Coaching Case Studies
Seasoned Executive
Makes a Career Change
Scenario:
My client was an accomplished COO with 30+ years of experience who ran a intercoastal transportation company. This client was succeeding in the company and was well-compensated; however, she was not experiencing fulfillment in her work. She wanted to know what was next.
My Approach:
I started with a verbal assessment to better understand which aspects of my client’s work were and were not fulfilling for her and to discern her current passions and curiosities. As we explored these ideas and did some deep thinking, the coaching brought forth elements that were important to her. I held space for my client as she considered a variety of opportunities and discovered what stirred her soul.
Together, we developed a plan to cultivate her passions and impact her community in meaningful ways. Through coaching, she gained clarity about what was most important for her future and eventually narrowed her focus to one not-for-profit organization. To find out if it was a good fit, she volunteered with the organization while continuing her position with the previous company.
Outcomes:
Within a year, she was invited into executive leadership for that not-for-profit organization. She was excited to move into a new career path that utilized her passions and gifts in a local setting. She says about her experience, “Since coaching with Rebeka, I’ve learned so much about myself. I am better aligned with my goals and I have a clearer understanding of my next steps. Meeting with her changed my life trajectory and I now enjoy what I do!”
Executive Suffering from Burnout
Finds a Renewed Vision
Scenario:
My client, a director of a large operational division and a high-potential employee for her organization, was connected with me for a six-month coaching engagement. The coaching revealed that my client was feeling burned out and disenchanted with leadership, and she was planning her exit from the organization.
My Approach:
I began the coaching engagement by working with the client to identify some key leadership development areas that interested her. As trust developed with the client, she shared her thoughts about leaving the organization.
She found herself experiencing impostor syndrome despite her strengths. My client was doubting her abilities, her competence and her future with the organization, and she felt stuck. To complicate the situation, a staff member with long tenure routinely undermined her efforts, echoing my client’s own internal critic and increasing her self-doubt. Work was joyless and she carried a heavy burden home to her young family.
Through our coaching sessions, my client recognized she was conflict-averse – she had difficulty enforcing boundaries with staff because she didn’t want to hurt feelings or be disliked. She realized she was second-guessing herself and was living in a state of fear of “the next hard thing.” Together, we constructed a growth plan to address the areas in which she wanted to mature her leadership capacity and develop her executive presence (internally as well as externally!).
Outcomes:
Through coaching, my client learned to distinguish what is in her control and what is not, which helped her become more resilient. She learned to recognize her harsh internal critic, reframe the facts, and give herself the same grace and compassion she offered to others. She found her vision and was able to articulate her expectations and follow up when those were not met.
She learned to recognize – and professionally address – power struggles at work, and she was able to hold space for the discomfort that came with intentional culture change. My client internalized the coaching techniques she learned and still uses them today as she leads her staff of 60.
As a result of our time together, my client’s organization was able to keep a highly valuable employee, and my client now leads with greater clarity of vision and increased leadership abilities. Personally, she’s happier and again calls her work “joy-filled!" Her family is happier too.
Entrepreneur Creates a Plan
for Company Expansion
Scenario:
My client, a medical professional, had a medical practice with one location and additional providers under her umbrella. She wanted to determine what 3-5 years out would look like for her growing business so that she could focus her energy in that direction moving forward.
My Approach:
I began this coaching session by seeking to understand the passion my client has for her clients and her field so that I could make sure this stayed at the forefront of her business planning. I also helped my client examine all of the systems she was a part of and determine what was working well and what she would like to change so this foundation was solid as she looked toward the future.
Together, we explored the joys and hardships of her work and came up with a plan to address the difficulties, especially those that acted as limiting factors to the business's development and her vision. Next, I helped my client learn to distinguish what is in her control, what is not, what she as the owner needs to manage, and what she could trust her employees to handle.
Outcomes:
My client was able to sort through the many opportunities and narrow them down to her specific vision. Now she is aware of what she wants so she can immediately act when opportunities present themselves. She has set benchmarks to know when she is nearing an opportunity decision point. She further identified roadblocks to both business growth and her personal fulfillment in her business and strategized and implemented plans to reduce their impact while also developing resilience to work through them.
My client determined what she wanted in her personal life and in her business and is aware of the sacrifices she is intentionally making in both areas. She is purposeful about each day, realistic about the challenges she faces and has the tools to make her vision a reality.
