Mentoring Testimonies
K A Menon, Chairman & Jt MD – Prime Progression Export & Services P Ltd, Bangalore
We have been associated with CNCTMS for about 10 months now & we will be with them for the next 10 months, at-least. Mr. Cherian Kuruvilla, CK as we call him, has become an integral part of our team.
Like any other SME, we have had our share of problems in fueling our ideas that always overtook our resources. Our future would arrive pre-maturely & we did not know how to cope up with it. In some cases, the future would never arrive at all. CK taught us to handle these dilemmas through clear thinking. Mining, refining & defining was his mantra. His single value adding proposition is that he is committed to deliver results. CK was our Marketing Director minus the costs of employing one. Such has been our gains from working with CK that we have entrusted upon him to groom our second line through a customized Executive Coaching Programme that he is recently certified to conduct. I have great pleasure in recommending CK to anyone who is wanting to redesign their tomorrows today.
Aroon Raman, Managing Director – Raman Fibre Science
This mail is to set on record the excellent value-addition that you and Chari have been able to bring to our company. Before the engagement, I think we had a reasonable clarity of intent, but many of the marketing and strategic review systems needed to translate our intent into effective action was missing. I think one of the biggest pluses of the engagement has been the way in which you have been able to help us build this into the Organization. Following this approach, the reviews have been much tighter and have brought a high degree of accountability into the whole system. Another great plus has been our whole approach to the question of distribution – where again the rating of distributors, our channel partner communications and a whole gamut of issues relating thereto have been sharpened and refined.
The above are only a part of the overall guidance that have allowed us to grow our business by 100 % with a repeat set for the coming year as well. I think our CEO and the senior leadership team also benefitted immensely from the mentoring they received …We look forward to continuing to work with you in future.
Balaram Menon, Managing Director, World Trade Centre, Bangalore
We associated very closely with Mr. Cherian Kuruvila for a period of 9 months to help us streamline our approach to our business strategy and growth. The use of the CNCTMS Business Health Check initially to cover all aspects of business holistically clearly revealed where we needed to focus viz. Growth, Innovation, Competition benchmarking, Marketing, Sales operations and tracking, Business Planning, HR and Operational effectiveness.
He focused on defining processes, structures, building team involvement and accountability, strategies and actions, clear business planning for each revenue stream and building a “Go to market” approach. What was to me the most satisfying was the Revenue and target focus and achievement that came in during our engagement that saw a significant jump through a closer discipline of measuring progress and contribution of each team member.
We have also used Mr. Cherian’s skills and the opportunity to start leadership coaching for one of our leaders to move to a higher level of Leadership attributes and be able to handle the more complex challenges as the organization evolves to the next level. He has continued to stay connected with us even after the engagement and we appreciate his professional approach and commitment to helping WTC.
Peeyush Jain, MD – Karneet Enterprises (India) Pvt. Ltd. (MALLINATH GROUP)
We are company of about two decades old in business of Chemical trading and Indenting and BPO. During the last five years our business has spread across India and at Dubai. When we were South based company, it was easy to control business as manpower and volumes were less. After the expansion into new geographies, it was necessary to put our systems and processes in place for better understanding with our employees, Principals and customers. Given his vast experience in the industry, he was able to suggest us the organizational structure, processes, Management dashboard review systems and a structured approach to our Business Planning for this year for each product and geography etc. especially for our marketing team. By doing this and involving the team members also every employee can understand his responsibilities and take accountability of his targets. I am happy to state that we know what we are doing and have a total control over the business and can easily handle the growth and volumes. For the year 2013-14 we are expecting a growth of 100% in our business.
In as far as HR department is concerned, Job description, flow charts, new polices, performance incentive structure and recruitment were completed. From this year we are moving into quarterly appraisal and competency-based mapping and KRAsis being finalized for all employees along with an updated version of the HR Policy Employee handbook. I am confident this system will strengthen our foundation. From next month we are starting the leadership coaching for some of our leaders to help them adapt and equip them with better situational leadership skills
CEO of Sasken Network Engineering Limited
Cherian worked with my executive team and myself to restructure and rebuild our sales and business development functions. Cherian was able to talk to the team and identify areas that needed work very quickly. I found him very action and detail oriented and meticulous on follow ups. His action-oriented approach ensured that we got on to implementation phase smoothly and the follow ups ensured that we stayed on course during implementation.
He was very hands-on in participating in reviews etc. which helped a lot in making them effective and efficient. His closure orientation ensured that we do not wander off course during the intervention.
Director of Sales & Marketing at Citrya Innovations, Earlier CEO/ Founder of her Recruitment firm for 15 years
As a single business entrepreneur, many of us constantly struggle with the various roles that we have to play -Team Leader, Team Player, Strategist, Tactician, HR, Sales, Operations, Finance etc.
Many a times, we wear the wrong hat in the wrong role. Not intentionally, but unconsciously, we land up creating discontent amongst team members or missing out on good opportunities because of this. This is where a coach/ mentor makes a huge difference. For me at Vibrant Serve, CK (Cherian Kuruvila) played both these roles.
