Case Studies
The new manager
Robert was a valued and enthusiastic member of staff who was looking to progress. In an appraisal, his potential promotion was discussed and while he expressed eager interest he was concerned about managing people and the reaction he may face from his peers whom he would then manage. Training was discussed but a generic training course would take him out for a number of days and would be a one off. His manager was also prepared to mentor him but had limited time available.
For Robert, coaching provided him with dedicated and personalised support over the first months of his role. After an initial meeting that included his manager the main aims were agreed and Robert could then arrange regular meetings to suit his schedule. At these meetings he could choose to include any topical issues or concerns that had occurred, that meant all learning was both relevant and applicable immediately. After an initial six months Robert felt he had made significant progress in establishing his leadership style, he had been able to use the coaching to help him deal with a number of personnel issues and grown in confidence through support from his coach. He felt the most significant change had been to get him to think more politically and strategically when working at a higher level in the organisation.
For Robert, coaching provided him with dedicated and personalised support over the first months of his role. After an initial meeting that included his manager the main aims were agreed and Robert could then arrange regular meetings to suit his schedule. At these meetings he could choose to include any topical issues or concerns that had occurred, that meant all learning was both relevant and applicable immediately. After an initial six months Robert felt he had made significant progress in establishing his leadership style, he had been able to use the coaching to help him deal with a number of personnel issues and grown in confidence through support from his coach. He felt the most significant change had been to get him to think more politically and strategically when working at a higher level in the organisation.
The ‘change’ manager
Toni was in charge of a small team but following a number of organisational changes was experiencing a lot of conflict within the team. Toni was finding this aspect tough to deal with as well as the day job and was beginning to lose confidence in herself. She wondered if management was really for her. Despite a very good track record and having a great deal of knowledge, staff were beginning to question her authority and this created tensions within the team.
Toni’s manager wanted to give her some support and helped arrange some coaching. This gave Toni someone to talk to and she used the time to evaluate alternative strategies and test out new approaches. By talking through the situations and planning future strategies she gradually began to work out a plan of action that helped her regain control. After seven months many of the personnel issues had been resolved and she learned a number of approaches that helped her become more resilient to the challenges that were likely to be on-going.
Toni’s manager wanted to give her some support and helped arrange some coaching. This gave Toni someone to talk to and she used the time to evaluate alternative strategies and test out new approaches. By talking through the situations and planning future strategies she gradually began to work out a plan of action that helped her regain control. After seven months many of the personnel issues had been resolved and she learned a number of approaches that helped her become more resilient to the challenges that were likely to be on-going.
The ‘almost’ excellent manager
Sam was a rising star and was put on the talent programme because of his significant knowledge and expertise. Technically, Sam had gained the respect of everyone as a manager. The staff worked well but Sam seemed to be so focussed on getting the job done that he often forgot the PR role required of a manager in this role. Sam did little to promote the excellent results produced by the department and had a low profile within the organisation. Because of the culture of the organisation, success for Sam depended on improving that profile. Sam knew this but found the transition hard.
By working with a coach, Sam defined how he could enhance his profile in a way that suited him and his personality. He discussed with his coach the areas where he felt uncomfortable so was able to honestly address some concerns in a confidential space in a way that would have been difficult with a manager.
By working with a coach, Sam defined how he could enhance his profile in a way that suited him and his personality. He discussed with his coach the areas where he felt uncomfortable so was able to honestly address some concerns in a confidential space in a way that would have been difficult with a manager.