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About Dr. Jan Hoistad

Dr. Jan Hoistad is a coaching partner who helps you clarify your goals, develop your skillset, and harness your strengths so you navigate your career and business growth with confidence. As an executive, career professional or business owner, having a supportive, strategic coach and consultant who empowers you to confidently clarify and achieve your desired outcomes is invaluable. Coaching helps you work more productively and lead more effectively. While Dr. Hoistad cannot promise to remove outside demands, she can help you prioritize, set goals and strategies so you and your team function at peak performance. ♦ Executive Coaching, Leadership Coaching, and Business Consulting. Develop awareness of how your decisions affect other areas, your people and your future goals. Fully aligned, make decisions for best possible outcomes. ♦ Partnership Coaching for business owners, partners, teams, entrepreneurs, dual-career couples and couples in business together. Become fully aligned so you work together better, achieving business objectives. ♦ Career Coaching for individual professionals and dual-career couples. At all stages of development; during times of transition; when considering a relocation; when desiring to integrate personal life goals with your career. With her unique “Big Picture” perspective, Dr. Jan partners with you as you transition through choice points in your career and business life. Her focus is on helping you clarify what you want, identify what’s in the way, and strategize a step-by-step plan so you achieve your goals. Dr. Jan brings her expertise in human development, system dynamics, entrepreneurship, business growth, partnering, communication and creativity to her clients who become catalysts for change in their businesses, careers, and personal lives. She has helped numerous professionals, business owners, and teams achieve ambitious career and business goals, healthy relationships, and a greater quality of work and life. “When an experienced professional incorporates Dr. Jan’s coaching and consulting solutions, you can almost feel their body relax. They become excited again. More hopeful, they remember what they love about their work as, together, we turn burdens into doable strategies that achieve their future goals.” -Dr. Jan Hoistad

Three Ways to Advance Your Career

    High performing professionals seek a variety of resources to accelerate their growth and advancement in the workplace. Oftentimes these resources also benefit the personal life, mental health and other aspects of a professional’s life and career. This is important as people rise in responsibility as it gets lonelier at the top. While developing your career and business path, the phrase “It takes a village…” is applicable here. In my work, I think of it as surrounding yourself with a team—and I encourage all my clients to identify their “chosen team” at every step throughout their life and career or business development. These resources are sometimes provided by your organization or company. And some you need to contract them on your own. Sometimes they are short-term or episodic relationships, and some can be very long term relationships spanning over many years. It’s possible to have all three at the same time if the feedback or learning is not in conflict, and if time allows. Since there is a lot of overlap between three main resources, 1) mentoring, 2) training and 3) coaching, let’s break out the core differences you should consider when working with these resources. 1) Mentoring Mentoring can be a short or long-term relationship. A typical mentor is typically someone further along in your field. An example of short-term mentorship is often in the on-boarding process within a company. A new professional or someone new to a role may be partnered with someone who can “show them [...]

How to Take Your Business to the Next Level

  Forging a bond while working in a highly demanding, toxic environment, Carmen and Inez brought their work friendship and capabilities together to develop their own company 3 years ago. This start-up literally “exploded” into being. Offering the exact same legal services, family, friends and professional colleagues beat a path to their door to work for this woman owned, minority owned new venture. Work poured in and the coffers filled. Why? Because they made a cultural “promise,” based on their authentic values to interact with employees and customers alike from a place of collaboration, mutual communication and responsiveness. Totally unlike their previous toxic environment. And... they delivered. It’s been a thrilling 3 year ride! (Hear outtakes: Massive applause and cheers, awards ceremonies and testimonials, cha-ching and more cha-ching.) New owners like Carmen and Inez come to their business with well-honed professional expertise for which they have been acknowledged as they climbed their career ladders. Strong personalities, they are used to the limelight from their hard won achievements. But…. like all start-ups, these 3 years have also been exhausting. (Hear outtakes: Moans, groans and sighs, subtle sounds of irritation and disgruntlement. All behind closed doors.) No matter how much pre-planning—for any new owners—running The Business-of-the-Business is a whole new set of skills. New owners are juggling demands of employees and customers, crash-coursing their way into new skills from tech to HR, confronting roles and responsibilities, policies and procedures, often colliding headlong into communication and style differences between themselves (difficulties they never [...]

