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Zeynep Tözüm, executive performance coach

Zeynep coaches because she sees it as her way of contributing to others so that they can stretch themselves and reach remarkable results. She believes human potential is endless when people aspire to go beyond their existing limitations.

Zeynep says that people, results, impact, learning, curiosity, exploration and action are central to her life. She sees no limits to human development, other than lack of clear purpose, lack of commitment, and limiting beliefs.

Zeynep coaches mainly in English, in West Europe and North America. She speaks Turkish, English and French.



Her Philosophy

She operates from her convictions that,

  • Seeing what’s possible is the starting point of any growth, personal or business
  • Any individual/team can learn to deliver extraordinary performance and it’s NOT magic
  • Without a tension between what is so and what is desired, no significant movement will happen
  • At the hard end of performance, results are largely determined by beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that shape the quality of dialogues, decisions and choices.
  • Coaching is a way of relating, built on trust and confidentiality: it’s in that safe environment that the player makes discoveries and dares to act
  • The coach can see possibilities even when they are not obvious and it’s from that belief that the coach listens and can reframe issues
  • The coach’s role is distinct from that of an advisor or mentor: the coach aims at bringing out the best in the player who can then learn to help him/herself
  • Success for the coach is not just that the player/team get to their result but that they now have an expanded capacity to produce

Her Commitment

Before each contracting, Zeynep prefers to spend 2-3 hours with the person or team who wishes to work with her: she finds this orientation session a corner stone of the coaching relationship as it gives both parties a chance to share their picture of coaching and work ethics. She also looks for

  • a specific, time-bound and compelling-for both parties- result to go for
  • a challenge that is big enough to justify hiring a coach
  • a strong commitment to go for the stretch
  • a mutual comfort in both parties and a fit for the work to be done

The coaching contract would typically include regular, weekly, 1-hour sessions (face-to face or over the phone) and a monthly, face-to-face, 3-4 hours session. Typical length of a contract would be 4 to 5 months.
She makes a clear distinction between being an advisor and being a coach and avoids mixing the two in her sessions. Listening, feedback, challenge, reframing, spontaneity and exploration are key ingredients of Zeynep’s coaching. While growth of the person /team is her primary concern, she keeps a keen eye on the result too: that balance, she says is the most exciting challenge in the art of coaching.


Her Code of Ethics

Zeynep commits to applying the following rules of professional conduct:

  • "I honor, support and respect the purpose, potential and dignity of every individual"
  • "I treat my colleagues, competitors and the coaching profession with respect"
  • "My client is the person with whom I am working as his/her coach"
  • "All information I get from my clients and their names are and will remain confidential unless I am authorized by the client to use them "
  • "I construct and agree a written coaching contract with my client and make sure that prior to our initial session, my client understands my coaching approach, the bounds of confidentiality, financial agreements and all other terms of the agreement".
  • "I respect my client’s right to terminate coaching at any point during the process. Should I ever loose my commitment to my client or see indications that my client is no longer benefiting from our coaching relationship, I will truthfully inform him/her and exercise my right to terminate the contract"
  • "I will under no circumstances take advantage of a client personally, socially, sexually or financially"
  • "I am attentive to my limitations and boundaries and only provide services that I am qualified by training and/or experience"
  • "I will suggest that my client seek services of other experts and resources whenever I see the need and will involve them myself only with written approval from my client"


Her Experience

Her performance coaching journey started with her participation to a senior leadership training program in Unilever where she worked with her first professional coach. She was then asked to join the tutor team of the program and was trained to coach senior executives on next programs. She later worked as VP, Performance Development in Unilever, supporting businesses around the world for higher performance. In the meanwhile, coaching became an integral part of her internal organizational consulting work. As a Professional Certified Coach accredited by the International Coach Federation / USA , she works as an executive performance coach for business executives and teams around the world.

In February 2006, she set up her own practice, FARBEYOND, in the field of organizational transformation for performance development.

She calls herself a genuine Turk and a World Citizen, with a cultural diversity provided mainly by her country but also by her education and work over a wide geography.

Zeynep is passionate about her own growth and therefore likes experiencing novel approaches and techniques before she applies them in her work. Furthermore, she supports her practice with continuous supervision: she currently works with

Professor Ernesto Spinelli
Acting Head of School/Senior Fellow
School of Psychotherapy and Counselling
Regent's College
London

She also gets coaching whenever she feels the need. To diversify her experience, she prefers to work with different coaches for different challenges..


