The names of individuals in the “Success Stories” are not names of actual clients. Each story has been modified to protect the confidentiality of our clients and are shared as “composite” stories of clients we work with.
The Challenge:
Alicia, Jane, and Martin have been running the family business together for over 20 years. This year, they felt stuck and unmotivated to articulate the new strategic direction for the company and knew they needed help.
The Work:
They contacted J.Ferm to get a deeper connection to their business and to each other. The coach began assessing their individual strengths and areas for development and asked each person to design a “Future File” containing a detailed description of what the company would look like five years down the road.
The Results:
This exercise helped the team visualize a future beyond traditional ways of thinking and it allowed them to think creatively again. Each team member left the strategic coaching day with one new goal to move the organization from “good” to “great.”
The Challenge:
Jenny, a senior investment banker, realized that her lack of passion at work was eating away at her energy level. Not surprisingly, this contributed to her chronically bad mood. She loved working directly with clients and knew her ability to connect with them emotionally made her successful as a banker. Lately, however, the company had moved to a more process-focused, bottom-lined approach and she felt like she didn’t have enough time to serve her clients like she used to. She felt bogged down by the amount of paperwork needed to keep up with the company’s expectations and her manager kept requesting updates and financial reports.
The Work:
Jenny and her coach started by reviewing her Personal Interests, Attitudes, and Values Report (PIAV) report which listed her driving values in order of importance. She discovered that her two driving values were Utilitarian (wanting a return on investment of time and resources) and Social (the desire to help others grow and develop). Her situational values were Individualistic (the desire to be a leader) and Theoretical (a quest for knowledge). When Jenny discovered what values energized her, she felt like a door had opened up! She recognized that, if she aligned her daily tasks with what drives her, she would rekindle the passion for work again. Jenny realized that she needed to take specific steps and moved into action.
The Results:
She met with her manager to share the news. She communicated clearly about what she was passionate about at work and what she wanted to focus on to produce results. She asked her manager for administrative support and a “break” from the weekly reports until she was up to speed. The response surprised her! Her manager even offered to do the reports for her since she didn’t realize it was weighing Jenny down. She was more excited about Jenny growing her book of business and increasing the results for the company, than having the reports done! Today, Jenny is outperforming her competition and enjoys her work immensely.
The Challenge:
Kevin was used to working over 80 hours a week as a high-profile PR executive. He enjoyed a life of luxury, including fancy dinners, fabulous perks, and an impressive income. Yet what he really wanted was to spend more time at home with his family.
The Work:
Together with his coach, Kevin started reviewing HOW he was spending time at work. He discovered that he wasn’t setting boundaries with clients and co-workers which impacted his effectiveness. He also recognized that he had become a”YES-man” who volunteered to take on more responsibility than he had time for, which in turn resulted in a sense of being overwhelmed and frustrated.
Kevin knew that he wanted to spend less time at work and more time with his family and decided to take one step at a time. He began by asking specific questions about time and resources in order to create more time in his schedule. For example, when clients asked him to be at a certain meeting, Kevin asked how important it was that he was there in person. Could he be on a conference call instead? Were the dates and times flexible to the client? Could he combine visiting clients who were in close proximity to travel more effectively?
The Results:
What Kevin soon realized was that most of his clients were perfectly happy hearing him on a conference line instead of seeing him in person. They were often flexible about the date and time he visited, and were happy to accommodate his schedule when possible. Today, Kevin is working no more than 60 hours a week and travels no more than 2 days a week. Setting boundaries and asking questions helped Kevin spend more time with his family and become more effective and fulfilled at work.
The Challenge:
Curtis was facing a transition at work and knew that it was time to make a significant change. When he contacted J.Ferm, he was considering quitting his job and taking a 3-month sabbatical to travel around the world. He thought that would be the answer to his problems.
The Work:
During his first coaching call, the coach asked if he was willing to consider an alternate solution to leaving his job. The coach requested that he set aside his preconceived solution to the problem and give himself a few months to figure out what may be causing the impulse to leave his job in the first place. With some hesitation, Curtis agreed to consider the possibility of an alternate solution.
