High Potential Employees: Do Underlying Intentions Get in the Way

In my work with high-potential employees, I look for “openings for coaching”– especially by focusing on their, often unconscious, behaviors that can cause misunderstanding, misalignment, and wasted resources.

For example, each member of the current “high-pot” (high-potential) team I’m coaching has been tasked by the company to generate two “Individual Development Program” (IDP) themes to work on for the next six months, while contributing to the cross-functional team’s efforts to solve a vexing business problem.

Each team member has brought their IDPs to their initial coaching session, reflecting actual feedback they’ve received from bosses, peers and subordinates. As you would expect, they are very eager to work on the issues that could help them advance in the organization. As a coach, my focus is on helping them increase their self-awareness, which naturally augments their competence as a leader, commitment to others as well as to themselves, and full professional engagement.

Below are some examples of actual 360-degree feedback, and the resulting assumptions and “stories” that others have interpreted by these behaviors. As you can see, the feedback matches the evidence for it, but does not necessarily match the high-pot’s actual internal motivation for behaving in that way. In order to help high-potential employees continue to grow and sustain their ability to positively influence outcomes, it’s important that they understand their underlying intentions, which may often be hidden to them. Only then can they consciously shift their behaviors, and consequently the negative perception of their leadership style. 

360 degree feedback	Behavioral “Evidence” for feedback	What’s actually going on – the employee’s intention
Arrogant/aloof	Interacts with others with a direct gaze, and with little expression on his face.	Processing data and dialogue mentally in the background in order to feel safe. This young man is the youngest leader to be in his role, and he’s anxious that the “gray-beards” will judge him as incompetent if he shows any weakness implying that he doesn’t know the answer, or has less experience than they do. Opening for coaching: Cultivating authentic personal power and self-confidence.

Doesn’t pay attention in meetings which is disrespectful.	Resorts to looking at her Blackberry under the table and doesn’t participate in meetings.	Believes that she will negate the ideas generated by others and wants to allow for full discussion. She distracts herself to tamp down her compulsion to shut down others, because experience tells her that she already “knows” the right answer. So she “does something productive” while waiting for others to arrive at what she already knows to be the “correct answer.” Opening for coaching: Influential communication that results in openness, presence and engagement.
Is passive-aggressive and doesn’t do what’s asked of him on his job description.	Is off doing other things rather than what the organization wants him to do.	He has already completed what’s expected of him and has excess time, energy and talent to work on other related, innovative ideas and projects to advance the organization, which also keeps him interested, focused and energized. Opening for coaching: Effectively integrating entrepreneurial endeavors into a traditional organization.

Thus, these openings for coaching can result in a win-win-win situation. The high-potential employee can achieve deeper self-awareness and therefore more conscious choice in how s/he shows up at work. Those around him/her are more comfortable to be fully who they are and less guarded because of the negative behavioral “evidence” they believe to be true. And the organization benefits by being populated by evermore conscious and intentional leaders. 

Sandy Hogan is an executive coach headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. Through integral coaching, teaching, writing and speaking she is dedicated to “evoking of others the highest in themselves.” She infuses compassion and creativity into her coaching style and philosophy, working with clients’ particular leadership issues, backgrounds, disciplines, careers, goals, and views of life. Her clients are corporate executives, management professionals, non-profit and community leaders, and people who find themselves in the midst of major transitions. More on Sandy >

Executive Coaching: Added Value of the Enneagram

Carl Gustav Jung stated that the realization of the Self is a natural process, as natural as the physical growth of a child. Unless the child gets ill or dies, it has no other direction or option than to grow. In nature, everything alive has two directions of development—growth or decline.

Growth does not stop after we’ve become adults

After the visible physical growth of the child, psychological growth continues (in a healthy situation). The psyche matures further, and there comes a moment when the natural process of self-awareness and self-realization begins. We become more aware, and within this grown awareness the need for fullfilment will naturally arise.

Attention moves from the exterior world

Upto the age of 40, attention and energy goes into finding a place in the exterior world. Here’s the thing—most executives are likely to have passed this age 40 milestone. As they enter the third quarter of life, between 40-60 years, their place in the exterior world is more or less realized, this topic loses importance and life is experienced as less fullfilling. As a result, the potential excess energy needs another object of attention in order to release.