As a coach, CK helped me bring a structure to my entire business process, right from goal definition to metrics mapped to measure the goal achievements. I must admit that it was difficult at first to move away from my comfort zone and invest time and effort into a structure that defied my spontaneous nature.
But the result was – More than 300% growth in revenues, the very next year. As a mentor, CK and me had many conversations that were initially uncomfortable and later very intense. His gentle questioning methods led to new practices that had drastic impact not only on the business operations, but on my life. CK’s unique combination of gentle strictness creates an environment that challenges the entrepreneur, while making them conscious of their own strengths. Uncomfortable conversations around weakness and threats are converted into strong strategies to combat these challenges.
His open and calm demeanor makes it easy to confide in him and address our innermost fears of failures. While his strict and structured approach ensures that we dig into our deepest strengths and respond with confidence.
I feel blessed to have CK guide me through tough times. I wish CK the very best in continuing his role as a coach and mentor, impacting the personal and professional lives of many of us.
CEO Of a Healthcare firm – A business Mentoring feedback
“I spent time with Cherian from the early days of my startup to post funding. He has a great background in operating businesses and managing teams and timelines and is always ready to roll up his sleeves with the team when needed.
He is unafraid to ask the tough questions and at the same time assist with the solutions and connects when ready. He is extremely reliable, and we almost take for granted that he is part of the team. He has shared in our wins and our losses just as a partner would and we appreciate his sincerity for that.
He is always keen to see the company succeed even against all odds and continues to push through the challenging times with a strong mindset of pure persistence as well as his unending energy and passion towards helping the entrepreneur with what’s needed – whether it be just lending a ear or providing the quiet emotional support through the tumultuous emotional and lonely journey of an entrepreneur. He is extremely solution oriented and can help the team break down the most complex of problems into an actionable path. I would recommend Cherian to anyone who is looking for a coach who will work to bring the best out of you
MD of a 20-year-old Family business
Aarkay Signs is a National & International award-winning sign manufacturing company.
We at Aarkay Signs would like to place on record the appreciation of the services provided by Mr. Cherian Kuruvila from CNC Transcend Management Services. We have chosen to take services of Mr. Cherian Kuruvila as a Business Mentor & Coach to improve ourselves as an organisation & grow further.
Mr. Cherian has helped us identify the key issues & helped us to set up Key systems in place to solve these in a highly structured manner. He also ensures the implementation of the agreed changes and actions by conducting review meetings which has helped us to retain many of our key employees & also guides to hire right talent and playing a key role in creating a positive work culture.We are now associated with Mr. Cherian for a year, and we have grown by 25% in this short period. We as an organization are now confident about achieving our goals & grow to new heights. We strongly recommend and will continue to recommend with full confidence to anyone to avail the services of Mr. Cherian Kuruvila
Sr VP Technology Solutions
As we complete one year of our association, I want to express my sincere gratitude. Together as a team, we’ve learned many new things. Our digital initiatives, branding, social media marketing, and other communication strategies have certainly given us a fresh and dynamic look.
When it comes to business planning and execution, your Vision to Reality workshop mantra – “What got you here will not get you there“ set a clear and forward-thinking tone. The GSA Measures & Critical Success Factors tool, which assess the Current State and Desired State, helped us define the right business strategy.
Our weekly review of sales numbers, utilizing various trackers, along with the multi-dimensional review of each salesperson’s achievements through the 4-Quadrant approach, has been invaluable. The corrective action plans for challenges faced provide us with the long-term mileage we need to thrive. Your guidance in building testimonials, creating a reference database, expanding business networking and preparing industry-specific presentations laid a solid foundation for our future. Overall, you’ve set the right direction for the organization’s growth. You’ve introduced us to various strategies, aligned the team towards a common goal, and ensured that no stone is left unturned. Personally, even though I am not from a sales background, your strong foundation in these initiatives has significantly boosted my confidence and made me a much stronger sales professional. Thank you sincerely for your guidance and support in bringing us to this point. I am confident that we will continue to follow your principles and reach even greater heights.
Manjunath C
COO feedback
It has been a wonderful journey and experience for us as Team Symmetrix. The highlights of the learnings include, the organization should have a clear vision statement, so that the goals can be set in line with the Vision. We learnt on how to set the goals involving the stake holders, as a team we could arrive at a strategy and prepare the detailed action plan. Drive the team to focus on the GSA, keep track of the actions agreed, review periodically to track the actions planned and ensure we progress towards the goals. Team understood the Importance of data and periodical review.
With your guidance we could set the process for GSA and progress. I am sure with the set process, the organization will progress and grow.Will keep you updated on the progress. I personally learnt lots of soft skills by observing you, specifically the leadership skills and how to make the team to commit on their respective goals. There are many learnings for me to improve my leadership skills. Thanks for all your good efforts and will seek your help and guidance.
