Jerri Udelson says she’s always been good at getting things done “quickly with the minimum amount of effort and the maximum amount of results.” She always excelled at projects and “always have tried to find the easy way to do things, as opposed to the difficult, hard way.”
Udelson, who holds a master’s degree In health services administration from Yale University, has a lot of experience helping people conceptualize, plan and get things off the ground. In the 1980s, she was helping people plan health programs, writing grants for health centers and worked at the Brookline Health Department. In the mid ‘80s, she became a a real estate broker, “but got out of it when the market went down in 1988.”
After working in both fields, she began Untaxing Matters out of her Vincent Avenue home.
In 1989, she folded the business into Entrepreneurial Consulting Services and became a professional organizer and coach. She’s not the kind of coach you see patrolling the sides of athletic fields; instead, her playing fields consist of home offices and well-recognized corporations. “I help people manage their businesses and stay focused on their priorities,” she said.
As a coach, she asks her clients what’s most important to them, and also tries to find out if they are satisfied with their work, relationship, finances, recreation and per¬sonal health.
“People come to me often for business issues, and then it turns out that something’s more pressing and personal, like they have to move, got back in shape or spend more time with their family,” she said.
“I help people figure out, based on what their values are, what their next move is and where they want to go in their life. I’m more of a sounding board and someone to help brainstorm. The information Is always generated from the client; the priorities come from what the client yearns for or want in their lives. I help them stay focused and break the goal into manageable steps.”
Recently, a client told Udelson she wanted a new job. She men¬tioned she loved politics and was involved in a successful political campaign. Midway through the session, the client said, “Oh, by the way, I have to move in two weeks.”
Udelson told the woman she had to stop working on the cam¬paign and needed to focus on find¬ing a new place to live.
“We immediately shifted gears,” she said. “People procrastinate on the things that are often the most pressing or emotionally dlfficult. The woman was thinking about moving, but was also avoiding thinking about it at the same time,” said Udelson.
Udelson devised a plan of attack and had the woman call her every night to say what she accom¬plished.
Within a week, the woman found a new home.“I will challenge the client and suggest something and then they can say, yes, they are willing to do it, or no, they are not willing to do it, and will make a counter pro¬posal,” she said. “Clients report their progress back to Udelson on a regular basis.
“The coach is your advocate,” she said. “It’s a partnership, a designed alliance.” Udelson, who is a vice president of the International Coach Federation, loves her job. “I enjoy watching people have success,” she said.
Udelson has a vast array of resources to help her clients. She has a list and mental Rolodex of people who can help with resumes, wardrobe, public rela¬tions, and secretarial support. “I’ve created a good network over the years.”
For example, if a client’s parent is dying in another state, Udelson can direct the person to somebody who can help with the funeral arrangements.
The wave of the ‘90s is phone-coaching, she said, but Udelson prefers to see clients face-to-face. Most of her clients are within a 20-mile radius of Belmont.
Udelson’s attache case contains office supply catalogs to help the client organize their office. Need a therapeutic chair for your office? Udelson can recommend something to fit your needs.
“High-tech conveniences are making people’s lives a lot worse,” said Udelson. “I particularly see it with e-mail and the Web,” she said. “People start e-mailing like crazy and they are not talking to one another. Sometimes you can get more work done by picking up the phone,” she said.