Education and Training

Zeynep holds an MA degree in Economics and attended following programs to enhance her self-development and coaching practice:

  • Leading Change and Organizational Renewal; Harvard Business School, Executive Education Program
    USA-May 2000
  • Performance Coaching Workshop by Kelly Poulos from Asia Works and Janet Jones from Momentis
     UK-Sept.2000
  • More-to-Life Weekend; Life Training Program
    UK-Mar.2001
  • 7 Days of Creation by Dr. K. Bradford Brown and Pascale Asher; Life Training Program
    UK-2002
  • Gestalt Experience Workshop; Gestalt Institute of Cleveland
    USA-Aug.2004
  • Tolbert’s Leadership Development Profile; Certification Program for consultants coaches and change Agents/HARTHILL
    UK-Nov.2005
  • Gestalt Coaching: Enhancing Your Competency Workshop; Gestalt Institute of Cleveland-OSD Integrative Study Center
    Turkey-Aug.2006
  • Coaching Across Cultures; Rosinski & Company
    Belgium-Nov.2006
  • International Gestalt Coaching Program; Gestalt Institute of Cleveland
    USA- Sept 2006- March 2007
  • Group Intensive; Gestalt Institute of Cleveland
    USA- Feb 2007-May 2007
  • Becoming a Better Intervener; Gestalt Center for Organization & Sytems Development
    USA- Oct 19-21, 2007
  • Applying the Cape Cod Model in Organizations; Gestalt International Study Center
    USA- Oct 28- Nov 2, 2007
  • Executive Personality Dynamics, Gestalt International Study Center
    USA- July 20-24, 2008
     

Testimonials about Zeynep’s Executive Performance Coaching

Zeynep was always passionate, energizing, fully present and engaged - whether she was coaching one- on- one or coaching us as a team, She gave 100 %. Zeynep was also always available - when we needed ‘in the moment coaching”: she was there in support!
I really enjoyed myself and I got out 100 % more than I had wished for when I committed to coaching. Zeynep set the benchmark by showing me what a coach is. I now use some of the energy, passion and some of the coaching tools to make me a more effective leader and encourage the best out of my team. She also inspired me to continue developing and I am now a qualified coach.

Charles Wilkins, VP Supply Chain-Africa Middle East and Turkey /Unilever

I am convinced that coaching is the most useful and effective way to improve performance and to help others expand their capabilities. My own experience with coaching was a transforming one and Zeynep helped me open my eyes to new possibilities in life. She did a great job with me and with the others that were part of a team going through an incredible transformation experience.

Hernan Gomez, VP Supply Chain-Andina Countries /Unilever

Zeynep is very persistent at driving to actions and following them up which is helpful and can be unnerving too! She is inspiring when she helps people see things they may not have acknowledged openly before. I remember that experience both firsthand and when she is giving feedback in groups: she is very direct which can be disarming - but that helps get to the next level too and that is what people really want.

Sebastian Munden, MD Home and Personal Care-Germany/Unilever

Zeynep is an excellent coach, She succeeds in getting the best out of you. Based on a thorough analysis, including feedback from others and lots of emotional intelligence, she can make you find real 'golden nuggets' that can really positively impact your leadership style and behavior.
One of Zeynep's differentiators is that she clearly links the output of her coaching work to some predetermined business KPIs - so be prepared for a challenging ride , but be sure you will enjoy it.

Walter Gelens, SVP Marketing /Belgacom

Zeynep’s been my coach for few months in 2004. At the time, I was a Board Member of Lever Faberge in France, and the business was going through a rough time: disappointing business performance, uncertainty in the whole company due to constant restructuring, mistrust between members of the management team. In this very tough context, Zeynep was able to help me identify the issues to work on that were really worthwhile. Her real talent resides in the combination of several skills :
- Her thorough knowledge of a wide variety of coaching tools
- Her capacity to understand a complex situation in depth and assess which approach is best suited to address it.
- Her capacity to engage with coachees and to empathize with them, so that she can be both demanding, whilst keeping the coachee committed to the process.
- Her solid business experience that pushes her to always put her action in relation with the business goals.
As a result, this coaching exercise proved to be a success: I achieved the goals I agreed with Zeynep at the start of the process, and I can proudly testify that 2 years after, the business still benefits from this achievement.

Etienne Sacilotto, Global Brand VP LIPTON/Unilever

Zeynep was a passionate coach with a difficult task with me since at that time I did not trust coaches. She was perseverant and always straight forward. I have to say that she helped me to be a better manage: what I learnt with her was very useful in some difficult business situations.

Miguel Orue, National Finance Director/Unilever Spain