Cortney Cahill, MSOD
Executive Coach, Senior Consultant, Master Facilitator
Cortney Cahill is an organization development coach and consultant focused on developing leaders and their teams to drive business results through organizational alignment and strategic initiatives. Coaching and consulting to leaders since 1997, Cortney’s clients range across professional services, manufacturing, healthcare, federal government, NGO, and non-‐profit organizations. Clients include, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessey, L’Oreal, Starwood Hotel, Group, Transport Canada, Heifer International, and Ernst and Young among others.
Cortney specializes in working with established leaders to develop their emotional intelligence around all aspects of business performance. Working with Cortney, leaders examine the patterns that support or hinder their ability to realize their full potential. Cortney’s expertise is focused on providing leaders an opportunity to understand their impact on their immediate and market environments and thus, make more intentional decisions about how to optimize their influence on all factors affecting business results. Coaching clients often talk about the transformational nature of the work. Her style builds on client’s individual strengths while also providing a supportive and clear platform for the exploration of key areas for development.
Cortney holds a Masters in Organization Development from American University, and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Colorado. Cortney has completed her Professional Coaching Certification (PCC) and will be credentialed through the International Coaching Federation (pending review). She is also faculty in the International Organization System Development Program, faculty in National Training Lab’s Diversity Leadership Certificate Program, and faculty in the MBA program at Champlain College. Additionally, she has completed training through the Gestalt International Study Center, Gestalt OSD Center, Teleos Leadership Institute, Korn Ferry International, CENTACS, and has a certification in Emotional Intelligence through Case Western Reserve University.
The Science Behind Our Practice
Our work is grounded in established methodologies and models of human and organizational behavior, including, but not limited to the following:
Emotional Intelligence
The competencies of emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management) account for an individual’s ability to understand their own and others’ emotions and use that information to guide decision-making and action. Research has shown that leaders who master the competencies of emotional intelligence have a distinct advantage.
Positivity & Resilience
The incredible developments in neuroscience research over the last several decades have enabled a greater understanding of how practices that promote positivity and resilience—both individually and organizationally—have a significant and lasting impact on our capacity for creative thinking, productivity, efficiency, empathy, focus and more.
Intentional Change
Developed by Richard Boyatzis, the Intentional Change Model underpins successful leadership development programs by supporting an individual or group in intentionally moving through five stages of change that close the gap between a current “real” self and a clearly articulated “ideal” self.
Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative Inquiry, developed by David Cooper Rider, is a strengths-based model of analysis, decision-making and strategic change that clarifies the assets and motivations that are an organization’s strengths in order to build or rebuild an organization based on what is working rather than trying to fix what doesn’t.
Resistance and Cycle of Change
People are at their most creative in their resistance. The Gestalt cycle of change maps the critical stages of change that all members of a group must experience in order to optimize success and minimize resistance. Disruption of the cycle manifests in very specific levels of resistance that can be effectively mitigated through intentional responses.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the awareness that one develops through paying attention to the present moment through your five senses without judgment. In addition to relieving stress and building resilience, even a simple mindfulness practice can significantly expand your range of options in any given moment. Incorporating mindfulness into any process of change or development supports an individual or group by rewiring the brain for more intentional responses and behaviors.
Dynamic Inquiry
Dynamic Inquiry, developed by Annie McKee and the Teleos Leadership Institute, is a method of discovery that uncovers an organization’s emotional reality–what people care about, what is working well, and what’s getting in the way. The purpose of the inquiry is twofold: 1) to identify underlying issues related to culture and leadership that are helping or hindering implementation of a strategy; and 2) to build ownership and commitment to the mission, vision, strategy, ideal culture and leadership framework among key stakeholders.