Transition to the inner world

In this period when people lack new and fullfilling objects that require their energy, they are likely to experience a lack of vitality, creativity, and inspiration. They may have feelings of boredom, ask “is this all there is” and even get depressed or ill. Some people choose what seem like easy ways out—they start to play golf, drink more, find a lover, or live a ‘cosmetic’ life (spend money on clothing, art, houses, cars, holidays, etc.). These quick fixes prevent uncomfortable feelings from arising. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, it rarely brings true fullfilment, and keeps a person from realizing their true potential, worth and value in life—their true value for self, others, and work. This longing for self-fulfillment that executives often experience strongly begins to arise more often, and will bring their attention to their inner world.

The Enneagram supports growth

I started this blog by stating that we have only two options—growth or decline. Most people (and executives) I know choose growth. The Enneagram is a powerfull self-supporting instrument that supports growth, and working with a coach with Enneagram understanding facilitates that process.

In the twenty years that I’ve been an Executive Coach, I have not come across a model, instrument or technique that works as effectively ánd compassionately as the Enneagram. It brings one’s attention and energy to a good alternative and fullfilling new object—the exploration of one’s true Self. The Enneagram brings the resources that enables a person to develop skills of self-observation and self-reflection. These two basic skills bring self-insight and these are initial requirements for self-management, awareness and fullfilment.

As an Executive Coach, I am delighted to use the Enneagram within the coaching process to help executives and leaders become more aware of their potential for true fullfilment. It brings them and their organization new inspiration, creativity and revitalization.

Jeanette van Stijn is an entrepreneur who has managed her own companies, worked with organizational development projects, and has taught ‘train-the-trainer’ programs at several educational facilities. Her company Reflexxi is specialized in the Enneagram and focuses on in-company activities such as coaching, mediation, training (teambuilding for example) and giving lectures.  See More on Jeanette>

Sales Leadership: Reacting with...an Emotional Reaction

Reacting with…an Emotional Reaction

In our previous blogs, we covered how two different groups initially react to conflict and difficulty by initially responding with a Positive Outlook or by taking a Competent Approach.  Today we’ll visit the final triad, our group that initially responds with an Emotional Reaction. This group questions how much they can trust others, they want people to match their emotional position, and they look for some type of emotional response from others. They are easy to read and will often let you know if they have a problem.

One

They can be both independent and dependent while looking for security, safety and support.  They worry about what could go wrong so they can be prepared.  They’re extremely loyal, do not like surprises, can be extremely engaging and may become defensive.

For the sales manager, this can present a series of problems as a sales person with this approach can:

A. Consistently worry about what could go wrong, spending time, energy and resources in areas that are driven by fear

B. Find it difficult to make independent decisions and often find themselves seconding guessing the ones they make, and are looking for support  

C. May be projecting their own fears onto others without knowing it

Sales Manager Focus

1. Work with the sales person and begin to teach them how to ground their assessments (what they think may happen) and see if the time and energy they spend concerned or worried about what might go wrong is true. Could a neutral third party prove what you believe might happen? Does someone you know see the same problems you do? While their gift is spotting problems, they will want to make time to balance what they think might happen or could go wrong (the client has no money, the client will not want my products or services, the client may…) versus moving forward and remaining positive.

2. As their sales manager, see if you can help them identify when they spend time second-guessing their decisions.  Have them take a couple of minutes at the end of the workday, pause, reflect and see how this conflict showed up. How often have they changed previous decisions they made?  Did it serve them to spend so much time thinking about this?  Did this lead them to become defensive and react strongly?  Pausing to explore these patterns increases the chance they can minimize second guessing future decisions.

3. Try to observe where the sales person might be projecting his or her own fear into the sales process. They may not realize their fear of being prepared and avoiding surprises may come out as projecting fear to their clients. Listen and see how they might be projecting their fears through their questions. Are they probing and trying to understand their client’s needs, or is it possible they may be projecting their own fears when probing?

Two

They bring a lot of energy and intensity to the situation. Often they feel like it’s an all-or-nothing approach and they need to exercise their power and be in control. They tend to be very independent and quickly move into action.

For the sales manager, this can present a series of problems as a sales person with this approach can:

A.    React with too much energy and often too quickly

B.    Intimidate other people as they seek power and control

C.    Can be too direct with their comments

Sales Manager Focus

1. Pause, Pause, Pause.  The best thing a sales manager can do is begin to work with the sales representative to develop techniques to help them “sense” their energy and learn to pause.

2. The pattern driving this is the need to be self-reliant and independent. A manager can respect their needs while being direct, firm and discussing the potential loss caused by being too forceful and intimidating.