Vijay Kumar
Managing Director’s feedback
Our is a 50 Crore plus business with a 38-year background in selling and supporting IT Products and Solutions. We are about 40 people strong. Though we grew year on year in terms of turnover, we still considered the growth as flat because we were not adding many new customers. The risk was very high as we were dependent on very few large sized customers. The growth was also not consistent. To help us with our desire to “Go-to-market”, we engaged with Mr. Cherian Kuruvila (CK) who was referred to us by an old friend. Our relationship for Business Mentoring &Coaching Services started on August 1, 2023. We started with a Business Plan relook for the next two years, and continued with Market expansion for two years, working on Market Spread, Engagement framework, Organization structure development, Human Resources, Marketing & Branding.
We went through various phases of Assessment, Planning and Execution. Right from start CK got the entire Team engaged and aligned. He made 4 visits a month for the 1st 6 months and 2 visits a month for the next 6 months. Each session was very productive and a great learning experience for each one of us. We are now focused on Goals, Strategies and Actions and are using the Business Tracker effectively. The 4 Quadrant approach makes reviews easy and productive. We got started with Branding for the 1st time. We signed up for Digital Marketing and Lead Generation. Being a 1st gen businessperson, dependency has always been on Co-promoters in the initial days and on the Team’s performance. The last 20 years of the current venture has been slow and steady growth. Without clear goals, a lot of experimentation went into growing our business.Some failed, but credibility grew over the years as our motto has always been “Customer First”. With the buck stopping with me, it had been a lonely journey till we got introduced to CK. I urge all entrepreneurs to seek guidance when things are not going as fast as you want. Overall, the last one year with CK has been very beneficial for our Company. We only hope that we will be able to use our learnings for better and faster growth.
Dinesh Dhanapathi
MD of Ayurveda Centre campus – Mysore
You have been instrumental in the monumental shift of our business. We made the changes and implemented your recommendations and today we have won many awards and financially have seen many folds growth. All because of you. My most sincere gratitude and appreciation. Wish you all the good things in Life.
Dr. Talavane Krishna – Owner Indus Valley Ayurvedic Center, IVAC
Coaching Testimonies
Vice President Of a Swiss Multinational firm
I am really happy with the coaching approach which is based on self-awareness and structured approach. The style of coaching is simple and very effective. It was like showing me the mirror and I acknowledging my own shortcomings. The time spent is really worth since it brings freshness, different perspective and sometime thought provoking. Thanks for all the support and help, and more so given the pandemic situation it is a blessing to have sessions like this.
Progress from November 2019 to October 2020
Professional Goal 1 – 50% to 80% , Professional Goal 2 – 50% to 90% Personal Goal – 40% to 70%
Senior Director 1 of a US Tech Multinational firm
I am Happy that Coaching is giving me good perspective and insights on handling different situations with clear Goals. Since this is methodical and continuous process, able to apply some of the strategies into action as result of that during the coaching simulation exercise held on 16-Oct’20 I am able to fully apply these concept and came on top of the chart in terms of two goals given – Revenue achieved above the target and team Happiness index improved significantly. On the Personal Goal – Able to spend good time over weekends to revamp my Terrace Garden and feeling very happy and satisfying feeling.
Progress from June 2020 to Dec 2020
Professional Goal 1 – 20% to 80% , Professional Goal 2 – 20% to 80%, Professional Goal 3- – 20% to 80%, Personal Goal – 10% to 60%
Senior Director 2 of a US Tech Multinational firm
I would like to thank you for this wonderful coaching journey and learnt many things from it. Below are some of the key takeaways I wanted to share with you: Goal Setting Exercise – Setting up the goals, identifying strategies and action item in structured way helps us to plan, execute, track, gauge, course correct to reach destination. For every goal, one should know how the outcome will benefit company, team and self. Discipline and commitment are two key things everyone should have if they must achieve their goals. Answers to most of the problems are all within us. At times, we need some good coach to make one realize it and bring it out. Do more of what motivate you or passionate about. This is very important to keep one energized.
Progress from June 2020 to Dec 2020
Professional Goal 1 – 10% to 80% , Professional Goal 2 – 20% to 80%, Professional Goal 3- – 20% to 80%, Personal Goal – 10% to 60%
General Manager – International trading firm – family-owned business
It is with great pleasure I recommend Mr. Cherian Kuruvila for the position of a coach. He is popularly known as CK in our company. I was one of the fortunate few who had the opportunity of being coached by CK. As CK began my coaching I was at first overwhelmed at the onerous task of setting goals, let alone achieving them. But the very next session, I was pleasantly surprised with the ease at which CK helped me out with breaking down complex thoughts into simple ones and devise strategies to achieve my goals. Very soon I was measuring the progress I was making like a pro. After successfully completing my coaching sessions, I truly feel like a more effective leader. CK has an aura about him which is infectious and makes undergoing coaching a lovable process. This I believe is the hallmark of a coach with stupendous skills. It will be a dream come true for anybody to be coached by CK. These are my honest opinions, but I must say that I am very small a person to be writing a recommendation for a great coach.
