there now. It’s been multiple years and he actually was in a business that was very, very high turnover because it’s a very, just hard industry. And he’s not only retained but promoted his folks and he’s built and some additional staffing. So that is one of the greatest success stories because I just love the fact that he went into it kind of haphazardly.

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:16:30] He is a much better leader. He actually learned that he was getting in the way instead of really helping and supporting. He learned how to support in a manner that was more successful for his team and what the team needed, not what he thought they needed. So they listened better. It was just, I love, love, love that story. And that’s what a lot of my clients get is they come in with one one idea and it blossoms into cultural change and team development and greater respect and trust for your fellow colleagues, even executive teams where you kind of sometimes have that little backbiting or you have the we’re all together in it as a team when we’re in the meeting. But then we leave, excuse me, the meeting and you’ve got two people go off and they’re talking about others and you have another little click that goes off and. The success is when those those people walk out of a meeting and they’re laughing and they’re there together and they’re not in little clicks. That’s where that’s where you can really see the transformation in an organization. And I’ve had that multiple times with my clients.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:45] Now in your work, do you have kind of a sweet spot in terms of industry size of organization that you work with?

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:17:54] I love manufacturing. I come from the manufacturing background. However, I have kind of morphed into like wealth management, financial advising, distilling. I’ve got home construction and business construction and the challenges that these organizations have. Honestly, are exactly the same. They just happen to be in a different industry. So although I love manufacturing, I can speak the lingo in other organizations and be very and help them be very successful.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:35] Now any advice for other coaches out there that are trying to build a practice and maybe moving from one niche to another?

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:18:45] I do. When I initially started, I really thought manufacturing was at, and I really had my mind set, and this is where you come up with biases, you know, 30 years in business and it’s all been in fairly under the umbrella of manufacturing. I felt that that was the only place I could work. And all of a sudden I found myself not having manufacturing clients. I was being referred to other industries. So my very first recommendation is to recognize and understand your own biases and. Kind of consider what that is doing, is it helping or is it hurting you, is it holding you back? Is it propelling you forward? Take that leap of faith. Not. Don’t be afraid to just think, Well, I’m stuck here. I can’t go anywhere else because it’s a bias. I mean, we we can absolutely overcome it. And it’s about mindset change and habit changes. The second thing that I that I really tell everybody, including myself, is just take that step. So if I’m going to recognize and be aware of the biases that I have, I consider what are the steps that I can take that’s going to make me feel uncomfortable, but that’s going to take me in a different direction if we’re not agile, if we’re not flexible, if we don’t build in that ability to. Be able to serve those clients, whoever those clients may be. It’s really going to be hard to be successful because sometimes some of the best clients come from areas that you’re not even considering because it comes back to that first point of the biases. Um, and then as with everything, be kind to yourself. Give yourself permission to try new things and provide a platform not just for yourself, but for your clients of safety, respect and compassion. And be authentic. I can’t I can’t stress that enough is to be who you are and step into that awesomeness. That’s how we were created. It’s it’s a beautiful place to be.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:02] Well, Debbie, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you. Is there a website that people can go to to learn more, get on your calendar to have a more substantive conversation?

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:21:15] Absolutely. It’s called invisible horizons coaching. And there’s a number of places that they can just, you know, click here to to chat.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:25] And that’s horizons with an S. Right?

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:21:28] That is correct. Invisible horizons, yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:31] Good stuff. Well, Debbie, thank you again for sharing your story.

Debbie Radish-Respess: [00:21:34] Great. Thank you. Leigh, I appreciate your time.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:36] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll sail next time on Coach the Coach radio.