Coaching for Business Partners: 4 Times to Work with a Skilled Business Relationships Coach

Business partnerships have a lasting impact on how and where a business will grow. It takes clarity and communication to make it work. All parties understanding their responsibilities, fulfilling the expectations of the mutually agreed-upon objectives for growing the business. Establishing processes to maximize each other’s strengths, focusing on commonalities in values, and shared visions for business outcomes creates a foundation of trust from which to grow. Business partner and owner coaching lead to successful outcomes. Figuring out how to bring unique individuals together in a successful business partnership is the goal. Because when things are going well, there’s an almost indescribable energy. And when things are going well between you, it carries throughout your organization and all relationships. Together you create better. You communicate better. You work better. You play better. You just do it all better. - Jan Hoistad This article takes a look at coaching for business partners and breaks down 4 times when you need the expertise of an experienced Business Relationships Coach whether you've been in business for a while or just starting a new business. How To Make a Business Partnership Work Business Partner Case Study Focusing For Better Alignment and Successful Outcomes Preventing or Repairing Difficulties in Business Partnerships Summary If you’re looking for guidance on improving your relationships in the business world, you’ll find lots of information on developing sales and management or leadership styles. Some resources focus on aspects such as presence, empathy, confidence, and listening skills. Information on how these [...]

4 Steps to Frame a Change and Manage Your Team During a Transition Period Within Your Business

When business owners, business partners, and leaders learn to carefully frame a change for their team, group, or employees, they assume the position of role model and outline how they intend to approach the change, and how they expect others to respond and behave. This 4 Step approach to FRAME IT ensures greater success and more efficient outcomes. Unanticipated change within your company can elicit a wide range of emotional responses in you and your team. On one end of the continuum, change is sometimes met with enthusiasm if it's perceived as a positive. For example, if you provide increased healthcare or child care, or time off benefits, you will likely see relief, even joy, among your employees. Other types of changes however may be met with anxiety, even fear, when perceived as a threat to the status quo. This often occurs when there is a change of ownership when new leadership is brought on or there are shifts in roles and responsibilities. A third reaction to change in the work environment is a more neutral — a go with the flow, matter-of-fact, seemingly resilient response to shifts being implemented. This indicates the change is not threatening. No matter the size of your business, owners, business partners, group leaders, and team managers are faced with many demands in the work environment. Decisions made at these times roll out a series of change events for small business teams or for multiple business groups in a large organization. Success, for [...]

Cultivate Your Leadership Skills for Business Development Success

  In the rapidly changing business landscape, there are key leadership skills that executives and their top people need to cultivate for long-term success. There are many important skills that can be developed at the leadership level. If you study well-known top leaders you’ll find many different qualities and strengths are highlighted. Some say these differences reflect key personality characteristics. Whatever the skills, these leaders are accomplished and laser-focused on two things: They see the big picture, building businesses that have solid foundation, while taking the pulse of the future. They make people want to follow their lead and contribute to that “cause.” That’s quite a combination. Such skills are inherent, inseparable from the person, like intelligence and aspects of personality. Other skills can be developed, such as emotionally intelligent awareness and communication skills. No matter your level of development along the leadership path, top level leaders and executives continue to challenge themselves and grow their skills. For the business this means: Keeping the focus on the “big picture,” delegating the details and management to effective people down the line. That means surrounding themselves with the right people to do every job within the organization. Facing daily and long-term realities and desired objectives, then making clear-eyed, effective decisions. Providing context, communicating not only cultural values and big picture objectives, but having a system of communication to swiftly and efficiently relay rapid changes,“why”those changes are necessary, and expectations. How can a business development consultant and executive coach assist in honing the [...]

5 Habits of Dual-Career Couples Balancing Work and Family

    As a couple, you expect to be not only romantic partners, but also to partner in the business of creating a home, managing work-lives and possibly raising a family together. Stressors and uncertainties brought on by the coronavirus pandemic—the necessity to be-at-home for an even longer extended time—may be exposing the signs and symptoms of your relationship strengths, as well as your weak spots. Let's break this down... Self-Care and Addressing Your Relationship Needs The Benefits of Working it Out Together Five Essential Habits of of Committed Couples While the data is not in on impacts of this pandemic on couples, families and the society at large, we do know that when couples do not partner well it exacerbates feelings of disconnection. It leads to loneliness, living like "roommates" and many times, it leads to divorce. The accompanying fears and decisions the coronavirus situation calls for—the short and long-term impacts—can be overwhelming. Especially if you don't know how to stay connected and communicate well through the stress. It will increase any fissure between you. Big Picture Relationship Coaching keeps dual-career couples working successfully together, even during difficult times. It's done by supporting one another's individual needs and strengthening your ability to make decisions and arrive at mutually satisfying solutions together. Addressing Your Relationship Needs Is Part of Self-Care The phase we're entering now, with it's mixed messages about what to do and how to respond—is undoubtedly magnifying your couple connection. It may even be increasing the [...]