A Woman entrepreneur – now a senior corporate executive
For my Coach and Mentor….Cherian, A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, then you see yourself, and help brings it out of you “ ….Bob Proctor. “A Coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, and make you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you can be” …Tom Landry. For me, Cherian has been switching hats between that of Mentor and Coach but made sure I am on the path to achieve what I deserve to achieve. To tell the truth, it was not easy in starting. I am a person who believed that I don’t need any kinds of Coaching. I have been in very senior management roles and have always been guiding my teams. People have been looking up to me. So, I believed that I know it all…till I met Cherian. Few interactions and I knew that I am living in a box. Cherian has helped me understand my personal and professional goals so clearly that every day I now consciously work towards them. I now have a clear path in front of me with strategies in place and what tools I need also shortlisted. I am an empowered person now with an amazing clarity about my life, thanks to Cherian.
Executive Vice President – Kolkata – Top 3 Housing Finance Corporate
Coaching has trained my brain to focus on possibility over problem. I am a more composed, well-balanced self now. People can see the change, a positive change. It was possibly only because I went through the mastery session of Mr. Cherian. You not only helped me find my goals but also showed me direction on how to stay aligned with the same and deliver. My focus has gone up, my ability to make decisions with a composed self has gone better. I am a great work in progress these days, with 360-degree feedback, both opening and closing, I was able to understand my weakness and get rid of them. My focus on strengths has gone up multifold. I am sure, all these will help me align more with the organizational goals and accomplish them.
Executive Vice President – Gurgaon – Top 3 Housing Finance Corporate
Coaching indeed has been the highlight of the last year for me. I had forgotten to analyze my acts and introspect in this busy, running life. However, Coaching has given me an opportunity to evaluate and understand a lot of things revolving around my professional and personal world. Cherian has been kind enough to share insight on all such critical aspects affecting our performance, personality and above all our lives from his own experience – that has been invaluable given the depth of his experiences. This whole journey of over 8 – 9 months has helped me to be well organized and thus be effective at work. It really helped me ascertain my most critical Professional and Personal and health goals and to find out strategies/actions required to be aligned with these goals all the time. Thought of making more leaders than followers was reborn during this process of reinventing myself. I realized I was restricting my own growth by making my team dependent on me! It’s been an absolute honor and privilege to be Cherian’s coachee and many thanks for bringing in clarity and vision into my life.
COO of an SME Education Services firm, now an Entrepreneur
During the transition period from being the Head of Training Operations to becoming the Chief Operating Officer, it was CK who coached and mentored me to get ready for the new leadership role that I was assigned. Right from day one, the coaching sessions were simple, effective and assisted me to understand myself in a detailed manner. The process of coaching, which included Questionnaire and Holistic Health section, enabled me to get a deeper understanding of myself as an individual. The 360-degree form was an eye-opener for me. This gave me a completely new picture of the people’s perspectives about my strengths and my true potential. The design and flow of the entire coaching process was very smooth and never put any pressure on my existing work. Moreover, with a Coach like Cherian it was always an easy session. He is one of the most sensible, practical, humble and understanding people I have worked with. It was an absolute privilege to be coached by him.
CEO of an Education services firm – A woman entrepreneur
Yes, the coaching journey has been amazing and an eye opener. I am glad that I took it up and I’m now enjoying and looking forward to the sessions! Since I started this journey with Cherian there has been something to take back home every week, some change that I could notice in myself, growth at every opportunity and I am happy about it. The biggest change is my relationships with people. I thought this was my biggest weakness, draining my energy etc. but now I see that this is my biggest strength and now I am getting energized being with people. I now have realized that by just changing the way we look at things we change the way things are for us. The next biggest change has been in giving attention to detail, being focused and patient. Earlier I was very restless, lose interest very soon and jump from one idea to another etc. now I can make sure that unless I complete the task in hand, I do not move to the next thought process. I am also able to give my 100% to the task in hand and not let my mind wander. This has helped me close things and not leave anything halfway. The other biggest change is the way I am dealing with people. I’m more confident, more convinced, more in control and in charge of myself. I guess understanding and realizing my strengths and your constant reinforcements helped a lot. I’m able to play a role of a coach to my team members now and now I see that even they look forward to me spending time with them. I’m able to listen more attentively and try and help them come up with a solution, support and encourage and inspire them to do more be more.
Marketing Communications head of a large IT Corporate, now a Woman Entrepreneur
Cherian or CK as I call him, coached me and helped me identify/recognize my strengths that I wasn’t aware of. I’d like to describe him as a gentle, strong, empathetic and experienced coach. I have learnt a lot about coaching from him. Thank you, CK.,
Joint Managing Director, Manufacturing and international Trading family owned SME
It gives me immense pleasure to state on record the positive changes brought about in me by Mr. Cherian Kuruvila of CNC Transcend Management Services, Bangalore, after a six months one-to-one (Coaching) session. The session focused on improvement in Leadership, the ability in achieving the Sales Targets, the art of being more assertive, improving the interpersonal effectiveness at work, better Time Management, good Financial Planning among others. Mr. Cherian really helped me to reflect and re-position myself to bring about a positive change, personally and officially. I would very confidently recommend Mr. Cherian to anyone, who is heading a Team, Unit or Organization for a (Coaching) session to obtain the desired positive changes
Senior Sales leader in a large FMCG Corporate in Bangalore
As shared during our session, I feel the coaching done by you is very systematic and process driven which has helped me prioritize and address the key objectives in a more structured manner. The preliminary self-assessment coaching questionnaire helped me reflect upon myself effectively which otherwise I wouldn’t have done. Also, the 360 Feedback from the responders have been very helpful for me in identifying my key focus areas. I had already started working on most of my goals even before we could finalize the goals because the initial sessions helped me reflect upon myself as a professional and person well and I could identify my focus areas. Thank you for the coaching that you provided.
