SITUATION:
A C-level executive at a small business was transitioning roles from being internally focused to externally focused. The organization was in high growth mode and the CHRO and the CEO invested in this leader to help facilitate an intentional and thoughtful pivot.
The executive was focused on unpacking their self-awareness before, during, and after specific moments and using those insights to drive a shift in how they activated their leadership and what were the ne success measures in the new role.
The teammates were very focused on setting this leader up for success and the executive was thrilled with the organizational investment in their development.
SOLUTION:
The engagement was a virtual relationship that as much about helping this leader exit the previous role as it was about being successful in the new role. Originally scheduled out as bi-monthly meetings, the client asked to accelerate the meetings to every other week to drive more immediate implementation and a quicker space to transition and shift.
The front-end discovery interviews with manager, three peers, and two direct reports created very consistent themes and the executive had shared several assessments they had recently completed (FIRO-B, MBTI, etc.).
Specific deliverables that were produced together in writing included: (1) a from/to analysis that focused on behavioral specifics and intended outcomes from application and (2) a comprehensive charter for the success measures to drive focus and outcomes for the new role.
The engagement was extended for an additional six months because of the positive momentum. There were also two new engagements introduced – one with a peer (1×1) and the other with a group of six colleagues (small group) in the team that this executive had hired and transitioned out of.
The small group coaching was focused to build a shared purpose and shared trust in a common vision for the team. This development journey included individual and small group meetings. The overall process was co-designed with the participants to drive engagement and momentum.
RESULTS:
Individually, the original executive in the 12-month coaching engagement had a massive transformation in how they thought about the work and how they approached the work. The feedback from the CEO was very appreciative of how much changed and how quickly it changed.
The executive openly shared their coaching experience with others and it created an opportunity for the organizational culture to embrace coaching as a catalyst. That opened the door for a new leadership culture and the small group coaching to be positioned/received as a positive investment in growth.
