A CEO reveals: What he took away from an intensive coaching day

The CEO did not (yet) have a clear goal - concretely formulated or, even better, defined according to SMART criteria - when he signed up for a "clarity day" with me. In response to my inquiry during the pre-coaching phase, he wrote: "It's really about sorting out my priorities, distinguishing the important from the unimportant, and getting me to let go of things as well. In addition, I realize that I really need to muster up the courage to think about the new job and the challenges that come with it as a big picture of me. How do I want to shape the CEO position for myself? How can I live it? What is essential for me?"

The CEO had booked an intensive day, including the LINC Personality Profiler (LPP). Based on the results of the LPP, he worked during the intensive day on methods for more clarity and concrete answers that he can implement directly and sustainably in everyday business life. His subsequent past coaching (reflection questions) shows impressively how effective a coaching process is and how practical and concrete the steps worked out in it are:

Question 1: The key points/your most important insights from the intensive day:

1. I am strengthened in the fact that really the personnel issue is the primary and really only pressing problem. I would like to

  • focus again in this area
  • Evaluate and realign the current strategy; in doing so, it is essential to overcome the previous "implementation weakness". I am already working intensively on the indications from the coaching:
  • clarify what I can do in personnel selection and specifically in staffing the HR department, where I can improve myself even more and delegate if necessary, and ask others clearly and specifically for help (books are procured :-)!)
  • Clearly address and tackle the "elephant in the room".

I want to be able to show a clear track record of success here at the beginning of my CEO tenure.

2. I will better institutionalize "saying no" from now on, taking into account the "glowing eyes":

  • Reviewing my own schedule and task calendar, first cancellations, etc., have been made.
  • First employee discussions, where the overload is most substantial, have been conducted, and first countermeasures have been initiated.
  • The issue will be discussed in the next staff meeting.
  • The culture of "letting go" will be a crucial point in my time as CEO. 3.

3. I structure my own work and that of the company better

  • Structure scheduling, etc. (starting now)
  • The next six weeks for structuring individual work areas, etc. Then transparent communication of the realignment (5 regions have already been identified and recorded)
  • In three days with Ms Müller and Mr Schmidt, enter into personnel and budget planning, establishing binding and clearly communicated priorities
  • Delegate even more clearly in my daily work

        --> I align myself with my role as CEO and know that I can delegate.

4. I will systematically leverage my start as CEO and the realignment that comes with it

  • Deliver Town Hall Speech and bring a new culture to life
  • Define and clearly articulate my personal realism
  • Back culture of recognition and clear communication with implementation strategies and live it daily & sustainably.
  • I was helped a lot by the reflections based on the LINC Personality Profiler.

Question 2: What do you put into practice directly, and how exactly?

  • I take planned and focused time for strategic work and notice how my strengths lie here and how good it is for me (first successes: reservations in the appointment calendar, last week 3 x 2 hours).
  • I have had intensive discussions on the HR topic in order to get an excellent partner for HR development & talent management on my side; in addition, I have read a lot in the field and understood what it means to communicate directly what it should be about and to think from the employee's point of view.
  • I have created a stakeholder plan to be able to clearly discuss with others what is at stake and how and why. The visualizations seem to help well -even to others.
  • I have had some key conversations with staff to clearly communicate and guide how to overload situations can also be brought about by purposefully reducing activities and setting priorities.
  • I didn't jump right in when there was a significant flashpoint of conflict in the company but spent my time empowering the director in charge to resolve it.
  • I finally started the strategic conversations at the executive level
  • I have dared to simply cancel some essential appointments in order to create personal space to recharge my batteries and spend time with my family
  • I am working on the "Town Hall Speech". Milestones before that are my presentations of what I can and want as CEO on the occasion of starting as CEO next month.
  • I took several hours with my favorite employee to structure an important new project and asked him specifically and actively for help. An excellent design space!

Question 3:What potential hurdles do you see coming up in implementation?

  • There is still simply too much to do. Bringing about structural relief will initially take additional time.
  • The pressure to succeed is still extremely high, especially when it comes to human resources; it takes energy and time to maintain and build up the scope for action.
  • I want to use my start as CEO strategically as a "new beginning," but the time to get there is concise. How do I set the right priorities?

Question 4: What positive feelings accompany you after the intensive day?

  • I perceive myself much more as a creator and enjoy doing so
  • I am much more aware of my own strengths and weaknesses and am much more willing to create an environment in which I can excel with them. What's great is that I just have a lot of humour and like a playful way of doing things. So I can half-laugh with good colleagues about my low "norm orientation" (insight from the LPP) and at the same time make clear that it is impossible to work with this with people like the previous CFOs at the management level, who are structured diametrically opposite.
  • I realize how I can and will ignite a new level of success.

Question 5: What suggestions for improvement do you have for the following coaching?

It was just perfect. Shortly after the conversation and when I saw what you, dear Ms Segschneider, had systematically prepared, I thought you should have had more courage to bring in all your knowledge and systematics because I could have learned a lot from it knowledge-wise. But then I realized that the coaching had worked on a completely different, more profound level. Now I still don't know everything you know, but I have become more transparent, calmer, more hopeful and more goal-oriented beyond this level of knowledge. This is a tremendous gift, and I have deep respect for how you can make this happen!

[Translate to English:] Shutterstock.com | Jirsak

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