After three months of hard work and honest self-assessment, Curtis realized that he had been “running away” from both opportunities and challenges, anytime they forced him to make a big decision. Based on this revelation, Curtis made significant changes to the way he thought and acted regarding decision-making. He became aware of smaller steps he could take earlier in the process that calmed his fears and allowed him to prepare for a larger decision at a slower pace.
The Results:
Did he stay or leave? It is not for us to share, but Curtis did make this comment: “Coach, I realize now that wherever you go, there you are. Thank you for challenging me to think differently to get a different result.”
The Challenge:
Maria was a highly regarded top producer in her industry. She had consistently exceeded expectations and stopped at nothing to get the job done. She may have “stepped on a few toes” along the way, but did what she felt was necessary to get results. Her boss was tremendously impressed with her success and promoted her to manager.
Shortly after the promotion, she began having difficulty meeting and exceeding her goals. Her staff came up with excuses for non-performance and she experienced constant turn-over. Maria tried setting higher expectations and demanded increased performance , but to no avail.
The Work:
It was at this time that Maria contacted J.Ferm for help. After a few hard looks in the proverbial mirror, Maria saw a person she didn’t like. She had been so focused on results that she had become a “bull in a China shop,” destroying whatever was in her way. People didn’t like her, she had a reputation of being unreasonable and overly-demanding, and her staff did not respect her.
Together with her coach she worked on developing empathy, communicating clearly without being curt or blunt, and connecting with her own views of work. She asked herself “Does it have to be so hard? Can I combine work, fun, and results? What do I need to change to get the results I want?”
The Results:
Now Maria is coaching and leading a high-performing team and is consistently exceeding her department’s goals. She has been praised for her willingness to confront her leadership style and for taking the initiative to change. Maria now realizes that being a solo-performer is very different from coaching and leading a team and it requires an entirely new set of skills.
The Challenge:
Collin, a senior Executive at a Fortune 500 company, approached J.Ferm after he was told by his manager that he needed to become more of a “people person.” His manager, Jane, told him that she was happy with the results he produced, but the feedback in a recent 360 degree survey indicated that those around Collin did not like working with him. The anonymous feedback in the survey indicated that at least two people left the firm because they found Collin abrasive and de-motivating. Jane mentioned that she would have to let Collin go if he didn’t change or act on this issue immediately. She encouraged him to seek out an executive coach.
The Work:
This feedback knocked Collin for a loop. “How could they say such things? Wasn’t he an honest, straight forward, direct communicator? Wasn’t he a mentor to several high performers at the firm? After all, he was responsible for producing results not making people feel good, right?” Even though Collin’s natural instinct was to fight back and deny the feedback, he decided to contact an executive coach to gain some insight.
He worked with his coach to confront the real answers to these questions. He had to go deep into his “authentic self” to discover the truth. It demanded a willingness to “confront the brutal facts” and it proved to be painful and challenging. Through the process Collin discovered that, what used to be strengths had become weaknesses. His natural ability to be clear and concise was coming off as blunt and rude. He recognized that he had been hiding behind the results to avoid developing his”people skills.”He re-connected with his desire to help others produce results and designed a process that lets him consistently check in with his employees’ personal and professional goals.
The Results:
Today, Collins is recognized within the firm as a manager who produces results THROUGH people. His latest 360 degree feedback assessment indicated that he is viewed as a leader and an excellent communicator. He is now looking forward to his 6 month 360 degree assessment review!
The Challenge:
Rose, a single mother of three, top producer in her industry, and Vice President of a high-profiled company, came to J.Ferm hoping to find answers to a “nagging”question. “Should she find a new job that challenged her talents, or stay at her current company even though she was convinced that she had reached the top as far as promotions were concerned?” She had given her notice once before, but was swayed by the President to stay and given a significant salary increase. She was torn between loyalty to the company and her commitment to her personal and professional development.
The Work:
During the intake call with her coach, she shared all the reasons she felt she had to leave the company, including: an absence of promotional opportunities, demanding work and travel schedule, and an overwhelming work load. Her coach asked her for permission to set the “outcome” of the coaching relationship aside and instead search for the answers to her discontent.
