The Catalyst You Need to Take Your Good Talent and Make Them Great
Managing people is hard. I know. I did it for 20+ years - at every level of my career. Despite my efforts to have an open door policy, be approachable, and set aside time for listening and learning from team members, I still had a hard time getting people to level with me.
At first, I thought it was personal. It was something I could work on or do better. But eventually I realized, I'm "the boss" and eventually I became "the boss's boss". It's human nature to want to create an appearance of competence around the person who ultimately could decide your professional next steps.
Once I figured this out, I started leading differently. Based on performance metrics, I could see where someone was struggling. Maybe it was time management, delegating, perfectionism, public speaking... the list goes on and on.
So instead of putting my employee in an awkward situation where they had to acknowledge these areas for improvement, I started trusting my instincts (which were well honed through experience) and paying for outside help that I knew could address the issue they needed.
Take Mary for example. Mary was beautiful and brilliant and in a one on one setting - closed every single sale. However, public speaking was her achilles heel. But her job required her to do this - a lot of it. So, I sent her to a Dale Carnegie class, where each week for almost a year, she had to practice standing up before people and selling herself. I watched her self-confidence flourish, the sales of her region skyrocket, and she and I were closer than ever.
Mary was the beginning of me realizing that being the leader didn't mean I had to be the doer. I just needed to recognize the areas that needed improvement and then find ways to get those gaps filled. At the end of the day, because I hold the power of the pocketbook, I can't really be as effective as a neutral third party could be.
But man, did my employees thrive (and made me look fabulous) when I started pairing them with neutral parties who they could be honest and vulnerable with.
Which is why, when I left corporate America, I created the Catalyst Coaching Program in my coaching practice. Now, I get to be the person YOU CAN HIRE to help your talent grow and flourish - which frees you up to LEAD.
In this program, I work with YOU or the direct supervisor you choose, to understand the desired goals and performance outcomes. Then I work with your team member with those targets front and center. And, I report to you monthly on our progress, which you will also be able to see at work, so that we are accomplishing YOUR goals together!
Interested in learning about how I can help you take your good talent and make them great? Contact me today.