Woman CEO/Founder of a Management firm – ex corporate leader
It’s always a pleasure to interact with you, learn from you and share a piece of my life with someone like you! And yes, an honor too! “Coaching journey so far helped me get in touch with my “real self”, thanks to the seamless self-reflection process! After a long time, did a quick stock taking of where I stand. I’m confident about the remaining year, since I now have got opportunities, focus & most importantly – You, as my coach! I’m loving this new discovery & living it too to a large extent! So, to “live life enjoyably” I’m no longer going to “wait” for that perfect moment, when everything is “on track”. Overall: Super happy about the “clarity”, “vision” and new found piece of “inner-peace”… Thanks Coach! You rock!!! BTW – this is my first EVER video review, in my life! But I thought of doing this as a token of appreciation for you – As it is you because of whom, I’m now more confident, comfortable with who I am, as I am. It’s you who has made me brave enough to challenge any demons 🙂 Getting on camera was one such demon 😉 As I mentioned in the YouTube video You’re the best to bring out the best (in your coachees)!!!
From a woman Corporate leader, now Trainer & Teacher
I am glad to share my experience and learning with Mr. Cherian Kuruvilla, CK as he is fondly known. I met Mr.CK accidentally in a professional business meeting. Well, I believe nothing happens accidentally, it’s destined to meet certain people in our lives for some life purpose. When I met him, I was at the stage of life and had to take a forcible break due to personal reasons. I was in a state of confusion, anxiety, with no clarity on what to do or expect from life. I was losing my self-confidence. I got the opportunity at right time for coaching with Mr.CK, he was an amazing mentor and through the coaching process made me realize my strengths, areas of improvement, my inner potential, the values and impact I have created for myself and others. This helped further to pursue my dreams of serving people in my small way through teaching and training in my new chosen field. Mr. CK is a wonderful human being. He doesn’t judge or give biased opinion and is extremely patient to hear out. He helped me to understand myself better through my own introspection and his professional guidance. Thank you, Mr. CK, for the wonderful coaching journey with you and wishing you all the very best to touch many more lives.
Senior Leader of a Multinational firm
I enjoyed coaching sessions with Cherian. The way coaching sessions are planned and executed were amazing. I am totally satisfied on over-all exercise and a structured approach to help in over-all personality development. Your guidance and coaching style have truly inspired me. Thank you for your efforts! I had one of the best learning experience during this journey. I would like to highlight few facts and feedback for our journey so far. This coaching helped me to have introspection which help to have an action plan to overcome shortcomings. First thing, I realized the importance of listening. To overcome this, I started more and more 1:1 interactions with direct, skip level, stake holders and leadership. Target of these sessions to listen more. I have proper action plan for ‘Response vs react’, this is always in my mind as checklist. I always have simulation before answering if this is a response or a reaction. Working towards culture of open communications, multiple interactive sessions and conveying message for the importance of open communications. Working towards executive presence aspect as well, more and more active on LinkedIn and ensuring to raise the right point at right time.
Director of a MNC Top 4 Consulting firm
Good Start — We both had a candid conversation on the objective of this coaching program, what are we planning to achieve and what is not also. Early agreement on the approach of the coaching sessions made me more comfortable. Cherian facilitated the conversation with open mind to remove the barriers and built true relationships. Very open conversations linking back to our past and present gave me some insights on how we have changed over the period. How some of my base roots practices has helped me in shaping my career
Deep Dive Sessions – We have moved forward with the Dive deep session on objectives that I would like to achieve through this program. Cherian facilitated the discussion in such a way to break down the complex objectives/goals into SMART goals. We discussed in detail on the 360* feedback and areas to be focused based on the organization expectations. We are connected daily in LinkedIn and WhatsApp – Cherian regularly shares some thought leadership articles and encourages me to participate as well. The Input from the Holistic Wheel of Life were reviewed and discussed together to identify potential areas of improvement.
Focused on Goals/Strategies and Actions – CK has carefully guided me in navigating through multiple points that we collected and moving towards deriving the professional and personal goals to be achieved. The discussion was structured to classify the strengths and weaknesses that came out in 360* feedback in detail. After the initial goals formation, we went and discussed further to fine tune the goals to make sure it has covered all the important feedback that we received and agreed. CK has guided me in such a way that the goals derived are meaningful and meeting my objectives. Then the goals were broken into various strategies and action plans that are required to meet the professional and personal goals and CK was very instrumental in guiding me to move towards the required outputs.
