Nancy Zakharia Ohanessian – A Talent and Organizational Development Expert and Leadership Coach Impacting Corporate Lives

Nancy has over 15 years of expertise in business and HR practices across various companies and sectors. She is a certified coach, assessor, and talent management expert. She has developed solid relationships and worked with individuals from many socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, honing her social and intercultural savvy. Nancy believes in the value of utilizing one’s abilities and is enthusiastic about driving individual and organizational success while encouraging others to do the same.

Nancy’s Contribution as the Organization and Talent Development Architect:

Nancy: My emphasis as a talent and organizational development leader is on the employee experience, organization culture, engagement, coaching, leadership development, and all the tools that support these areas. I have launched several programs over the years, the most recent being the start of a 12-month program for women’s growth. The program’s primary objectives were to foster interpersonal and self-awareness skills, expose participants to real-world issues and opportunities for learning, and introduce them to senior executives and the company’s operations. And I’m happy to report that most of the participants have advanced in the company during the past 12 months, changing positions and taking on new responsibilities.

Nancy’s Views on Women Strategizing & Building their Talents:

Nancy: Women, of course, have to balance their professional and personal lives. All you need is the right mindset to reach your goals and perform more efficiently. It’s not about constantly perfecting yourself but trying your best to get your highest potential.

Let’s take inspiration from great women such as Oprah Winfrey, whose capacity for audience engagement has led to her being a well-known figure. These individuals are not necessarily well-rounded or capable of reaching excellence in various contexts. They figured out how to make the most of their strengths in areas where they have excelled in producing consistent, near-perfect performance in certain activities.

My advice to women is to give up the concept of striving to be well-rounded and instead concentrate on discovering and honing their talents; this doesn’t imply ignoring their areas for growth; they still need to be aware of them and handle them, but their most excellent chance for success rests in honing their strengths.

Here are the Ways by which Nancy Encourages Women towards Excellence:

Nancy: Women usually tend to lack confidence in their own opinions and fear rejection and failure, which causes them to take minimal risks. They consider taking what is offered without actively demanding.

The first step is to identify their purpose in life. Women have to look beyond their comfort zones which will help them grow and develop in their respective spheres.

All of this is achievable by starting small, enjoying small and big victories along the way, and establishing patience and perseverance.

As a Certified Positive Intelligence Coach, I incorporate several mental fitness methods and tools into my coaching. These strategies and tools support my coaching clients in improving their awareness and consciously working to build their mental strength.

Nancy’s Impact:

Nancy: Every coach has a different style, and every client is other in terms of who they are and what they can provide. For coaches to understand their client’s requirements, they must understand their experiences and connections. My strategy is based on discovering and reframing the limiting beliefs of individuals. I work to help the clients redraw the experiential pattern in their minds to live a fulfilled life.

Being a Positive Intelligence Coach, a Certified Strengths Coach, and a Certified Coach for Innovators offers me the depth and breadth needed to customize my approach to what clients need. For instance, I use the Clifton Strengths assessment to make my clients aware of their fullest potential. I also primarily utilize strategies from Co-active coaching and Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching.

I am fortunate to have the knowledge and expertise of many tools, techniques, and coaching programs, so I can select the appropriate item from my toolbox based on what the client is showing up for at the time. The beauty comes from the interaction between the environment you design, the methods and tools you use, and what the customer responds well to.

Her Thoughts on Women Opting for Personal Transformation:

Nancy: It is important to note that personal developments impact us as people and influence the people around us and their relationships with us. Personal transformation is a must in three situations:

– When you lose the essence of working towards your goal.

– When negative feedback become constant, even from people close to our heart.

– And when you feel your growth is stagnated. You need to be more inspired.

One must follow the AAA rule- Awareness, Acceptance, and Action to make transformations possible.

• Awareness: the first rule is to develop awareness via introspection on one’s goals, current situation, and its impact on our lives and those of others connected to us.
• Accept:The following rule is to accept that things must change and cannot stay the same.
• Action: People must take action to bring that change and realize the ultimate transformation they desire.

The process will only be completed if all A’s are present. I’ve come across people who are highly conscious and capable of resolving this independently. Still, I strongly advise them to engage with a coach or mentor to help them along their transformational path.

Her Greatest Achievement:

Nancy: Several occasions have affected my heart because I find fulfilment in watching others develop and experience the changes they desire. If I must pick only one, I will talk about a coaching encounter I had with a manager in Africa around seven years ago, which exemplified the power of coaching in action. Even though the coaching sessions were over the phone at the time, the connection with the client was strong enough to have the desired influence on him.

One of the most moving experiences was the result of a visualization exercise I conducted to help him connect with his inner leader. I had some reservations before beginning the practice. Still, I ultimately chose to let go, give the client my full attention at the moment, and let things happen as they naturally would, and the result was terrific. Following a series of coaching sessions, the client bravely left his comfort zone and accepted a new challenge with a corporation, even though he had turned down their offer twice in the previous three years. I was pleased that he could reach his full potential and take calculated risks to develop his career in the manner he merited. 

Nancy’s Plan-of-Action:

Nancy: Struggles with consistency are a typical component of the behavior change process. Gaining curiosity, normalizing the difficulties, and assisting clients in resolving conflicting priorities and derailments will help them get closer to their intended outcomes.

If the coach is doing all the work, it indicates that something has not resonated with the client. The client has to be motivated to take action and follow through; the coach shouldn’t be doing it for them. They must discover their solutions, patterns, and driving forces. My responsibility is to support them in finding that inner flame.

– As a coach, I approach each session with the belief that my clients are the focus, and I lay aside any ideas of how I might help them succeed.

– I emphasize the client’s experience more than their accomplishment of goals.

– I work with clients to help them connect with the necessary tasks and find joy in the process. The journey should seem easy and manageable.

– I also pay attention to the hidden meanings underlying the outward behaviors of my clients, such as it’s too complicated, I’m afraid of failing, and I don’t understand the point.

– Exploring the advantages and disadvantages of staying the same and the costs and benefits of achieving their objective with them is one of the methods I also use.

Therefore, it’s crucial to support the client throughout the process and meet them where they are. And it all begins with clarifying their goal and assisting them in staying linked to it. Emphasizing self- compassion is an integral part of the journey.

I emphasize the importance of starting small and recognizing little achievements before reaching larger ones. Some clients find it difficult to see the end of the tunnel, so by encouraging them to take note of and celebrating even the little victories, the coach may build their trust and confidence.

After each session, holding people accountable for developing tiny initiatives and activities is essential. Some of them, who might have trouble being consistent, benefit when they feel accountable to me for reporting on their improvement. We also focus on locating potential detractors or saboteurs, foresee roadblocks, investigate them, and prepare responses for when they appear.

A Message to the Corporate Leader:

Nancy: Put your energy into creating a diverse workplace culture where staff members may flourish and feel like they belong. A culture of belonging, a culture where women feel their voice is heard, and their contributions are valued, is something leaders should give as much care to as they do to creating and attaining their diversity targets and figures. Leaders’ buy-in and mindset changes are required to progress on this issue.

Connect with Nancy:

On LinkedIn: Nancy Zakharia Ohanessian

Or Instagram: @nancy.coach