psych insight

The managing director of a retail organisation felt that his employees were under-performing, but he didn’t feel comfortable giving them feedback. He engaged Psych Insight for a series of executive behavioural coaching sessions to help him explore and resolve the issue. The following areas were explored:

• The dynamics of the workplace
• The director’s goals
• His work history
• His communication style under stress, both at home and at work
• His understanding of cultural implications
• Personal factors that may be impacting on the situation

Before we started, we established success factors to evaluate progress. It was important that these goals were realistic and measurable. A sponsor from the director’s workplace was also involved to ensure the goals of the organisation and the individual were met. We examined:

• What it would take to be successful
• How this would be measured
• How others would know if he was successful (ie the director’s team)

To help prioritise the issues, we divided each goal into smaller, more achievable steps. For example, in the coaching sessions we discussed the behaviours that had led the director to successful situations in the past, as well as the behaviours that were likely to help him in the future. We also examined how the director could find opportunities to try out new behaviours, such as giving his employees immediate feedback on a task. We reviewed his experiences and, through observation and discussion, identified behavioural patterns in the workplace.

We revisited the success factors at the midpoint and upon completion of the coaching assignment. The sponsor and the director’s team also rated the director’s progress. The results showed a significant improvement in his ability to give and receive feedback. The director reported feeling more comfortable in his role and was subsequently offered a promotion. He then requested and received further coaching from us on developing and sharing a vision.