Tim Bot works with senior leaders in career transition and heads our Fast Start onboarding practice. When not coaching executives, you’ll often find him on the golf course or with his family.
When did you join Navigate Forward?
I’ve been an Executive Consultant since 2016.
What do you enjoy most about your work at Navigate Forward?
Helping others brings me a lot of fulfilment. I really enjoy seeing talented leaders regain their clarity and their voice as we move through the engagement. With job transition, so many are experiencing uncertainty; it’s rewarding to see their confidence grow.
Any memorable client experiences?
With every client, it’s fun to share their success at landing their next opportunity.
One client that stands out recently retired. As part of his departure, he put together a short list of people who really impacted his career, then had lunch with each one to say thank you. I was on that list! It was unexpected and rewarding, because it had been five years since we worked together.
What’s it like working with you as a career coach? What should clients expect?
As a coach, I’m calm, practical, trustworthy and encouraging. I’m a thoughtful listener. I can establish rapport easily and build trusted working relationships that make people comfortable. My goal is to help leaders be at their best.
I really enjoy seeing talented leaders regain their clarity and their voice as we move through the engagement
I hold two coaching certifications: I’m a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation, which requires more than 1,000 hours of training, and I’m one of the first practitioners of a discipline called Positive Intelligence, which involves creating habits that lead to increased mental fitness and happiness.
One thing I’m known for here at Navigate Forward is interview preparation. It’s more than just working on responses that are really effective; it’s also helping get our clients in the right state of mind so they can exude confidence and bring their whole selves to the interview.
Your career spans both corporate work in human resources and your own leadership coaching practice. How does that experience inform your work at Navigate Forward?
Early in my career, I had long runs with General Mills and Boston Scientific as an HR leader, then at smaller organizations where I was head of HR. The last 10 years, I’ve focused on one-on-one coaching with leaders—CEOs, founders, and other team members—who want to increase their performance, well-being and work relationships.
It’s all given me a good career development perspective. I’m able to help senior leaders find the best ways to share their career goals and the strengths they want to leverage. I’m able to work with executives in developing new skills, because what got you to this point as a leader might not get you to where you need to be in the future.
As a coach, I’m calm, practical, trustworthy and encouraging. My goal is to help leaders be at their best.
You also head the Fast Start practice at Navigate Forward. What does that work involve?
Fast Start centers on the importance of thoughtful onboarding when a senior leader steps into a new role. It’s absolutely critical to the leader’s success, because on their own, something like 60 percent of senior executives leave their new employer within the first 18 months; those that do stick will take an average of a year to get fully up to speed.
Fast Start brings in a proven process and an outside facilitator for the first months of the new job. We work with the leader, the leader’s boss and their direct reports. We get really involved and help accelerate that acclimation of a new leader into an organization.
When you’re not working, where can we find you? What hobbies and activities do you enjoy?
In my spare time I enjoy competitive games of pickleball with my wife Pat and adult kids Ryan and Bella. We also enjoy family time playing cards or board games. When the weather’s warm, we’ll take daily walks with our dog Henri. In the summer, I’m usually playing golf at Chaska Town Course here in Minnesota.
Meet other members of our powerhouse coaching team: Featured Consultants Patricia Hamm and Jill Harmon.
