Stepping into big shoes –balancing discomfort and confidence
Executive Coaching Case Study
Following a restructure, an organisation hired directors into newly the created roles. They offered executive coaching for these (and existing) directors to support them as they got to grips with their new roles and expectations.
Cam was a new hire, coming with a breadth of experience but from a smaller organisation. She was a deep thinker, confident communicator, warm and passionate about making a difference to her team and customers. This new role was a step up, and at times she couldn’t quite believe how she was chosen amongst the competition, struggling to see the potential that their direct line manager saw when they took her on. The business where she worked sat at a tangent to the main group organisation, and so she wanted to use the coaching also to consider how to add navigate the organisational web, to add value to key stakeholders. Her line manager shared that he had great faith and confidence in Cam, but he sat on the board and, so it was hard to get time with him.
Cam had nine coaching sessions and during the meetings, she was invited to reconnect with the reasons she applied for the role, with her qualities and with her achievements in her previous positions, in and out of work. At first, she found it uncomfortable to own this, so we spent time looking back on where she had experienced this before. We balanced between spending time on Cam getting a more familiar yet distanced perspective on her different ‘selves’; getting to know the part of her which doesn’t quite believe she got the job, the part of her which is proud of this achievement and can see her potential, and the part of her which shows self-compassion. Cam also explored the level of discomfort inherent in stepping into bigger shoes, and whether it was possible to accept it was a necessary part of having an impact in a new role.
The coaching went on to look at the key relationships she wanted to influence, and mapped out how to make progress here, including planning out a conversation with her line manager. The line manager had given permission for Cam to hold them to account, and being reminded of this, gave Cam more confidence to have a more robust conversation with him on the support (more than the affirmations) that she needed to flourish in the role.
Throughout the process, Cam took the coaching seriously, bringing her thoughtfulness and warmth. She committed to the cadence of sessions, and completed tasks identified in the coaching room back in the workplace. Nine months into the role, and Cam was well liked and respected by her team, peers and senior leaders and was making the impact she had hoped to. In the final session, we reflected on how Cam took agency for accepting and then moving through her discomfort, facing her challenges, gaining fulfilment, and becoming an integrated and valued member of the organisation.
Names and organisational details were changed to respect confidentiality.
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