Executive Coaching - A Guide For The HR Professional.pdf

tests—that I was smart, worth something. My coach knew my company
intimately, and this understanding of both the environment and
myself was critical to our success.
I think I learned an enormous amount in a considerably short
space of time. In the competitive environment where I worked for
fifteen years, nobody had pointed out my skill set, and praise came
in the form of a bonus. I had advanced to a prominent position
without really having a good understanding of what I was good at
and why. As we covered the political, bureaucratic, social, and
cultural identity and issues of my company, and my operation within
it, I discovered three things:
• First, how to maneuver in my environment by finding sponsors
who would fight in my corner where I could not. This allowed me
to navigate better without hanging my hat on anyone’s particular
political peg.
• Second, that the problem was not me. It was the combination of
me + the job + the environment.
• Third, never to underestimate cultural differences.
Maria’s Story 131
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It has been four years since I first met my coach, and the benefits
I got from coaching are part of my psyche. I went on to manage a
team of people and was keenly aware how the fit of people and environments
is crucial to success. My own coaching made me a better
manager, as I assumed an obligation to my staff to help them
progress personally as well as meet corporate deadlines, that is,
mentoring as well as managing. I take pride in this success as I still
get calls from those who worked for me over two years ago, looking
for a little extra insight. In a harsh corporate environment where personal
progression and any form of corporate training or career planning
has dropped off the radar, it is up to the managers to help their
teams as best they can, but this is not necessarily an in-built skill, let
alone a job requirement.