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.
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| 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 > |
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