Sharpen & Track the Progress – While I was working towards achieving the target goals, I and CK had coaching sessions to sharpen my approach on achieving the goals. I would like to highlight the following topics and exchange of information that really helped me to focus on the goals to be approached and groom myself to the next level. Coached on Leadership styles, Passing coaching experience to team, Elements of Strategic Behaviors, Leadership Behaviors – Drive change inside out, Covid Behaviors and trend exchange, Leadership is not a Title, it’s a mindset, Invest in Yourself, Think Big. Small is a state of mind. Overall the coaching experience has created a very positive impact and confidence in me. I was able sharpen by strengths, get rid of some of weakness and to find some of my blind spots to work on it.
Managing Director of a mid-sized International Trading company
A year back I felt a necessity to effectively connect with the team and all stake holders to be an accepted leader, and I don’t regret for the time spent on these coaching sessions, which have set a direction to work towards this goal. Thank you CK for the coaching sessions, I enjoyed the interaction and found a great level of satisfaction in implementing the goals/actions (although consciously at times). I thank you for your patience in working with me over these 10 sessions and mentoring me with my GSAs.
This was more to me a self-understanding exercise and it helped me understand the different perspectives and I intend to use the same as a working document going forward. Breaking up of the goals into actions and then a focused effort to meet set actions has helped to make positive changes to my work and personal life. The sessions have helped me in collectively involving team members and working towards building a greater empathy with all stake holders.
I regret in not having similar exposure in the prime of my career (2 decades back), as it would have helped me to a greater extent, would have added more value and improved my personality better, anyway better late than never. Thank you once again. His words in our Session – It was your video on 5 High Performance Leadership Behaviors that got my Chairman and me talking a year ago about the need for me to explore Coaching to become more a Strategic, Inspirational and Adaptive leader for the Global market and our partners
Managing Partner of a large Financial Advisory Firm
Few pointers on the coaching program:
Improved self-awareness. To push oneself towards the key target areas. To focus on the nuances required for an elevated leadership. As a coach, I relate to you like Gary Kirsten for India team. Trigger the query points and let the individual work on the right answers.
Director 1 of a US Tech MNC
My coaching sessions with Sri Cherian Kuruvila (CK) have been going well. CK has helped change my perspectives on leadership in a very positive way. CK has been very structured since the beginning. We started out creating a baseline using the 360-degree survey feedback, coaching questionnaire, EQ, and wheel of life. Afterwards, CK adopted the GSA approach – Goals, Strategy, and Actions – to plan the coaching series. CK spent a significant amount of time in helping me define the goals. He has been kind and patient with me in the process and made sure I understood and learnt the “whys” and “how’s” along the way. Without CK’s coaching, I couldn’t have articulated and goals so well using the 100s of data points available through various inputs.
Once the goals were defined, the rest of the sessions focused on tracking regular progress and continuous inputs. CK is helping me with asking the right questions, prioritizations, changing the timelines as needed, etc. CK is also very responsive to what’s happening on a day-to-day basis at work. I can discuss anything related to work with him any time and he’s there to help! His positive attitude, unassuming nature, and helpful guidance are of immense value to me. I would always recommend CK as a great leadership coach.
Director 2 of a US Tech MNC
Please find below the summary of my experience so far: This journey of self-discovery and leadership coaching over last 6 months has been quite interesting. To begin with, a very systematic 360 feedback from the stakeholders, whose inputs matter to me, helped me to understand my strengths and areas of improvement. Both Coaching Questionnaire & Holistic Health Check templates helped me with self-reflection on my personal and professional journey from different perspectives. EQ-i assessment provided a nice summary on self-regarding v/s realty-testing and other emotional aspects. I was quite surprised to see the effectiveness of the systematic approach of MRDS (Mining, Refining, Defining, Shining) based upon the inputs from 360, CQ, HHC & EQ-i to arrive at the meaningful goals in only 3 sessions! The later sessions focused on devising strategies and identifying the tools for improvement in my Leadership Style, Stakeholder Management and Personal/Team branding.Also, the Coaching Docket has been very useful to summarize the Strategies, Actions, Timelines and Measures and to track the progress.
To summarize, the journey so far has helped me to be well organized to improvise as a leader of CoE team within and spare time for personal goals as well. I am sure that my stakeholders (both professional & personal) will be able to see the positive change over the next few months. Besides, it has provided the platform to share the experiences and learnings among the leaders of the different functions in cohort sessions. Most importantly, I feel fortunate to get coaching from Cherian Kuruvila on the self-growth goals in a structured manner with right perspectives and strategies. He made the coaching journey quite comfortable and enjoyable without putting any pressure on my existing responsibilities. I have been also benefited from various leadership related articles/posts/videos that he shared with me on LinkedIn, WhatsApp& YouTube like Situational Leadership, Executive Presence and few more. Looking forward for the next 4 sessions with my coach on realizing most of the goals in time-bound fashion
Director 3 of a US Tech MNC
As I summarize our coaching journey where we have completed 10 sessions and I believe the goals that I worked through with you is met, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your insight inputs on how to set a goal with purpose and track them till it is achieved. We discussed the key challenges and what are the areas that I wanted to attack in my leadership in the first 2 sessions, after which we worked on defining professional and personal goals with a purpose, benefit, steps or action plan, measure of state in terms of % as we began the journey and what is the level (%) of confidence I wanted to achieve along with timeline.
