Dorothy Grahahm, a Mequon-based career coach, recently launched a Web-based business after 18 years of face-to-face consultations. Graham, owner of TransitionWork.com, launched her new Web site and online coaching product called Masterpiece@work to reach a national clientele.
Graham is a licensed clinical social worker with prior experience in corporate management and human resources consulting. Using those skills, Graham works with clients to treat the whole person, focusing on emotional, health-related and work-related issues, she said.
When she started her business 18 years ago, Graham found she carved a niche in the social work and executive coaching markets.
“I felt there was no one out there that had really good depth around career development and psychological training,” Graham said. “I have been on the other side of the desk and know what it is like.”
Masterpiece@work is an eight-module coaching package that includes eight 45-minute phone consultations, follow-up progress sketches using schematic models and Internet materials and assignments.
The eight-module program is intended to be carried out over the course of at least eight months, Graham said.
“I use the slow coaching method and typically meet once a month,” Graham said.
Graham’s target clients are professionals or managers who find themselves sandwiched between boards, chief executive officers and the staff who support them, Graham said.
Career coaching runs the spectrum in terms of types of clients Graham serves, from professionals who are not sure if they are on the right track, to aiding in solving communication and relationship problems at work, to working parents looking for work/life balance.
“I have a fairly significant amount of referrals from employers and organizations for a variety of reasons,” Graham said.
Employers and organizations pay for employees to see Graham who seem disengaged or unhappy, whose skills are failing but the company does not want to lose them, or who are talented and the employers want to make sure a career track includes staying with the company they are presently working for.
“People do feel more loyal and invested in organizations that provide them with development,” Graham said.
Graham will continue to offer face-to-face consultations from her office located at 11501 N. Port Washington Road and will also offer phone consultations in addition to the Masterpiece@work online product.
The online product will also enable Graham to hire more consultants with different specialties to expand TransitionWork.com’s expertise and aid an increased client demand, Graham said.
