Brilliant and Poised to Fail

Nancy had two PhD's. She was the brightest and most hard working technical officer in this mid-size manufacturing firm.

Leadership wanted to promote her, but when asked to work on her deficits, she became resentful, even tearful. She withdrew. It was a challenge for her as well as the CEO who was not comfortable with the emotional response.

The coaching involved (1) Work with the boss, helping him to be direct and clear about the expectations and not be thrown off by her upsets; (2) Work with Nancy to manage emotion, be confident and direct with her boss about feedback, and continue skill development for leadership.

The coach conducted a "360" assessment with Nancy's colleagues, bosses and peers. The 360 extracted key themes and revealed blind spots.

The process uncovered weaknesses in relationships with peers which had led to her isolation and anxiety about her performance. It also identified strengths in relationships with direct reports which she then leveraged for success within the organization.

Nancy was promoted to General Manager. As a result of the coaching, she successfully managed her response to her boss's feedback and was able to assert her professional goals. She strengthened her listening skills and built strong relationships with key peers who became her advocates in her new role.

Does someone on your team have a leadership gap?
Contact Pat Drew for direct and confidential answers.

“Pat is a thoughtful counselor and strategic advisor. She has strong insights in to how to address workplace issues, motivate staff and handle strategic communications for an internal audiece. Pat also brings a depth of experience in helping employers and their staff prepare for and manage secondments in foreign markets.”

 

Matt Harrington
President & CEO
Edelman
July 2, 2010