We also did checkpoint on the progress of action plan its impact on goal / goal achievement % starting from session 4 and above. By the time we reached session-9, all the action plans were completed and what is left is more of continuous progress of the actions now, which is what we discussed in session-10 as well. I believe we are good to call the goals to be achieved, which we have set across in the excel sheet that we used for tracking and can call the coaching journey complete. Let me know if you have any further inputs, as otherwise would like to thank for your coaching / guidance on goal setting with purpose and achieving the same.
Director 4 of a US Tech MNC
Summary of my experience; Structured coaching for self -discovery excellently felicitated by coach CK and well- tailored process. Flow of coaching designed to peel our soul to discover our strengths/weakness through our own eyes/other eyes. Deeper analysis/understanding of messages or feedback to derive the top 2 professional goals and 1 personal goal. SMART Breaking down of goals to sub goals for easy tracking. Effective Follow up on actions and advise on the steps to achieve the goals. Meaningful Guidance on books to read and sharing of articles to enhance the leadership effectiveness.
Overall, it was great journey to the present from past few months with Coaching by CK.
20 junior execs of a Top 4 MNC Consulting firm
a shorter duration 1:1 engagement focused on 2 Goal areas – Communication effectiveness and Executive Presence
Repeat batches based on initial experience of batch of 4 – Feedback in a separate document Repeat batches is the proof of concept
Woman Director of a Top 4 MNC Consulting firm– promoted to MD ( the objective of Coaching)
Please find attached the coaching deck and the experience. Key Stakeholder Call summary by CK of Strengths and Fine-tuning areas from 8 stakeholders certainly helped me to understand the perceptions of every stakeholder and collect candid feedback (critical perceptions that would matter for my growth). My goals were set basis the feedback received from at least 6 to 7 stakeholders and helped fine tune the areas I need to focus on. The Goal Setting Process choosing the 2 most critical and relevant Goal areas for my growth with specific keywords that needed working on provided me an ability to track goals closely and ensure adherence. The GSA format breaking Goals to Strategies, Actions, Timelines and Measures with Current state and Desired State % and having the goals documented helped track progress.
Reflections on capturing Benefits to self, team & organization in the process was helpful. Goal 1, Strengthen my strategic leadership qualities with a focus on expanding my horizon/footprint and building myself as a thought leader within the organization as well as external forums to better position myself in the organization. Starting score– 75 %, Desired score– 90%, Achieved Score -90%
For me it is resulting in better visibility and promoting myself on platforms like LinkedIn, for the team better exposure and learning opportunities and creating visibility for new contracts and business for the organization. Goal 2 – Expand my involvement into business development/pursuits to understand growth opportunities to have a larger view and deliver value Starting score – 40 % , Desired score –70%, Achieved Score- 80%. It has increased my confidence level overall. It has enriched my own experience and ability to showcase our capabilities/credentials, for the team better exposure and visibility. For the organization now we have an integrated capability view, and we can demonstrate that plus higher Client satisfaction – leading to renewed contracts possibilities.
Goal 3- Personal Goal – Prioritize personal well-being with a focus on my improving my overall health. Starting score – 60 % , Desired score – 80%, Achieved Score -70% – the journey has started well. Personal Goal focus – We seldom look at personal goals as such and this one was certainly useful. It was wonderful working with you and thanks so much for all your support CK, you have been a great coach
Transformative Holistic Coaching Experience- GM Manufacturing MNC
I read a book “The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life” by Alice Schroeder, in which Warren Buffett has suggested that the best investment is one that you make in yourself. When a senior coach recommended that I get in touch with Mr. Cherian, I decided to start out by making a little investment in myself using coaching. Working with Mr. Cherian has completely changed the way I approach both my personal and professional lives. I can’t express my gratitude to him enough for his guidance, support, and expertise throughout our coaching journey.
From the very beginning, Cherian Sir created a comfortable and nurturing space for me to explore my goals, challenges, and aspirations. His ability to actively listen and ask thought-provoking questions allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of myself and my aspirations. He always encouraged me to think outside the box, challenge my limiting beliefs, and embrace new perspectives.
Cherian Sir also held me accountable for the commitments I made during our coaching sessions. He helped me establish clear action plans, set realistic milestones, and stay focused on my priorities. I am incredibly grateful for the positive impact Cherian Sir has had on my life and my professional journey. Through his coaching, I have experienced significant personal growth, gained a renewed sense of purpose, and achieved tangible results in areas that were once challenging for me. I could establish consistent habits for my physical fitness (running), mental well-being (40 minutes of meditation), and book preparation through his focus on key enablers for getting the desired results. I wholeheartedly recommend Cherian Sir to anyone seeking compassionate coach. Their expertise, passion for helping others, and ability to unlock potential are truly exceptional. Thank you, Sir for being a remarkable coach and making such a profound difference in my life. Through this testimony, I would also like to encourage everyone to invest in themselves to grow in their life personally as well as professionally.
