Overview
A departmental head at one of the world’s top legal outsourcing firms, this client’s journey with Tall Spaghetti was one of self-discovery. By learning to adjust her expectations, ‘see reality’ more clearly and address self-stoppers, she was able to generate fresh thinking that allowed her own natural and abundant strengths to shine.
The context
At the start of her executive coaching, this client* rated herself as being low on confidence and self-belief. This was particularly pronounced when it came to managing change or working with certain personalities in her corporate space. She expected perfection from herself – and others – and had prejudices that she hadn’t previously acknowledged or challenged. She felt she ‘should’ have all the answers and was frustrated when she found certain situations difficult. Relaxing into her role felt challenging. This in turn led to stress and an inability to switch off outside of work; which led to even greater stress.
*The confidential nature of my work precludes me from giving specific detail about individuals or businesses.
The coaching theme
My focus with this client was opening up her mind to new perceptions. She was held back by distorted expectations of herself and others. She couldn’t see where she was getting in her own way. My job was to help her stop piling pressure onto herself so she could calmly assess situations – and to turn around her tendency to get locked into assumptions about projects, other people, or herself.
What we did
After establishing some intentions for the executive coaching, the client and I worked together over six very creative and enlightening sessions. She was open-minded to the coaching process and receptive to new ideas. Her openness to the coaching and enthusiasm for new ideas was in itself proof that she had so much to offer. Although initially (to a certain extent) many of her offerings were covered over and dominated by stress. I helped this client to ‘observe’ her thoughts – a shift in perspective that would allow her to be less identified with negative and fearful thoughts and subsequently to be able to let them go. I also facilitated my client in having honest dialogue with herself – to examine why she didn’t work well with certain personalities, how she could better understand their point of view and support them more effectively. Many ‘light bulb’ moments ensued.
The results
The client met (indeed exceeded) every intention she set for herself at the beginning of the executive coaching process. Six months down the line, she’s become a more effective business leader, has improved top-line growth and has a strong, supportive management structure in place beneath her. She has found her ‘natural’ style within the role. As such, she has developed better working relationships that are more accepting of others. The result – improved credibility, significantly less stress, real friendships and a great deal of enjoyment and even laughter at work.
“Coaching has really liberated me from old thinking and stress traps. The most profound change since coaching is that I really enjoy my work life – it can be fun if you have the right perspective and it’s something that sets the tone for my team members too. They tell me they feel they’re in a more positive and motivated area and are committed to keeping it that way. I am also making more time for the things I really enjoy like developing managers. Rachael is very skilled and personable – she has a flexible style and is very patient. I really enjoyed working with her and felt so supported and encouraged the whole way through.”
Get in touch
To discuss how Tall Spaghetti coaching could benefit a key individual or individuals in your business, call Rachael on on 07876 495 968 or get in touch via the quick contact form.