It worked because he practiced, he prepared for every meeting, he was thoughtful, he was self-analytical, he got feedback on his progress, he became self-aware. And he was totally committed to significantly improving himself.

• SVP, General Counsel of a major public company
• Eight direct reports and with customers across the business units
• Nationally recognized technical specialist in his field

1. Coaching Objectives:

The coaching objectives were as follows:

• Improve ability to relate to his staff, motivate them
• Become an effective coach to direct reports
• Improve ability to attract, develop and retain talent with benchstrength for succession
• Become better able to embrace change and lead department through change
• Complete the transition to highly effective leader and manager

Increasing effectiveness with the first three objectives would improve ability to attract retain, build and benchstrength. More delegation and freedom from unnecessary operational involvement would facilitate focus on the bigger picture and the leadership challenges.

2. Coachee’s Perceptions of the Outcomes:

• He’s backed off the interrogation style of a lawyer.
• He’s catching people doing things right.
• He’s giving positive feedback.
• He’s been far less picky with unimportant things.
• He’s allowing his direct reports to be far more prominent in presentations.
• He’s not correcting his direct reports in front of clients.
• Instead of telling direct reports what they’re doing wrong, he’s asking them what they think they could have done differently.
• He is working harder at listening.
• He is pushing far more responsibility downwards and finding he has more time to be thoughtful and strategic.
• He’s trying to be more patient.
• He is working at being more personable.

3. Coachee’s Focus Going Forward:

• Increasing approachability and being personable
• Creating ownership and a vested interest in projects
• Motivating good feeling about what direct reports are doing
• Providing ongoing feedback
• Finding development opportunities
• Not sweating the small stuff