Founder of a 10 year Legal Services firm
Your sessions were very ‘self-awakening’ and ‘self-reflecting’. It helped me and the team to clearly understand where we stand and what we need to do to move to the next level. It gave me clarity that business development should be a lifestyle habit like fitness and cannot be a short- or long-term objective. It personally helped me in letting go many responsibilities to my team and realizing that they are mostly better than me in implementing them.
It also made me realize that without strategy, data analysis, targets and modes to achieve those targets you will mostly never make the money you wish to make! Personally, I have more empathy, patience, acceptance towards my immediate family and friends and I listen much more than I used to. Thank you so much for showing the path and being with us subtly (sometimes heavily) but surely!
Senior Business Leader – Financial Services
Self: Taking a more organized approach to balancing work, health and personal life. Much better state of mind and a more focused approach to things. Consciously making specific time for family and family events. Alternate perspective from Coach on situations helping me explore newer ways to approach them
Team: Greater awareness of my working style on my team is helping me moderate my approach as per team situation. Conscious and systematic handholding of team on challenges faced by them. Team is finding its own feet to handle regular business challenges independently. Focus on involvement with Horizontal teams helping more holistic discussions to problem solving
Organization: Better grooming of DRs and their reportees. Improvement in critical Biz priorities and metrics (like quality onboarding and controlled PBT outcome for QR, EDC processes challenges, REMI B2B process set up etc.). Better integration of Biz strategies with the Payments Organization objectives of moving towards break even
The Goals that were taken + Progress – Current State to Desired State
Goal 1: To change my Leadership style to be more execution leadership oriented, by being more patient yet firm with the team and use different styles with different leaders to help motivate them to deliver on execution & end results, and directly communicating with the ground level (communicating vision & strategy and listening & solving). Current State assessment in Apr 2024 – 70%: Desired State – 90% : Current State – Dec 2024 – 90%
Goal 2: Team Development, Mentoring, Delegating and tighter (metric driven) Reviewing of 18, 1st and 2nd line leaders to drive more accountability, innovation and results (numbers & P&L) from the team, and also help with my time management. Current State assessment in Apr 2024 – 50%: Desired State – 90%. Current State – Dec 2024 -90%
Goal 3: Take steps to improve on my Strategic leadership and Long term related aspects by taking a relationship based approach, and improving knowledge of industry, through increased interaction and a conscious change of style with internal/ external stakeholders on new trends and latest technology and policy angles, to help me come up with innovative approaches. Current State assessment in Apr 2024 – 25% : Desired State – 75%. Current State – Dec 2024 – 60%
Personal Goal 1: Plan my office and personal work schedule better to create more quality time with my family, to help manage my stress better. Current State assessment in Apr 2024 – 25% : Desired State – 75% : Current State – 65%
Personal Goal 2: Make a conscious effort to habitually focus on physical & mental wellness, for better stress management. Current State assessment in Apr 2024 – 50% : Desired State – 80% : Current State – 80%
Business & Startup Influencer, Investor, Deep Tech Expert for 3 Decades
In June 2024, I began a committed coaching journey with Cherian Kuruvila, fondly known as CK, with the intention of aligning both my personal and professional growth with all the various activities done through the last 3 decades that had accumulated through experiences but brought me to a point of unclear path forward. The way I looked at client acquisitions and deal closures had become very mundane and brought me to a point where nothing seemed exciting. What followed has been nothing short of a holistic transformational journey.
CK brought with him not just decades of wisdom, but an ability to bring absolute clarity to complex thoughts, ambitions, and aspirations. With his guidance, I was able to define clear, structured goals that were realistic, yet deeply aspirational.
Together, we broke down my focus into precise outcomes across key areas of my life:
Personal Fitness & Well-being: From establishing a disciplined routine around workouts, mindful eating, and regular health consultations to building emotional resilience through meditation and self-trust—CK helped me anchor these as non-negotiable habits, not just ideas.
Emotional & Mental Boundaries: With CK’s reflections and questioning style, I learnt to embrace triggers as teachers, dissolve self-deprecation, and instead, respond with clarity and calm. Emotional clutter gave way to renewed mental clarity.
Professional Contribution & Legacy: CK helped me rediscover the value of my lived experiences and how they could be translated into meaningful lessons for others. The focus shifted to intentional sharing—whether through mentoring, blogs, or impactful conversations.
Business Positioning & Influence: We created a roadmap to strengthen my standing as a mentor—especially in the startup and innovation space. This included not only structured interventions but also identifying the kind of businesses I wanted to support and the value I bring.
Each goal was not only defined but also accompanied with action points, present stage evaluations, and timelines. CK didn’t let this become a checklist. He brought energy to every review, compassion to every setback, and deep insight to every breakthrough. His coaching process didn’t just focus on “what to do” but helped me stay anchored in “who I want to be.”
As this coaching continues through the year, I remain deeply thankful to CK for his relentless effort, presence, and wisdom. I’m excited to discover how my best version turns out to be as we complete this year-long journey of transformation and clarity.