Corporate Case Studies

Coached from Stuck to Effective

The client requested help to increase skills, insights and to find ways to use present skills more appropriately. She was in a bind. On one side was a boss who was demanding but not overtly supportive. On the other side was a peer who was difficult, off schedule on projects, with questionable skills, but on whom she must rely to achieve the assigned tasks and meet goals. The coach’s first task was to get clear expectations from the client and to assess the client’s understanding of the problems. Through listening and encouraging full exploration the client began to identify actions that hadn’t been considered. These actions formed the beginning of changing the relationship between the client and both colleagues. In subsequent sessions the coach had the client complete several profile instruments to enable the two of them to consider the client’s strengths in a variety of settings. As the client gained self-understanding she also gained an appreciation of the different personalities and work-styles she was encountering in her effort to be successful. Over a period of six months the client achieved and exceeded her original goals. She now felt more comfortable communicating with her boss and more effective in getting collaboration from her colleagues. Without solicitation she received feedback from her boss on her improved work climate. She also received feedback from her “difficult” peer that it was a pleasure to work together and her ideas were quite good. In addition to working through the initial issues that stimulated the coaching sessions, the client also found help from the coach to look at some longer term career goals to which she aspired. As in many coaching relationships, coaching sessions may run their course with immediate objectives met and then stop. For some clients it may be an extended time before a coach is consulted again, for others the coach remains in an “on-call” relationship for many years. The coaching relationship is a confidential relationship in which the client can feel free to share without fear of corporate politics or reprisals. But coaching is more than just confession or therapy. It is always focused on the improved effectiveness of the client for the sake of his/her job and the overall goals of the organization. «Back