The Boss Whispering Institute was founded to train executive coaches in the specialty practice of coaching abrasive executives, professionals, and all others charged with organizational authority whose destructive management styles cause extreme workplace distress.

My mission is to reduce suffering at work caused by abrasive bosses (also referred to as “bully” bosses). In pursuit of that mission, I have devoted the past fifteen years to researching and coaching these individuals, and recently shared my insights in Taming the Abrasive Manager: How to End Unnecessary Roughness in the Workplace (Jossey-Bass 2007) to help those who work under, over, or with an abrasive boss.

The need for more coaches trained in the science and practice of coaching abrasive executives is clear. Companies are desperate to find a solution for technically competent (and thus valuable) executives who alienate their coworkers and cause intense organizational disruption. This specialty practice is deeply rewarding for many reasons. Reining in abrasive executives can dramatically improve the workplace climate, while reducing the potential for harassment litigation against employers. Further requests to coach other abrasive leaders in a given company can profoundly reshape that organization’s culture.

My vision for the future is a world filled with fellow Boss Whisperers who can help companies and individuals end unnecessary roughness in the workplace, a vision reinforced by the positive responses I received to recent presentations to the Sixth International Conference on Workplace Bullying in Montreal, and the International Coach Federation’s European Coaching Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland. In response, I have established the Boss Whispering Institute to offer training for interested executive coaches.

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Boss Whispering