When senior executives arrive for coaching, they often come with great motivation but guarded perspective. Either their life coach, their director of communication, an important client, or their spouse has given them some direct or implied feedback that their career or organization has hit a roadblock unless they develop more “executive presence” or overcome some other mysterious challenge.

Janet wore a smile from the nose down; her eyes bore daggers. If I offered a Friday afternoon off for having finished a big project early, she “wished” it had been last week when she and her husband were headed out of town for the football game. 

When I ordered in pizza for everyone’s lunch to celebrate a staff anniversary, she had “hoped” for barbecue.