      3. Of all the sales types, this person can be the most direct and straight to the point with their language and conversations. Often they do recognize how strong they can come across to others and how intimidating this can be. During conflict or difficulty this sales person will become more forceful, often having no idea how others perceive them when they’re reacting strongly.  Going back to point one, see if you can help the sales representative “sense” when they’re about to react strongly.  Instead of moving forward, have them move the opposite direction.  The goal is to help them re-direct their natural tendency to move forward and pause until they have calmed down.

Three 

They often look for someone to understand and support them.  They may “push” you away and also “pull” you back in, not knowing what they want, other than to be seen.

For the sales manager, this can present a series of problems as a sales person with this approach:

A.    May react strongly to the problem and not be able to move forward until they receive support from another person

B.    May become so overwhelmed with their emotions they are not able to hear or think logically or clearly

C.    Fear that they may be abandoned by others and have no support

Sales Manager Focus

1. As a manager, one of the best things you can do is to set up a support system to help the sales representative when they have conflict in their lives or do not get what they want.

2. It will be important to “spend time” with the sales representative and listen to their story.  It will be important for you to encourage them to slow down, pause and breathe.  The goal is to bring them back to balance so they’re not overwhelmed in their heart center and are able to access their cognitive senses.

3.  Make sure you recognize their strong need for support.  Try to be available so they know they have your support. 

This concludes our review of the three triads that respond to conflict, difficulty or not getting what they want by responding with a Positive Outlook, a Competent Approach or by having an Emotional Reaction. I hope you found this series beneficial as I often work with clients who want to know how to work with their sales team in adverse or difficult situations.

John Brambert is the President of Trinity Performance Group, a team of seasoned Executive Coaches trained in the leading worldwide coaching programs. Trinity Performance Group’s goal is to provide a wide range of executive coaching, leadership and team development, and related services to our clients.  See More in John>

Teams: How Well Do You Know Yours

Why all 3 Centers are Important


Have you been trying to get your team to step up and produce at the next level? Are you stretched to meet or exceed your goals and being asked to do MORE with LESS? Do you struggle getting your team members to take more action, make more independent decisions and take responsibility for their decisions?

As an executive coach I often am asked to work with teams. One of the first areas I explore is identifying where the leader and each of its members function within our Three Centers of Intelligence. Let me provide you with some examples that will help explain this.

I have worked with leaders and teams that rely on being logical, driven by data and a few key objectives and focus on making decisions by overemphasizing their cognitive intelligence. Relying on our “mind” alone means we miss out on opportunities to “connect” with people, building relationships and trust. How often do we “over-analyze” the situation and fail to follow our instincts, as often we “already” know the answer but are afraid to trust making a decision without more facts.

And then there are teams that only seem to drive forward with intensity. Sort of like a car transmission that only goes forward fast, without a reverse or neutral gears. Over-reliance on our instinctual 

center of intelligence and quickly moving into action can lead to only average performance, as we miss the opportunity to pause, some of which might mean building relationships or listening for better information.  Often I hear “ready, fire and aim” associated with these teams.

Teams that know how to rely on their emotional center of intelligence are harder to find, although you might find a few while shopping at select retail establishments where teams are trained to connect with customers through relationships and the total customer experience. However, too much reliance on the emotional center might mean they feel as though they are on a rollercoaster without time to think clearly or take the best action for both themselves and others. They can lose sight of the tasks and miss important “details” as their focus is more about people and “feelings.”

So how can you work with more balance and commitment from each team member? How might you take the extra time to benefit from all three centers of intelligence? One of the first places to begin is to stop, pause and identify which of the three centers your team predominately works within. How about each member?

For your next team meeting, how could you structure the time so that everyone has a chance to express what was meaningful to them about their work and each other? How might they be able to tie what they do each day to the greater goals of what the organization is trying to achieve for its customers? How could you impact their sense of belonging to the team so that they want to contribute at their best in a way that brings them personal meaning? How might you role model showing up as an entire person instead of only talking about the tasks at hand, what was completed and what needs to be done?

I often find that the best team leaders bring balance to the picture and understand how to communicate and motivate effectively by understanding their team members. Do you know the dominant center each team member utilizes on your own team?

