As opportunities arose to lead more staff and conduct more research, I sought a professional coach and chose Fred Mael … While I was good at strategic planning, I wanted to expand my skills to more effectively convey my vision to my peers and superiors. Fred guided me to envision meetings with others differently, understand the motivations of my peers better, and negotiate more effectively with my superiors. His approach is one of understanding the context in which we work from an organizational perspective as well as considering the particular group within the organization. .. he served as a sounding board and advocate while redirecting our conversation to address the organizational and small group dynamics. His approach was successful in helping me to achieve my goals.