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Case Study
#1:
The Challenge
Joe was having trouble communicating
with his staff. His staff did not see him as approachable,
nor did they feel he was open to other ideas that
might differ from his own. Their perception of Joe
was that he tended to be arrogant, demanding, and
egotistical. This misconception was obviously alarming
to Joe, and opened him up to taking advantage of the
coaching program that his company had contracted with
XB Coaching to provide as part of a Leadership Development
Program. Joe’s hope was that someone outside
his organization could offer a fresh perspective.
Our goals were to reverse the ideas
that Joe’s employees had formed about him, to
help Joe position himself in a better light, and to
bring about an understanding that others do not communicate
or respond to communication in the same way Joe does.
The Preparation
Joe participated in the DISC Behavioral
Profile and the Personal Interests, Attitudes, and
Values Profile. The findings suggested that Joe was
very “task” focused, liked challenges,
and strove for success in everything he did…
all honorable traits.
These assessments also revealed that
Joe tended to set standards for himself and others
so high that impossibility of the situation was commonplace.
He would make "off the cuff" remarks that
were viewed as personal prods, would resist participation
as part of the team – unless he could lead,
and would sometimes fail to complete what he started
because of adding more and more projects.
In order to prepare an action plan for
Joe, we opted to choose three factors to work on.
These included communicating (listening), motivating
others, and developing people.
The Implementation
Based on the discoveries from the DISC
and PIAV profiles, Joe realized how those who did
not know him well could perceive him as distant and
unapproachable. In order to make progress with his
employees, Joe chose to focus on building relationships
with his employees, and on being more open-minded
about how he handled his responsibilities.
During the coaching, Joe developed a
plan that included working with each person on his
team. He began to recognize how others processed information,
how he sometimes was an ineffective communicator,
and how he could communicate better with his direct
reports and with the managers that reported to him.
The Results
After six months of participating in
coaching, Joe had the following to say:
“I was not sure exactly what to
expect from coaching. I was surprised by the fact
that I was able to get things done in a manner I would
not have ordinarily tried. Coaching really helped
me in the way I was able to approach some work relationships.
I am more effective in gaining cooperation from co-workers
now, and am able to do a better job at getting results
without “steamrolling”
Case Study
#2
The Challenge
As part of an ongoing leadership training
program at the company Bob is employed with, Bob began
attending training sessions every other month with
an XB Coaching executive coach, as well as participating
in a three-month coaching program.
The primary challenge Bob faced was
difficulty in working with the organization’s
sales staff.
The Preparation
Based on the findings of a DISC Behavioral
Profile, Bob discovered he was high in the Stability
segment. This fact explained his “process-oriented”
behavior. Most people on the sales staff, however,
had high tendencies toward Influence (social) and
Dominance (power), the two opposites of Steadiness.
In order to overcome the challenge of
communication between Bob and the sales team, Bob
first had to understand how and why both he and the
salespeople communicated. That knowledge would be
the foundation of Bob’s breakthroughs.
The Implementation
As we began to delve deeper into the
ways people communicate, and why they communicate,
Bob started to make efforts to implement his new knowledge
on a daily basis. For instance, instead of stating
every step of his information-gathering process to
a salesperson who was high in Dominance, he relayed
the information in such a way that the employee could
see the end results. (Something those high in Dominance
prefer.)
In addition, Bob began to understand
that some previous negative statements or behaviors
from sales team members were not necessarily as they
appeared. While Bob may have perceived the actions
in one way, in reality the person was doing what he
felt to be correct.
Over time, Bob gained an entirely knew
understanding of others’ behavioral styles and
preferences in communication. This in turn has helped
Bob to become more effective and less stressed at
the office.
The Results
After three months of coaching, Bob
completed an evaluation about his experiences. Here
is a portion of the comments he included.
“The coaching has been more personal,
and more focused on actual problems, and more goal-oriented
than I had expected. It was more beneficial than I
thought it would be. I guess I was just not aware
of how much I needed help in some areas.
