Client Stories: Leadership Coaching
From Manager to Leader
It was Mark's manager, the CFO, who called me in. Mark, the controller, a long time and valued employee of a software-testing company, was straining under the impact of a reorganization and merger that left him with a loss of turf and a perceived loss of power. In compensation, he had tightened his grip on his group, though not on his emotions. Complaints were mushrooming: he failed to delegate, didn't respond to phone calls and email, and wasn't meeting deadlines. People were reporting that Mark was grouchy; it was getting so that they no longer wanted to work for him.
Coaching gave Mark an opportunity to recount the corporate changes with an objective listener and to look at what had happened to his daily workload and, as a consequence, to his personality.
As often happens after a re-org, fear had taken hold and Mark was not operating with the best of his skills or personal style. With coaching, Mark became an observer and was able to identify what got him into trouble. We explored some simple techniques that would get him back to center. Breathing came first, a deceptively simple stress-busting technique, often overlooked. Second, reserving the first hour of the day to respond to emails.
Our challenge was to bring out Mark's "people skills" and get him to relax enough to use them. I listened to him anticipating the benefits out loud: his staff would feel they were contributing and Mark could get his work done in a timely fashion. Mark's first step was to level with them about his past behavior and his willingness to change. Then he identified the areas in which each of his reports could take something and run with it. His time would be spent more in mentoring and less in doing every detail himself.
As Mark relaxed, we rediscovered his sense of humor. In thinking up techniques for himself, Mark introduced the notion of a "smoke break" (although he'd never even smoked!). When he felt he was getting wired or riled up, he would step outside for a few minutes to regain his balance.
The work paid off, and Mark no longer needed regular sessions. He checked in periodically to be sure he could sustain the changes. And he did: Mark enjoyed his work again and his staff enjoyed him.
My coach has been a solid resource who has helped me to evaluate and understand situations at work that...impact the ability for the department and me to achieve specific goals and objectives. Through her observations and techniques I was able to focus on behaviors that have resulted in positive outcomes and those that resulted in unfavorable outcomes. Out of this, a pattern of successful management techniques has emerged.
I listen better and my conversations are more fluid and respectful of others' opinions. I delegate more and I am more patient and considerate. As a result, people are more receptive to me and take more pride in their work, and more ownership. Having my emotions on a more even keel has enabled us to achieve more success as a group.
Wynne's guidance has been a key ingredient to what I believe has been a significant recovery on my part.
—Vice President, Finance, Information Technology Services