Why Go It Alone? Stimulating Growth - A Leadership Approach

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How to get your boss on-side Part 4: a true story

For those of you who have been following the story, you will want to know that Mark achieved his objective of securing the Executive Coaching to enable him to take his performance as a leader to the next level. The questions I asked him (see last blog post) removed the underlying assumption that he would not be able to remain calm and clear under pressure and argue his case. The assumption was in fact just a story he was holding onto and which his subconscious was feeding him as the truth. Once he had the new story in place he was able to see new possibilities and act accordingly. These were some of the actions he took to pave the way for success:

1. Having previously reflected on Jane's need to link any new initiative to solid, measurable outcomes, Mark's proposal focused on the likely benefits to the business. He led with the short-term impact and demonstrated how longer-term team engagement would translate into lower staff turnover and reduced cost.
2. He mentally rehearsed his pitch. This included not only the words to use but also the state of mind he wanted to be in: calm, purposeful and energetic.
3. He paid attention to his pace and tone of speech, making sure that he spoke succinctly and relatively quickly to match what he felt was Jane's preferred style of listening.

In fact he encountered very little resistance from Jane and the conversation was relaxed. I was not lucky enough to be a fly on the wall, but if I had been I suspect that on some level Jane detected a genuine attempt from Mark to recognise the business issues and her need to balance out what the company needs right now as well as in the future.

How might you adapt your approach to communication to be more influential?

How to get your boss on-side Part 3: a true story

So as you will recall Mark was nearly at the point where he felt confident to present a robust case for Executive coaching to Jane, his CEO. But I sensed resistance still. Mark needed no convincing that coaching was the way forward for him to consolidate his leadership skills because he had witnessed the positive impact of coaching on his team. He knew that it had the potential to release him from his 'stuck' feeling and rejuvenate his career. Here is how the conversation went:

• Mark, I am sensing there is still a part of you that believes you cannot convince Jane, even if you specify the likely commercial outcomes, sell the coaching programme as likely to attract recognition and use fewer words. Am I right? 

• Yes, and I am not sure why.

• OK, what are you assuming that is preventing you from having this conversation with Jane?

• That she will only half listen and imply that there are more important priorities on her mind.

• I can see how that might worry you, but what are you assuming about that that is preventing you from having the conversation?

• I guess I am assuming that I will then start feeling that she is right and I am wrong, that there really is no business case to answer after all and that I will feel under pressure and not know what to say.

• What is your positive opposite of this assumption Mark?

• That I am right, that the coaching has a good possibility of making a commercial difference and that I can be upwardly influential when I need to be.

• If you knew that you were right, that the coaching has a good possibility of making a commercial difference and that you can be upwardly influential when you need to be, what would your next steps be?

• I would schedule a meeting with Jane and mentally rehearse its outcome. Yes, that's it.

Are you able to get a mental picture of what happened to the energy in the room during this conversation?


What are you assuming that is preventing you from solving a problem or achieving a goal?


Do you want to know what happened next? 

How to get your boss on-side: a true story - What happened next ...

You will recall from my last post that my client was attempting to persuade his CEO to invest in executive coaching. Let's give them some names (changed obviously for the sake of confidentiality): Mark is my contact, the MD, and Jane is his CEO.

Mark's starting point was Jane's apparent inability to recognize both the benefits of leadership development per se and the need to take a strategic view of talent development given the company's recent and projected high rate of growth.

The questions I asked him (see previous blog post below) helped him to widen his perspective on the situation. By standing back, so to speak, he began to see some patterns emerging. He reflected on how measurable outcomes and clarity of purpose are key drivers for Jane. He also wondered whether his own tendency to focus on relationships and longer-term team development might sometimes be misinterpreted as a lack of appreciation of the need to act decisively and manage the here and now.

At this stage Mark began to question whether his behaviour was as much a contributor to the deadlock as Jane's. How could he change his communication style so that Jane would listen? He came up with a number of ideas including:

• Specifying the key commercial outcomes that Executive Coaching would aim to deliver
• Presenting the proposal as an innovative initiative which industry leaders are engaging with, and one which may attract recognition
• Using fewer words and keeping to the point

However I sensed some remaining resistance from Mark. Something was preventing him from moving forward with these ideas. Where could I take this conversation?

Where would you have taken the conversation?

Do you want to know what happened next?

How to get your boss on-side: a true story

On the back of a successful Leadership Coaching project in a high growth start-up now turning over in excess of £2 million, I have been talking to the company’s MD. He wants to secure executive coaching for himself and take his performance as a leader to the next level. For this to happen he needs buy-in from his CEO. However, there are a number of challenges:

• The CEO often demonstrates poor listening skills
• The CEO has a track record of responding to any discussion about ‘training’ as an admission of weakness on the part of the MD
• Status seems important to the CEO and she can be quite impulsive and autocratic in her decision-making
• The MD believes it will be difficult to get buy-in and is keen to avoid the CEO rocking the boat and meddling in systems that are working well

My questions to the MD were these:


1. What is important to your boss? This list is by no means exhaustive but could it be

• Power, results, outcomes, speed of response?
• Accuracy, value for money, rational explanations, quality?
• Team cohesion, meaning, relationships?
• Innovation, diversification, fun, reputation, ego?
• Or any combination of the above?

2. How might her view of the world affect her ability to tune in to the message you are trying to deliver?

3. How might your view of the world blind you to your CEO's message?

4. How might you change your communication style to improve the chances of her understanding what the issues are for you?

5. How can you develop an unambiguous case for investing in coaching which demonstrates that both you and the company will benefit?

6. What are you assuming that prevents you from requesting the support that you need?

What would your questions have been? 


Do you want to know what happened next?