As the coach “dug a little deeper” by asking pointed questions, Rose recognized that her reasons for leaving were not the real issue. Through her excavation work, she realized that she was afraid to say no to her demanding boss, had a need to be a “Superwoman” and do it all by herself, and had extended her boundaries to the point where she had become aphetic and phlegmatic. It was a challenge for Rose to accept responsibility for her inadvertent transformation and she worked hard with her coach to get re-focused and re-energized.
She began by asking her manager for a new job description indicating what her responsibilities were and how she would be measured on her ability to meet or exceed the expectations. Rose also asked permission to say no to her manager and others if she felt that the additional work prevented her from being productive and effective.
The Results:
Rose is still employed at the same company, but has created a new role for herself that taps into her strengths and interests. She is comfortable saying no and offering alternatives if she is not able to assist others. Her energy and determination are back and the company is benefiting greatly from her results. She is spending more time with her children and is looking forward to spearheading a new product launch this year.
The Challenge:
Michael, a serial entrepreneur and President of a successful business, decided he had had enough! He came to J.Ferm hoping to regain focus and direction for himself and his business. It was the end of the year and Michael did not want to continue putting out fires on a daily basis. He wanted to get back to being the guy who dreamed up big visions and engaged in high-risk successful business ventures. When his coach asked him where to start, he said: “I need to be better organized, more focused, and manage my time better.” With that in mind, they began the work.
The Work:
Unexpectedly, Michael’s coach asked for permission to set those goals aside for a while. Surprised and intrigued, Michael agreed. Through the first part of the year, Michael and his coach worked on other related issues. For example, Michael realized that he was trapped in the role of playing the “big brother” to his junior staff. He wanted desperately to help them succeed, but did so at his own (and the company’s) expense. When he reviewed his financials he realized that the staff was taking advantage of his generosity and were charging personal expenses to the company. These revelations really got to Michael. He wasn’t as upset with them as he was with himself. He recognized that he wasn’t caring for himself or his business and acted immediately to make the necessary changes.
He worked with his coach to set new and clear boundaries for the staff and met with them to clarify expectations. In addition, he began delegating responsibility and asking staff members to hold themselves accountable. With his free time, he began setting aside time for long-term planning and entrepreneurial thinking.
The Results:
As a result of Michael’s hard work and dedication, his business is booming. He replaced some employees with top producers who are responsible and accountable. He spends more time at the gym and is thinking up new plans and visions for his company. He recognized that he did not need more time, but needed to use the time he had more effectively. Prior to coaching, he was doing other people’s jobs and was hesitant to hold his employees accountable. He is focused and determined to build a “healthy” company and to lead that company to new heights. As for being more organized, Michael finally realized that being truly “organized”isn’t his natural style, and the successful solution was to hire an exceptional assistant who keeps him on track.
After meeting Ed at several leadership networking events, he approached me one day and said “I know you are an Executive Coach, but what does that really mean? If we worked together, what would we do? How would I know I got my money’s worth?”
Ed’s questions are common for someone who is interested in coaching. It is an intangible service with non-guaranteed results that requires a significant financial and time investment. Most executives and individuals want to know what they will be paying for. Since the answers to his questions required a different setting, I asked to meet with Ed later that week to learn more about what peaked his interest in coaching, what he wanted to accomplish, and if coaching was the right venue to get him there.
When we met, he told me he had met one of our clients named Dan and was impressed with the results Dan had accomplished in a short time and Ed wanted to know how he could do the same. I answered: “That depends on what you want to accomplish. Each person is different and wants different outcomes. Let’s talk about some of yours.” I began by asking Ed a series of question including “What would you like more of? What would you like less of? What is your biggest challenge right now? If we coached together, what would be the first thing we would work on? When will you know that you are getting the results you are looking for?” We spent almost an hour talking about where Ed was and where he wanted to be, what his BIG personal and business goals were, and how coaching may help him get there. As our meeting came to an end, Ed asked if it was OK to think over what we discussed and to let me know in a few days if he was ready to get started. I told him that I ask all clients to process the initial meeting and to decide if they are committed in a few days. To get the kind of results that Dan experienced and Ed was interested in, requires a serious commitment. Coaching is not an answer for every organizational and/or personal challenge.
A few days later, Ed called and left a message. He said, “I’m ready. Let’s go!”
