A business had a technical leader with very deep knowledge in a specialist area, and had been promoted to a management position. However she had difficulties working effectively with other team members which was causing dysfunction in the business.
The individual was brilliant in their area of knowledge, but had limited strategic insight or the ability to think beyond their own area and have a commercial perspective. She was seen to be arrogant and displayed a lack of respect for people with less technical expertise.
The organisation wanted to retain the skills of the individual, but needed her to be able to work more effectively with other team members and understand the wider commercial objectives of the business.
The organisation partnered with Directioneering to engage an experienced executive coach, to help the individual develop skills to work effectively with others.
Despite her technical expertise, the individual was a natural introvert, and had difficulty managing and empowering her team, which was causing her to lose confidence, resulting in some of the dysfunctional behaviours.
The executive coach worked with the individual to help them understand different perspectives. They helped them develop skills for working collaboratively and delegating effectively.
Her executive coach was able to help her understand how to get clarity on what her new role and responsibilities were, develop management skills, and help negotiate role boundaries and expectations with the CEO.
In the end, the individual was able to increase her confidence as a manager and work effectively with her team, asking not telling, and facilitating rather than dictating. The business was able to retain valuable skills and expertise and now have an effective team manager.
