CHALLENGE
The Director was new to the role and the department was in chaos.
BACKGROUND
The Director was new to the position and while educated was at risk of giving up and giving in to the overwhelm she experienced as she started her position.
Taking on a new roles is challenging because not only do you have to jump in and manage, you also have to learn about the role, people, culture and so much more.
Having too much to do can create an insidious pressure that impacts thinking, behavior, decisions and outcomes. It is natural to think about the ‘what ifs’ and the risk that comes with making decisions. When the pressure crosses that fine line and triggers the primitive survival instinct of the stress reaction, one loses their broad perspective and can get stuck in analysis paralysis or the opposite – being over reactive.
This Director was caught between this possibility and finding her stride and moving through the pressure.
This Director talked about leaders she knew who fell into the trap of not making decisions. She witnessed how the team lost trust in their leaders and ignored their decisions. She recognized the impact on the organization with lost productivity, increased costs, compromised quality, and stalled momentum. She did not want to fall into the “norm” of complacency.
This director was able to use the assessments to identify strengths and with coaching she owned them, building a strong leadership brand despite her newness to the role.
Strategy
1.) 3-month commitment to Executive coaching.
This kept the Director from giving up and giving in to the overwhelm. Emotional overload is like a stress reaction and limits perspective.
- Month 1: Weekly Sessions
- Month 2: 2x month sessions
- Month 3: 1x month session
Quarterly check-in planned.
2.) Assessment: Emotional Intelligence and Conflict
Using the assessments highlighted the leaders strengths and blind spots.
3.) Focus on strengths to build authentic confidence.
The Director was new to the role yet had tremendous experience and education. Because of the chaos and confusion in the department that threatened to overwhelm her, we focused on strengths to build up her identity as a Director.
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