Jenny Yoder brings a wealth of life and work experience to each client coaching relationship. Coaching clients benefit from Jenny’s broad experience in sales, marketing, services/product management, operations, small-business ownership, and change and transition employee communications consulting within the high-tech industry. Her previous roles in multiple leadership capacities provide context and a reality-based foundation for her coaching relationships.  See More>

Sales Leadership: Reactivity and a Competent Approach

Reactivity and a Competent Approach

In our last series of blogs we shared with you how 3 different types of individuals react to conflict or difficulty by initially taking a Positive Outlook and denying they may have a problem.  Today we’ll look at the second triad, our Competency Group and see how the 3 different styles in this group initially react to conflict or difficulty by remaining calm, detaching from their feelings or emotions and looking to solve problems logically.

One

They look to stay within the rules, remain clam, stay organized and focus on high standards and doing things the “right” way. The ultimate goal is to get things done perfectly by working within the system.

For the sales manager, this can present a series of problems as a sales person with this approach can:

A. Take too much time gathering the facts, data and over-analyzing the situation.

B. Become viewed as cold or insensitive.

C. Become too focused on what is not working right, and becoming resentful toward others who do not adhere to the same standards.

Sales Manager Focus

1. Ask the sales person to examine their intuition and notice what their instincts guide them versus collecting facts, figures and data. There’s a strong chance they already know what needs to be done, and can minimize some of the time spent on collecting data.

2. What does the sales person enjoy doing outside of work that’s fun.  See if you can remind them to focus on having fun versus only feeling the responsibility of “work.”  The goal is to help soften the need to be “perfect” and recognize that the work may be good enough just the way it is.  By doing this they can spend more time prospecting,selling and having fun. 

3. Make sure you understand their challenge of being Competent. By remaining this way all the time what is the sales person possibly avoiding? Remember his or her strength of being responsible has a “shadow side” and this shows-up as being resentful and holding anger within.  Instead, see if you can help them to develop a way to release this anger in a gentle way when they first begins to sense it, and always remind them to have FUN and not work so hard.

Two

They remove themselves from the system and rules. They want to work on their own, independently, researching facts, material, data and the process so they can provide the best solution based on their own knowledge and research.

For the sales manager, this can present a series of problems as a sales person with this approach can:

A. Take too much time gathering the facts, data prior to moving into action.

B. Be perceived as cold or insensitive, as they rarely look to connect with others through their feelings or emotions.

C. Become overwhelmed by rules, procedures and requests that feel highly intrusive.

Sales Manager Focus

1. Ask the sales rep to balance their desire for time alone and increasing their time spent with clients. As his manager, how can you help him have more fun doing this.

2. Emphasize the need to spend more time building relationships, and develop a plan where they can do nothing more than network and learn more about other people. 

3. Make sure you understand the challenge of remaining Competent and what are they possibly avoiding? Remember their strength of being logical and calm protects them from having to share their own feelings and emotions. Instead, see if you can help him begin to share with you and others what he’s feeling. Ultimately, they may begin to see their relationships improve and the need to sell features and benefits will become better balanced by connecting with others.

Three 

They like to work within the system but are not afraid to go outside of it, possibly bending the rules so they can work efficiently to correct the problem, potentially using it to their advantage. Ultimately they want to return to their own goals and success so others can recognize what they have done.

For the sales manager, this can present a series of problems as a sales person with this approach can:

A. Move to quickly to find an efficient answer, but not necessarily the best answer, potentially overlooking key details.

B. Avoid the problems or issues if they do not feel competent on the topic.  

C. Becoming more focused on what’s best for them versus what might be best for the client or your company.

Sales Manager Focus

1. Ask them to develop a plan to spend more time looking and evaluating key details prior to moving into action. Remind them of the importance of checking all the facts prior to moving into action and how this may enhance their overall image, both with clients and their company.  Even if this slows them down, they will relate to the extra attention it might bring.

2. Ask him to rethink his role as the “expert” and begin to work on his softer skills for probing and asking empowering questions that will provide him with more details.

3. Find ways where you can applaud them for providing solutions that may not impact him directly but do impact the client and company.  Recognizing their accomplishments will increase your opportunity to motivate him to do more for others.

As you have seen, even though the 3 types of sales people remains Competent during conflict or difficulty, the patterns of their behavior may not be so positive for you or your company. Our next section will look at REACTIVITY, and how the last triad initially responds to conflict and difficulty with an Emotional Reaction.

John Brambert is the President of Trinity Performance Group, a team of seasoned Executive Coaches trained in the leading worldwide coaching programs. Trinity Performance Group’s goal is to provide a wide range of executive coaching, leadership and team development, and related services to our clients.  See More in John>