Matilda's Bittersweet Taste of Success, Ask the = Expert - Column

Return=20 to Table of Contents

2008 WABC Coaches Inc. All rights = reserved.=20 =

WABC=20 HOME

ARCHIVES

SUBMIT

SPONSOR

SEND

FEEDBACK

SPONSOR

Your = Logo

Your name here

Your listing may include a logo, a = description up=20 to 100 chracters, and up to four optional links.

link | link | link | link

COLUMN

A s = k t h e=20 E x p e r t
A regular column = responding to=20 readers' questions by sharing stories from the offbeat life = of=20 coach's coach Dr. Xavier Fink (his mother calls him Melvyn) = as his=20 colleagues interact at the sharp end of the business = world.

Question: I am using a 360-degree feedback report with = one of my=20 clients. How should I translate the results into a = behavioral=20 development plan?

Answer: With the greatest of care, even when presented = with the=20 simplest of feedback. Always validate your raw data and = never try to=20 modify any behavior without understanding its full business=20 logic.

First read the story then consider:

What questions should Matilda have asked, and when?=20
Did Matilda do a good job or a bad job?=20
What important differences are there between business = coaching=20 and behavioral coaching?

3D"Dr.
Illustration = =A9
Janet=20 Schatzman 2007

Matilda's Bittersweet Taste of=20 Success
P u t t i n = g =20 F e e d b a c k i n C o n t e x = t

By Laurence S. Lyons, PhD

"It's the best coaching work I've ever done," she says = brightly.=20 "Dr. Fink, I just have to tell you about it."

We're sitting at an airport coffee bar having = unexpectedly bumped=20 into each other between connecting flights. Matilda is the = most=20 logical, systematic, and intense person I know. Now that = she's=20 absorbed in telling her story, I casually take the = opportunity to=20 bite into my double cinnamon. Fortunately American Airlines = is going=20 to enforce a time limit on this conversation.

Matilda tells me about Frank, the sales director at a=20 medium-sized company. Apparently Frank is a saint except for = one=20 major flaw.

"All the data agreed," she says. "Seven people said = exactly the=20 same thing. Three different psychometric tests confirmed = identical=20 deviant behavior: Frank's great; he just gets distracted in = board=20 meetings. He'd turn up late. While the rest got busy talking = big=20 issues=97like the move to the new building=97there was Frank = sitting in=20 the corner cuddling his laptop and answering emails. He'd = frequently=20 wander out of the meeting, sometimes for as long as 20 = minutes, to=20 place some phone call. It drove the rest of them nuts. = Naturally, as=20 a great salesman, Frank was always polite. Just absent. As = they all=20 said, distracted.

"Everyone around him agreed what was needed=97get Frank = fully=20 engaged in board meetings. He'd become Mr. Perfect and I'd = get to be=20 recognized as a great coach."

Matilda pauses, eyebrows raised, an expectant expression = covering=20 her face. Perhaps she's seeking sympathy or my permission to = go on?=20 I manage to respond with suitable ambiguity: my body = language could=20 equally be taken as a sign of collegial consent or pure=20 contentedness with my delicious Danish.

"So we get straight to work. Of course, he resists at = first.=20 Don't they all? He puts up all kinds of stupid arguments = about how=20 he's indispensable; he's the rainmaker; how important he is = and so=20 on. I wasn't surprised=97his profile indicated he had too = high an=20 opinion of himself. And his favorite color is yellow! Can = you=20 believe that? Most people go for something bold: red, blue, = even=20 green. But yucky yellow? Howd'ya figure that?"

I explain that nature has made the human eye most = sensitive to=20 yellow, which is why it's used in warning signs. Yellow = indicates=20 action. And also danger.

"Anyhow we eventually agree on our coaching contract and = arrange=20 the sessions. One hour every Tuesday and Thursday over two = months.=20 Half of the meetings had to be on customer premises because = that's=20 how Frank likes to work=97close to his clients. After eight = visits,=20 I'd done it. I'd checked all the boxes. I'd fixed = Frank."

