Case Study:
Managerial Leadership Coaching Client Profile

Marie Robertson:
Client Services Director, Technology Company, approximately 1400 employees.

Marie is a tall, statuesque woman who says she “passes for white” despite being latina, and always feels out of place on the team, and feels unable to be “real” with people in the corporate environment. She is well liked by her clients and her colleagues, and has been promoted twice since joining the company four years ago from Project Management Associate to Client Services Manager, then on to Client Services Director.

The only negative reviews Marie has gotten have been from her direct Supervisor, who sees her as “up to the challenge, but needs to understand how great she really can be. Marie can be self-effacing at the wrong times, particularly with senior management.” Marie, as a new Director, has been given the option of joining a six-month coaching program for new management. Her supervisor has encouraged her participation.

Situation
Marie has taken on a new role as a Director of Client Services. Marie has been a member of the fourteen-person team for eight months. She needs to rally her team together, a team of eleven highly competitive men and two women. The women regularly joke about harassment issues, but have not made a formal complaint. Marie is concerned about liability issues, because she has seen some questionable behaviors by two of the male team members. She is also concerned that the group will not see her as a leader, because she has been working along side them and was trained by one of her now direct reports, Steve.

Interventions
Managerial Leadership Coaching for six months. Utilized appreciative inquiry to elicit strengths, values and confidence. Coached in person once per month, on the phone once per month, with infrequent email contact. Set concrete goals and tactics, provided assignments and learning reviews, reflected on and integrated training course materials, focused on emotion, self-perception and identity and their impact on Marie’s leadership.

Results

Marie developed her client services team to expand not only their capacity, but also to reach out and develop new business with existing clients.

Marie’s concern about Steve, the team member who trained her, was founded on real issues. Steve began sabotaging Marie’s credibility with the team. He was confronted, and then transferred to another department. This allowed Marie to demonstrate her power as a leader, and to address the consequences of negative behaviors on the team.

The team became unified and more productive. The harassment and liability issues were gone after Marie spoke frankly with her team about her concerns, and explained the consequences of any perceived problems.

Marie grew in her confidence and competence as a manager, and began to enjoy her work and to feel better about her level of participation and contribution as a team member, rather than as an outsider.

Marie was challenged by her coach to present to Senior Management about her team’s accomplishments over the past quarter, and the implications for developing new business. She practiced through video recording and direct feedback from her coach, and succeeded at maintaining a professional and confident attitude, despite her anxiety about to whom she was presenting. . .Marie perceived this as her first step towards Leadership Excellence and to feeling more confident and established in her role.

Meet an Executive Coach

an interview with consultant Deborah Shea


What lead you to become an Executive Coach?
Having worked in corporate human resources for almost twenty years, I felt like I had been wearing a “coaching hat” for quite some time. Whether I was dealing with mergers, management changes, performance issues or team building, coaching had always played a part in my work.

I really got interested in the “formal” concept of coaching three years ago, when as HR Director, I hired a consulting company to coach twelve of our senior managers. I loved the idea of bringing a high-level, yet very personal developmental tool to our most seasoned team. The overall coaching engagement provided real value and effective results. I was hooked! I knew this was what I wanted to do.

What is your most favorite aspect of coaching?
First of all, there’s nothing more satisfying than working with a client who wants to better themselves; in whatever way that means. A good coach will work hard at helping someone stretch; not only to help them identify meaningful goals, but also to help them stay on track.

Partnering with someone whose goals are success-oriented is fun, challenging, motivating and rewarding, for both coach and client.

What does the organization get out of coaching?
Coaching has the potential to provide great ripple effects within an organization. For every one person coached, there are streams of others, (i.e. colleagues, managers, subordinates, vendors, etc.) who may also experience the “coaching wave.”

If assessments (i.e. 360-degree feedback, Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator, etc.) are used, clients can gain a deeper and more focused picture of themselves as leaders, decision-makers and managers, with the confidential input of those with whom they work. The results are usually quite powerful and impactful, which most oftentimes translates into more positive results within the workplace.

If there was one thing you would like leaders to know about coaching, what would it be?
First and foremost, coaching should be viewed as a developmental, rather than a punitive tool; especially among the senior ranks. And with that in mind, if executives are expected to perform at high levels, for long periods of time, they need to be given some support, guidance, strategic insight and inspiration in order to sustain and possibly surpass their goals. When companies invest in coaching, they also invest in their employees, which at the end of the day, affects the bottom line.