“For instance, I’ve greatly
benefited by:
- Understanding the difference in behavioral
and communications styles has helped me become more
effective in working with the Account Executives.
- Prioritizing projects and managing
my time has helped me become more efficient, and
accomplish more in less time.
- Creating boundaries to limit interruptions
and distractions that had kept me from achieving
my goals.
Without having an objective, third-party
professional to discuss problems with confidentially,
personal roadblocks and inter-personal problems rarely
get solved and tend to get worse. The organization
never realizes the potential of the individual, and
the individual does not reach his personal potential,
simply because of not understanding or seeing clearly
his or her role, value to the organization, growth
path, etc.”
Case Study
#3:
The Challenge
Ashley participated in Leadership Development
training as a result of her organization hiring XB
Coaching. Part of her development training consisted
of participating in coaching for a three-month term.
Ashley had been managing a team for
about one year at the point we began coaching. From
feedback she had already received, her team felt that
she wasn't approachable. She, as a first-time manager,
also had lack of confidence, and she was not yet “team-oriented.”
These were the challenges we chose to
focus on during her coaching time.
The Preparation
Ashley’s DISC Behavioral Profile
determined that her core behavior was Compliance and
that she also had a high tendency toward Stability.
This combination lent itself to her being naturally
uncomfortable with people and relatively shy about
being the focus or center of attention in a group.
As a Customer Service Manager, Ashley
was obviously always the center point of the group.
Whether in front of her team, or in front of her customers,
Ashley’s position, overall, created a great
deal of stress in her life. While she loved the organization
she worked for, Ashley understood she had some weaknesses
and realized her need to overcome them. She was willing
to attend coaching sessions, but was skeptical about
how successful coaching would be.
The Implementation
Knowledge was the key tool used to assist
Ashley in becoming a more effective and a powerful
manager. Ashley participated in the DISC Behavioral
Profile; the Personal Interests, Attitudes, and Values
(PIAV) assessment; and the 360-Degree Feedback process.
Through the DISC profile, Ashley discovered
her natural communication and behavioral style as
well as those of the members of her team. She learned
how she could position herself in a more favorable
light by adjusting her communication style to meet
those of her employees (and her customers). By aligning
herself with others, she began to break down the barriers
between herself and her team.
When Ashley participated in the PIAV
assessment, she found that not all people are interested
in the same aspects of the job. She also discovered
that each person is motivated by different factors
and has different reasons for performing a job. With
this knowledge, Ashley was able to “customize”
her managerial style to fit each of her employees.
She was able to become more involved with each team
member and relate better to his/her personal interests,
attitudes, and motivational influences.
Again, this information was also helpful
to Ashley and her team when working with customers
to resolve issues. Through the information taught
in both the DISC and PIAV assessments, Ashley’s
entire department benefited by uncovering vital communication
information that could be used on a daily basis.
Finally, through the 360-Degree Feedback
process, Ashley was able to get a confirmation of
how her team perceived her, what roadblocks there
were to true teamwork, and how her “soft”
skills (or lack of them) were causing trials for both
her and her employees. Once this information was made
available to Ashley, she became more motivated to
make positive adjustments in her managerial style
in order to benefit both herself and her team.
The Results
Was Ashley’s initial skepticism
warranted? At the end of our coaching time, Ashley’s
360-Degree Feedback results had changed. She had become
an incredible manager and leader. She had increased
confidence in her leadership skills, had bolstered
her beliefs and abilities to do a great job, and had
become a top manager in her company.
She can tell you best in her own words.
After six months of Leadership Training and three
months of coaching, this is what Ashley had to say:
“My initial reaction to coaching
was that it would be stressful to have to come up
with scenarios where I felt coaching was required
and that I would be embarrassed talking about myself
and day-to-day issues. But I was looking forward to
some formal management training because I was very
insecure about my abilities as a manager.
