Overview
An expanded managerial role, including higher-level stakeholder meetings, meant that this client* needed to address confidence issues that were holding her back. Through the executive coaching, we unravelled the mechanisms feeding into the low self-belief. The client speaks of the results of the process: “I feel the coaching has liberated me, and I feel this has benefited my effectiveness as a manager beyond anything I would have previously thought I was capable of.”
*The sensitive nature of my work precludes me from giving specific detail about individuals or businesses.
The context
My client manages suppliers for a global firm. Her role expanded from managing a team of 3 to 23 people. It was evident that she needed to project herself more effectively in this expanded role. At the beginning of the coaching process she felt low in confidence, particularly when dealing with conflict, the unknown or with certain senior or more experienced people. This not only had an impact on her effectiveness in her role, but had a negative impact on how she felt in herself.
The coaching themes
My client had been putting a lot of pressure on herself and giving herself a hard time. She used to shy away from some situations or stall so much that it became too late to act. We identified coaching goals around the themes of confidence, inner ease, kindness to oneself and self-projection.
What we did
We engaged in open conversations in a safe, confidential environment. Together we discovered what was creating her low self-belief. She says that it was ‘an eye-opener’ to understand the workings of her mind. This awareness gave her greater insight and helped her respond differently.
Learning to be kind to herself was one of the things that made a huge difference. She discovered how it is to feel ‘enough’, rather than inadequate. By taking the pressure off herself, she felt lighter and much more at ease. She learnt to slow down, to give herself space and time, to meditate at times and not to pile stress on herself. Even the simple act of walking more slowly to a meeting and being present for that walk made a huge difference to how at ease she felt at the start of the meeting.
She also managed to create greater work-life balance. She learnt how important balance was to feeling relaxed and happy in herself and took charge of living more in this way. Her increased inner ease was reflected in her work.
The results
In her own words “I feel a world away from where I was when I started the coaching. I now feel calmer in the office (and at home) and able to deal with a multitude of issues that would previously have been overwhelming for me.”
My client now deals with situations immediately and feels comfortable to do so – even seeking opportunities which would previously have felt beyond her. She no longer berates herself for not handling something well, but sees it as experience she can learn from. She feels much more assertive. She experiences significantly increased inner ease and self-belief and this has a positive impact on all aspects of her work.
“I feel I have gained so much from my coaching from Rachael – she has ‘unlocked’ something in me that I never knew I had, and I now feel so much more confident in my ability. I know this has been a huge benefit within my role, and I believe in myself so much more, I feel that I would be able to expand my role again in the near future. The coaching has also greatly benefitted me in my personal life, and given me skills I can always use in the future. “
Six months on… My client says that things have continued to improve. She maintains a much more relaxed approach than before the coaching. Her manager has given her additional responsibility which she has absorbed with no stress. She is delighted that the gains from the coaching feel very embedded and natural.
Get in touch
To discuss how Tall Spaghetti personal development coaching could benefit someone in your organisation, call Rachael on 07876 495 968 or get in touch via the quick contact form.