Success Stories
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT
Do nice guys finish last?
When Roger called Konect Consulting for help at his
boss’s suggestion, he sounded excited at the chance to tell his
story. As the CEO of a mid-size health care organization, he had recently
been shocked to learn that the enterprise was hemorrhaging money. Though
his CFO had anticipated a healthy profit for the year, the auditors
discovered the opposite.
Roger was facing a sudden downturn after a decade
in the black. He questioned his ability to
continue leading the organization, especially through a turnaround that
would require downsizing. He described feeling blind-sided and
betrayed by his CFO and guilty that he did not seeing this coming. He
felt he had “become what I despise”, a leader unable to
act decisively, unable to “pull the trigger”.
Roger felt he was rapidly loosing perspective and
clear direction. Roger’s boss engaged our services with the goal
of helping Roger understand his leadership strengths and liabilities
at this point in time.
A second outcome of the engagement was to make recommendations
regarding Roger’s fitness to perform effectively in the current
or a different capacity in the company. To this end, we started by collecting
data. We conducted on site interviews with him, his senior managers,
his board members, his spouse, and boss. We observed him in action in
meetings, on the phone, in casual conversation and he completed a range
of leadership style and personality instruments. We arranged to administer
an on-line Leadership Versatility Index to all board and managers, a
brief 360 degree feedback form.
In discussing Roger’s feedback, we noted that
he was unusually strong in the areas of people skills, especially reading
other people’s emotions. However, at the present time, he was
less aware of his own emotional states. We asked him for examples of
how his strength with reading others was helpful to him in his work.
There were numerous responses. We also discussed
how strengths overused can become weaknesses, and yes, he certainly
had examples of when his tendency to be so nice and accommodating had
meant he had permeable boundaries with people and could no longer get
his managers to follow through on his directives.
Roger now began the process of mulling over and deciding
on an action plan. In his particular circumstances, he felt there was
too much water under the dam and it was time for him to move on. He
wanted to work on new, more versatile and balanced leadership skills
in a different arena with different responsibilities. He didn’t
want to become a “mean person” and downsize people with
whom he had longstanding personal relationships. So he chose to start
the job search process. He felt that personality wise, he would be better
suited for the consultant role. As agreed at the outset, Roger met with
his boss, reviewed the findings of the reports and interviews, reviewed
his action plan, and offered his resignation.
EXECUTIVE
COACHING
Get practical help by applying leadership program
concepts to daily work challenges
As the president of a rapidly growing biotech firm,
Ted had attended leadership development programs and then sent his key
people for training. In the classroom, he learned that fundamental to
successfully growing his company was his ability to delegate authority
and introduce planning, consistency, improved communication and accountability.
Returning from an eye-opening, life-changing and humbling
weeklong leadership program, he jumped into action. He immediately put
into practice major changes in how he allocated his time during the
workday. He reorganized his schedule so that he could shift from handling
tasks directly to spending significantly more time mentoring and enabling
others to act.
Ted recognized that his next major hurdle was very
personal to him. His key managers criticized
his practice of delegating. They noted that when he became nervous
about their ability to follow through or do the job his way, he couldn’t
resist yanking back the control of the project. His action was often
followed by the comment, “Well, just this once, because this is
a special client and a unique project. We can’t afford to blow
it.”
This behavior was demoralizing to his staff and contributed
to miscommunication and demotivation. And also wasted managers’
time. Ted knew he needed help integrating his classroom learning about
his leadership with the hard work of actually changing some of his leadership
practices. Ted needed to take his action plan and become accountable
to it. He chose to hire one of the executive coaches he had met through
his leadership development program.
Ted and the coach together talked through his action
plan. The coach helped Ted zero in on specific situations that were
his greatest challenge. Not surprisingly, he spoke eagerly about the
bind he was in regarding the delegation dilemma. The coach helped Ted
understand the complexity of his situation and joined with him in the
concern that delegating without a good system of accountability could
very well spell corporate disaster.
Ted reflected on his fears
of the company expanding too rapidly and his loosing touch with every
decision. The coach and Ted discussed ways he could change his
behavior to increase the likelihood that his people would understand
him and follow through. Specifically, they discussed methods to improve
communicating his concerns and expectations to his staff in meetings,
one on one and in emails.
Ted became more open and comfortable discussing the
change and growth process with his staff. He improved in his ability
to share his vision and get other’s fired up. Over time, Ted clearly
changed from being a manager putting out fires to a visionary leader
of his company.
EXECUTIVE
COACHING
Grooming a high potential person for a complex, new position filled
with interpersonal landmines
Rhonda is the regional vice president of a large insurance
company. When she entered this position, she knew she was being given
a greater level of responsibility with a more high-powered firm than
she had at her previous position. But she had little idea of how this
change would impact her.
She recognized that she had limitations in her ability
to read politics and communicate her capabilities in the right ways
at the right times with the right people in the right tone. At the outset,
Rhonda decided to invest in an executive coach so that she could give
herself the best possible chance of rapidly getting a broad perspective
on the organization and avoid pitfalls that would derail her.
Rhonda knew from past experience
that she lacked expertise in office politics and that she could easily
get in over her head. She knew she had difficulties in understanding
the expectations of others in the office environment.
With the help of her coach, she worked on consciously
learning to compensate for her blind spots. She was helped to pinpoint
areas of needed growth. For example, the coach and Rhonda discussed
better ways to position herself in the company. She chose to focus first
on impression management, since her previous experience taught her that
people tended to jump to conclusions quickly about her. She made a conscious
decision to improve others perceptions of her by specifically paying
attention to her manner and behavior when interacting with subordinates
in particular.
Rhonda and her coach worked on additional interpersonal
topics including improving her ability to manage a high maintenance
boss with a quirky personality and learning how to communicate succinctly,
especially in meetings.
Her CEO was ADD-like in his behavior and was intolerant
of a long thinking- through process. She had to adapt to his style if
she wanted any of her initiatives to move forward.
Her coach gave her feedback on the perception that
she was not a good listener. She learned to pay attention to her body
language and make subtle alterations in her posture and expression to
signal her active engagement with the other person.
By involving herself with
a coach, Rhonda gained much insight into specific political situations
and was empowered to use finely honed communication skills to become
an effective leader. By dedicating herself to personal on-the-job
change, Rhonda became very successful in her new position and was tapped
for a promotion at her annual review.
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