Arete Coach 1199 Becky Tolnay "From Five-Star Service to Executive Excellence: A Vistage Chair's Quality-Driven Leadership Journey"

Arete Coach: The Art & Science of Executive Coaching

Welcome to the Arete Coach Podcast, hosted by Severin Sorensen. In this episode, recorded via Zoom on October 22nd, 2024, we are joined by Becky Tolnay, a Vistage Chair and Professional Facilitator based in Tallahassee, Florida. This episode is titled, "From Five-Star Service to Executive Excellence: A Vistage Chair's Quality-Driven Leadership Journey."

With over 30 years of experience in performance improvement, primarily from her distinguished career at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, Becky Tolnay brings deep insights into fostering customer-centric culture and driving continuous improvement within teams. As a certified professional facilitator through the International Association of Facilitators, she has mastered core facilitation competencies that enhance her ability to guide and develop business leaders.

Throughout the conversation, Tolnay shares her remarkable journey from starting as an accounts receivable clerk at the Ritz Carlton Buckhead to becoming an Area Director of Performance Improvement and Quality. Her career trajectory was shaped by a pivotal moment when she accepted a role as Director of Quality in 1994, despite initial hesitations about public speaking. This "happy accident," as she calls it, led to a transformative career in quality management and facilitation. After 25 years with Ritz Carlton, Tolnay established Tolnay Team Solutions and became a Vistage Chair, where she creates confident environments for business leaders to gain diverse perspectives and accelerate their growth. Her unique approach to group facilitation, influenced by her extensive background in quality management at Ritz Carlton, demonstrates how excellence in hospitality principles can enhance executive coaching and peer advisory group management.

The episode reveals powerful insights about the intersection of quality management and executive coaching. Tolnay's approach to group facilitation, shaped by her Ritz Carlton experience, emphasizes the importance of creating intentional cultures through clearly defined values and consistent reinforcement. Her implementation of core values - integrity, communication, commitment, growth mindset, courage, creativity, effectiveness, and relationships - provides a framework for building high-performing peer advisory groups.

A significant takeaway is Tolnay's emphasis on observation and diagnosis before action. Drawing from her father's veterinary practice and her quality management background, she demonstrates how careful observation and thoughtful questioning lead to better problem-solving outcomes. This approach challenges the common tendency among executives to jump to conclusions based on past experiences, instead encouraging deeper exploration and understanding.

The episode also highlights the importance of creating systematic approaches to excellence while maintaining flexibility and authenticity. Tolnay's implementation of the "Best B" recognition system and her method of anchoring group values at the beginning and end of meetings shows how simple yet consistent practices can reinforce desired behaviors and create lasting cultural change. This systematic approach to group dynamics, combined with genuine care for individual growth, exemplifies the balance between structure and humanity in effective executive coaching.

The Arete Coach Podcast seeks to explore the art and science of executive coaching. You can find out more about this podcast at aretecoach.io.

This episode was recorded via Zoom on October 22nd, 2024.

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