My intention is that each coaching programme is a success and one way I assess that is to follow up with each client three months after the end of the programme and then again after another six months. Doing so also provides the sense of continuity which helps the client continue to work on their development agenda. This note was written following one of the three month follow up sessions.
Susan,
Having not met you since August, I was struck by the different way in which you came across when we met this week. In particular I noted how calm you appeared. Looking me in the eye with a calm, level gaze confers a greater gravitas which sits well with your comments about changing your personal appearance through your style of dress and walking round more slowly. Irrespective of what happens to the grading of your new job you present yourself strongly as a VP and the externalities are clearly matched by your growing inner confidence. It seemed to me that you are now genuinely inhabiting a personal space defined by:
- Being more comfortable being yourself
- A greater assurance in your competence
- The sense that you are genuinely a senior manager, safe in the knowledge that you are not going to be ‘found out’.
We talked about some specific things that you might keep in mind for the next few months:
- Don’t just aim to satisfice as a VP in the sense of ‘Phew, lucky to have made it’. You are there by right and it is OK to aim high and think about what you are going to do to deliver the very best that you can in the role. Talk to Ian about what good would look like for you and prepare your thoughts accordingly.
- Pay attention to how you can help Ian personally. You mentioned his tendency to procrastinate and how he does not always manage his peer relationships elegantly. On each point you can play a role in nudging him when he is at risk of doing less well than he might.
- Beware getting sucked back into the whirlwind of doing and deploy each of the following devices to avoid it. Tell people in advance that you are seeking to stay out. If you feel yourself about to say yes to taking on another task, notice it and say no instead. If you miss those moments and find you have taken things on, then back out of them courteously before your busy-ness indicators hit the red zone.
- Use the space created by not-doing in order to think. Prioritise your attention on the big topics.
- Keep on managing your email protocol as you described and anticipating events over the next fortnight so that you are able to be less rushed and can focus on embedding the people strategy in the actions.
- Try not to express negative emotions, even if you think them. Expression gives them energy and makes them grow so, don’t do it.
A long enough list but each of them makes sense individually and collectively they absolutely underpin your new seniority.
I hope you know that I have enjoyed our conversations and am impressed by what you have achieved since we first spoke. I look forward to hearing about the next phase in due course and will seek to get in your diary for mid-2013. If you need to talk in advance of that then you know where to find me however, I am confident that the next six months or so will be busy, growthful and successful for you. Plus, you get to go to Japan!
With warm regards,
Simon