"You fixed Frank?" I want to check the factual accuracy = of her=20 assertion. "Yes, that's right," she informs me. Matilda = confirms=20 that Frank had been well and truly fixed.

"Oh, yeah," she says, "fixed for sure. At the next board = meeting=20 Frank turns up right on time. No laptop. No cell phone. Not = only=20 that, Frank joins in the discussion. Better than that, he = leads=20 it."

She pauses to grab my forearm just as I'm about to raise = my cup.=20 She looks directly at me, and I notice her eyes welling up. = What she=20 is about to say is sure to be profound. Her measured words = arrive=20 slowly.

"Frank made a real contribution." A teardrop. She waits = for some=20 response. I close my eyes and nod sagely. "What was that?" I = ask in=20 my gravest tone.

"They were discussing how many basins to put in the new = men's=20 washroom," Matilda continues. "The finance guy wanted to = penny-pinch=20 and suggested they install only two. But Frank, I am so = proud of=20 Frank...."

She falters, clearly overcome with emotion. The grip on = my arm=20 tightens. A full flood of tears streams down her cheek. It's = now=20 apparent that I won't be drinking for quite some time.

"Frank made the case for three. He acknowledged that the = initial=20 outlay would of course be greater, but successfully argued = that with=20 more available basins people would spend less time in the = washroom.=20 The small one-off capital investment would pay for itself = almost=20 immediately, improving productivity each and every day on an = ongoing=20 basis. Not to mention the hygiene factors, as the HR = director put=20 it.

"They voted with Frank. Unanimously. Frank got them their = extra=20 basin. The chief executive told me afterwards that Frank put = forward=20 the most compelling proposition he'd ever heard; it went to = the very=20 heart of the business's key performance indicators."

With this release of tension in her narrative, the = restraint on=20 my arm relents. My coffee has a definite Colombian tang to = it.

"So you must be pleased with the outcome," I suggest = tentatively.=20 Matilda fumbles with her purse.

"Not exactly," she says. "Although it's the best work = I've ever=20 done, I'm not sure if I'll get paid for it."

"You don't think you'll get paid?" I ask in astonishment. = "Why=20 ever not?"

Matilda pulls a flight ticket from her bag.

"Well, it's kind of strange," she ventures, "but on the = very same=20 day as the board meeting, Frank's biggest client wants to = place this=20 huge order, one that might save the company. So she calls = Frank's=20 assistant to clear up one final detail. It turns out that = her query=20 is trivial, and normally Frank would have had no difficulty = in=20 booking the sale on the spot."

"Didn't Frank's assistant interrupt the meeting so that = he could=20 come out just to clinch the deal?" I ask in sheer = amazement.

"Of course she did," says Matilda, "but after all my = intensive=20 training to prevent him getting distracted in board = meetings, Frank=20 flatly refused to take it. At the moment the call came = through,=20 Frank was talking toilets. Now they're in liquidation."

Matilda gets up to go as the New York flight calls.

Do you have a question for Dr.=20 Fink?
Please send it to bcweditor@wabccoaches.c= om.

=A9 Laurence S. Lyons. = Laurence S.=20 Lyons identifies himself as the author of this work. = Illustrations =A9=20 Janet Schatzman 2007. The "Dr. Fink" character and "Dr. = Fink's=20 Casebook" story title are proprietary to Dr. Laurence S. = Lyons. Each=20 "Ask the Expert/Dr. Fink" article is released under license = to WABC=20 under 'temporary copyright' limited to a one-time eZine=20 publication.

Laurence S. Lyons, PhD, unlike = Dr. Fink=20 and his friends, is a real person and internationally = renowned=20 expert in organizational transformation and leadership = development.=20 He is a member of WABC's International Advisory Committee. A = library=20 of his work is available at http://www.lslyons.com/. Read more about Larry in the WABC Coach Directory.=20

We want to hear from you!
Click here to send us your = feedback!

Return=20 to Current Issue | Print