How to Run a Successful Business Together as Business Partners

As in all close interpersonal relationships, when business professionals are unaware of different relationship styles—without a compatible mindset, and set of tools, and skills they can use together—each partner individually reverts to what they know best. What they know best is typically unconscious, old, less functional, patterns. This article will tackle these three points of context and answer the following questions... What are the pitfalls of co-owning or operating a business with your partner Understanding the choices and consequences of relationship styles What are the four keys to a successful business partnership Like everyone else, put two business owners together and you’ll find some random combination of approaches to relating which can get them in trouble when faced with conflict and their styles are different. Married couples in business together can be doubly susceptible since they live and work together. I always say when partnerships (personal or professional) are going well, they are wonderful. It's when faced with conflict or disagreements that relationship style differences bring on a challenge to change. What originally feels like a positive connection becomes confusing. Responses that used to work no longer work. Without new information, people do not know how to work themselves out of this sticky situation on their own. They can push it under the rug, but typically it does not go away without being addressed. That's why many couples work with therapists or life coaches. In the world of work, business, and careers, having a business coach or business transformation consultant [...]

11 Ways to Cope with Transitions & Change You Don’t Choose

  A Perspective on These Times Life is not going back to "the ways it was." It's never going to be the same. It's a hard truth and as much as you may wish to return to the former, more comfortable ways, everything is shifting. And the shifting continues. Today, the demand is to be flexible and resilient as you navigate through these shifts--toward what will eventually become our "new normal." Because these shifts are both internal and external, because these shifts are massive, global, and happening at such great speed, it's important that you ground and care for yourself. You have things you want to accomplish, experiences you want to experience, and contributions you want to make in this lifetime. So there's "bigger work" to do--to steady yourself, to connect you to yourself and others, to help you stay open to possibilities often unexpected. And unexpected options and change can feel terribly disruptive. Right now you and others you know may be resisting, balking, or fighting the change--trying to push through and control the "final" outcomes, Often behaving impulsively. Others may respond by "giving up" on their dreams. Often retreating in a way that is depression, addiction, or other escapism. What's important to know is that "You Can Do This Work" is demanded of all of us. That's right. We're all still in this together. It wasn't just the pandemic we were all in together, Going through these shifts requires all of us. Coaching support can help you through [...]

Keys to Confidence, Security and Emotional Connection for Couples: Creating a Big Picture Partnership

Couples lives are complicated! Integrating both your needs while also balancing work and personal or family desires can be a challenge. Knowing how to work as partners, how to come together as a team, is a choice, a value and a skill that can be developed. When things are going well between you, your relationship and life feels good. Things work smoothly. Like many couples difficulties arise when you have to make decisions together and do not see eye-to-eye. When you want different things or have different needs. This can happen at any stage of relationship. Having the tools and skills to navigate your differences together builds a deep sense of trust. Its a sense of security and emotional connection that grows with experience as you go through good times and face life's ups and downs together—all the while focusing on creating the relationship you desire and achieving your dreams. This article breaks down the who, what, where and how couples can better communicate and connect to each other. Why the Destination Counts Different Approaches or Styles of Relating Benefits Course Offerings Choices of Relationship Style So, differences are not a bad thing. They are part of life, part of our individuality and uniqueness. Sharing who you are with your mate, your partner, and finding ways to come together is key. How do you get on the same page? How do you learn to partner and work together well so your relationship grows and lasts a lifetime? It comes [...]

Considering Career Coaching? 3 Ways Career Coaching Can Help You Achieve Your Goals

Depending on the environment or field you work in, the concept of having a coach, engaging in coaching, career coaching, even executive coaching or leadership coaching, may be considered as familiar as breathing air. For some of you, it may be a new concept you're hearing more about and considering. You're curious. You wonder if it might be helpful to you. Addressing this question in a global way, every few years Erickson International pairs with The International Coaching Federation to study the question of coaching effectiveness and gathers data on what clients say they have achieved through the coaching relationship and how it's changed their lives. This article is going to explore 3 ways Career Coaching can help you achieve your goals in business. A Look at How Coaching Helped Others How the Perception of Career Coaching Has Changed How Coaching is Really a Partnership in Your Success Aligning Coaching with Your Goals Before we get started, it's important to understand there are two different types of coaching. Skills Based Coaching: Most everyone is exposed to fitness coaching, health or nutrition coaching, or weight-loss coaching. Nowadays there are experts in every field ready to share their expertise to help you achieve those goals. Getting help with your resume, elevator speech, confidence, presence, or networking skills may fall into this category. These types of coaching are more specifically focused on developing a skill or outcome (lose weight, develop a good presentation deck, speak more confidently in front of a group, and [...]

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