“As it turns out, the process
was not stressful at all, and in fact, I looked forward
to my coaching sessions each week. Scenarios seemed
to come up without me having to spend a lot of time
thinking about them. Even small issues led to larger
ideas and helpful ways of handling interaction with
my team members.
“The coaching relationship exceeded
my expectations because I feel I really learned qualities
I could actually practice, and real issues were discussed
and worked through. Sometimes when you take a class
or a self-development seminar, the ideas sound good
on paper, but it is hard to move the ideas to the
real world. I feel the coaching relationship was very
practical and easily transferred to the real world
in the workplace and personally. I also think the
coaching relationship gave me greater self-confidence
and the strength to put myself in a situation where
I was the "center of attention.” It helped
me understand why I am uncomfortable in certain situations.
“I believe the coaching relationship
helped me to identify what I am really good at and
what I really enjoy in my work day. I have always
enjoyed working here and felt I contributed, but the
coaching relationship has raised me to the next level
of contribution and has raised my belief in my abilities
to do a great job.”
Client
Testimonials:
"I always felt that there were
roadblocks in both my professional and personal life.
Wasn't always sure what they were, or why they were
there...I had dreams, and felt that they might never
come true. Working with Kathi has been truly one of
the most productive and enlightening experiences in
my life. It's a true partnership with this coach,
as her brilliant insight and guidance has help me
truly remove a lot of those roadblocks. I feel very
proactive about my life these days, and the changes
have be astounding. Surprising even myself."
"I highly recommend Kathi. She
helps you work hard, think smart and most importantly,
move foward!"
- Wendi Caplan,
Director, New Business/Integrated Services
"What good fortune for me that
I discovered Teleclass.com and registered for the
sampler class you offer as a preview for Communicate
and Motivate - Learn to Get Inside the Mind of Your
Client and Those you Manage. The timing was perfect;
I was halfway through my advanced courses at CTI and
ready to tackle the launch of my coaching business.
Part of my challenge was to determine how assessments
could be incorporated into my coaching practice and
to learn about DISC. "
"You did an excellent job in teaching
the DISC Universal Language. The structure of the
course was a blend of experiential learning combined
with lecture. I particularly liked the opportunity
to have my own DISC profile completed and debrief
with you individually. This process really drives
the learning home and also was a great model of reviewing
the tool with a client. The case studies were well
designed and built upon the learning, as well as demonstrated
useful applications for the DISC in a variety of possible
settings."
"As a result of the positive experience
from the DISC course, I also completed the course
Your Attitude is Showing. Increasing Communication
Through Understanding Attitudes, to learn the PIAV
assessment instrument. My experience was equally positive
and I' m looking forward to completing the certification
examinations for both the DISC and PIAV."
"The added bonus for me has also
been the opportunity to work with you. I have so appreciated
your generosity, support, and insights about starting
a coaching practice. You've helped me to understand
how to incorporate assessments into my coaching practice.
Thanks!"
- Peg Rowe, Professional
Coach
"Being a business success coach
myself, I was very selective and critical about who
I wanted to have as my coach. Kathi impressed me immediately.
Actually she did not even have to sell her services,
I asked her to become my coach because of the attraction.
I was drawn to her by her ability to connect and exhibit
true professionalism with her broad knowledge base.
She is very knowledgeable, not only in coaching but
also on the "business of coaching" something
that a lot of coaches simply do not have. She maintains
the right balance of listening, encouraging, and knowing
when to push me ahead. Her ability to focus me and
ask the right questions has helped me become a more
successful coach and focus on the things that will
bring me closer to what I really want to do in life.
She is truly a coach's coach!"
- Carole Nicolaides,
President, Progressive Leadership Coaching
"Kathi's workshops were fun and
informative. I was impressed with the extent of her
real world experience in using the profiles for both
individual and team coaching. Her guidance as we worked
through the case studies was invaluable."
- Diane Chew, Associate
Director for Merck, Inc.
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