Life as a new manager is a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, you've received a promotion, recognition and perhaps a raise. However, suddenly it seems as if much of your content knowledge of the job - which helped you get to where you're at - does not make much difference when it comes to motivating and developing your staff.
Leap Advocates offers one-on-one coaching to help new managers and supervisors transition from being an individual performer to leading others.
Challenges
Many new managers and supervisors often experience the a number of challenges, including:
-
Feeling uncertain of their power, particularly since they may be managing former peers.
-
Acting tentatively and feeling afraid to make a decision.
-
Overusing their formal managerial power and damaging relationships with others as well as their reputation.
-
Feeling a sense of loss and incompetence at having to let go of "hands-on" involvement in tactical issues.
-
Overwhelm at the nature of the work and increased expectations from above.
-
Unsure of what is really expected of them by their boss
Our Approach
Our approach to coaching includes the following
key components:
-
Competency-based coaching designed to help managers and supervisors improve the skills identified by their organizations as being critical for leaders and managers.
-
Assessment about a manager's baseline ability through 360 degree feedback collected from their bosses, peers and subordinates. With many clients this also includes the use of various instruments such as the MBTI, FIRO-B, DISC or EQI.
-
Clarification of their core values and how these values inform their leadership or management style.
-
Goal focus whereby we work with managers to develop a clear list of coaching goals as a means for evaluating the success of the coaching engagement.
-
Time management strategies to help them reflect, plan, focus and act with intention.
-
Accountability, support and challenge where we hold our coaching clients accountable for their commitments and support them as they face challenging circumstances.
Benefits and Outcomes
While the results of each coaching engagement differs, there are some consistencies in the results that our clients achieve. These include:
-
Clarify about what is expected of them
Greater awareness of their own behavior, motivation and impact.
-
Enhanced ability to build relationships and influence others.
-
Improved capacity to make decisions and take smart risks.
-
Clarity about short and long term career options.
-
Enhanced ability to manage time and establish or maintain life balance.
-
Improved skills at managing the performance of subordinates.
Illustrative Client Vignette*
Background
Michael was a very successful software developer
working for a financial services organization. He was recently promoted to a managerial role - the first time he has ever managed a group of people. Four people report to Michael, all of whom were former peers. Michael is working long hours in his new role, getting frustrated in his interactions with his staff and wondering why he ever agreed to leave a job he loved to become a manager.
Approach
I had Michael complete a self-assessment to identify his strengths and development needs, as well as his core values. Given his lack of clarity about his role, we strategized on ways to clarify this with his boss. I then had Michael start to identify role models and mentors who he respected to build supportive relationships with.
I interviewed a number of his peers and staff to identify his strengths and developmental needs. Combined with his self-assessment, he completed a development plan. I used appreciate awareness to help Michael appreciate his strengths and talents, rather than fixate on his weaknesses, as a way for him to build his belief in his ability to manage. In each session, I had Michael identify new behaviors he wanted to try with his team and reflect on the prior weeks homework. Eventually, we created a long-term career plan so that Michael was able to get perspective on the "big picture" of his career.
Results
Michael developed solid relationships with his staff, boss and peers and as a result of becoming more self-aware. He learned to adapt his management style based on the situation, thereby resulting in greater performance from his people.
* The facts of this case have been generalized from several clients in order to maintain confidentiality.
Relevant Qualifications
Our coaches bring a variety of educational and
organizational coaching experience that make us
well suited to coach leaders in organizations. In particular, Kevin
Nourse brings the following qualifications
to his work as a coach:
-
"Big 5" consulting leadership development
and coaching experience with PricewaterhouseCoopers
Consulting.
-
MA degree in Human Resource Development; MA degree in Human and Organization Systems.
-
Currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program
at the Fielding Graduate Institute in Human
and Organization Development.
-
Certification by the International Coach Federation as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with over 800 hours experience coaching entrepreneurs,
leaders and managers.
-
Training with the Coaches Training Institute
and Coach University.
-
Experience developing and implementing 360
feedback and mentoring programs, including
the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) Benchmarks
360 and the Hay group Emotional Intelligence
(EQI) tool.
-
Experience coaching over 50 new managers.
Selected Organizational Client List
Listed below are organizations which engaged Kevin Nourse to coach new and established managers:
-
America Online
-
American Association of Port Authorities
-
American Psychological Association
-
Association of Trial Lawyers in America
-
Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals
-
Global Financial Services Company
-
Marriott International
-
National Cooperative Bank
-
NCB Captial Impact
-
Port of Los Angeles
-
US Food and Drug Administration
-
US Patents and Trademark Office
|
