Senior Management – A Lonely Role

Some time ago I was speaking with a Senior Executive from a local organisation. Our conversation moved to Life and Executive Coaching and of course the usual question; “what’s that all about?”. I set about explaining the concept of Coaching and when I finished he paused for a while and then said “I could do with that”. Of course I was thrilled to have a new client, but I was really amazed by his reason for opting to be coached.

He said that the position he holds (Managing Director) is an extremely lonely place, particularly in the current climate. He said that his staff were turning to him for security while the Board was putting him under pressure for the performance of the business. His big issue was; “Who does the MD/CEO turn to?” It was an eye opening question.

In the current economic climate, many senior executives are under pressure from all sides; staff want reassurances regarding job security, Boards want to see the business survive, maintain efficiencies, cut costs and make a profit and it falls to the senior executives to make it happen. With such pressure, it can be easy to lose focus or even to burn out. This is the last thing any organisation wants. Yet many fail to grasp the importance of helping the CEO (including the CEO!).

In business, we tend to see Senior Managers (not just CEOs and MDs) as strong people, captains of our organisational ship. We expect them to be focused on what affects us; namely, Security in the case of workers and, Return on our Investments in the case of the shareholders. Our business leaders must be stoic in the face of adversity, never flustered, always forward looking and able to deal with the immense pressures of their roles. After all, they are Senior Managers and they are being paid accordingly. We forget that these same managers are people. They are prone to the same worries and stresses that us mere mortals have. The only problem is; Senior Managers can feel that they are adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Alone. Many expectations from all angles and no one to share their personal worries with in case it shows weakness.

There is a solution though; Executive Coaching and NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). Coaching is a non-directive process that enables clients to take stock of their current situation (both in their private and working lives) and to re-focus and take control of their situation in a very proactive and effective way. NLP is a process that assists in meeting the desired outcomes by identifying barriers or obstacles (particularly unconscious ones) that are holding the client back.

Through the process, clients can set a new course that will ensure a new energy, greater awareness and openness to possibilities as well as a much more positive approach to the task at hand.

Basically the Coaching process will keep executives at all levels at the top of their game, which will have a positive impact on everyone in the organisation. We all know that if the boss is happy, everyone can be happy, right?

It is more common to hire a business coach to help analyse operational issues. However, companies should also begin to look at bringing in Executive Coaches for their senior staff. Suitably qualified and experienced Executive Coaches provide the safe space for Senior Managers to explore their situation. A great Executive Coach will be that “Who does the MD/CEO turn to?” person. They will be able to use tools and techniques from their Coaching/NLP/EQ and other Behavioural training as well as bringing their own commercial experience to the relationship so that they can ask the right questions and create the ideal environment for the Senior Manager.

In the Coaching environment, the Senior Manager has a safe space to vent their frustrations or concerns or fears. It is also an environment where these same managers can explore options to overcome these obstacles. The Coaching space is a place where the client is not facing the issues alone (the Coach is there to help them). It is a space where options can be explored in confidence and confidentiality. And the result?

Fears, frustrations, stresses and obstacles are effectively dealt with. Senior Managers develop the skills to deal with the issues they encounter and, more importantly they discover a space where they can release the pressures of their senior roles.

If you are a Senior Manager, can you afford NOT to have this life line available to you and your senior team?

InnoChan Solutions can help. With considerable commercial experience, who better will understand the pressures that today’s executives are experiencing. Using the change techniques mentioned earlier, you can retain your staff, improve performance and look to the future with confidence. Senior managers work hard, but they should have somewhere they can turn to when the going gets tough and the pressure becomes too much to handle.

Many of the world’s largest companies have already recognised the benefits of making Executive Coaches available for their Senior teams. This ensures the retention and development of the best minds in business. Don’t you deserve the same?

So what’s stopping you?

iWAM – Management by Motivation

The behaviour of your staff is always motivated by something, e.g. the task, company culture, environment, etc, etc. As a Manager, if you can understand the motivation, you will understand the behaviour of each of your reports. As an extension of this, it makes sense that if you can manage the motivation of your staff, you will manage their behaviour. This makes management more effective.

 

iWAM (inventory for Work Attitudes and Motivators) is an EQ test that uses 48 cognitive patterns (known in NLP terms as Meta-programmes) to identify what motivates staff members in their work environment. The test is probably the most in depth analysis of motivational attitudes that exists today making it a vital tool for managers.

 

InnoChan Solutions is the only company in Ireland who is licensed to deliver certification training for the iWAM test to HR, Management and Coaching Professionals.

 

So where can iWAM help?

 

The iWAM test can be used at every level of Management and HR processes including:

  • Recruitment
  • Management
  • Development

 

In Recruitment, iWAM can be used to identify the motivators required to successfully work in a vacant role. This knowledge will help identify the language needed in the job advert to attract the right candidates, thus reducing the cost and time reading through lots of unsuitable applications. Additionally, it is possible for companies to develop Models of Excellence in relation to specific roles within the organisation. The MoE will focus on the specific Motivators required to fulfill the role and can be used as a direct psychometric test to guage the suitability of applicants. In short, iWAM reduces the time and costs associated with recruitment while better ensuring that the selected person will be a better fit for the role (avoiding a repeat of the process in a few months).

 

In Management, iWAM will help managers, supervisors and team leaders to manage their teams in a more effective and engaging way. The days of the ‘one size fits all’ style of management are gone. In order to achieve maximum employee engagement a manager must know what motivates his/her reports and manage them accordingly. The iWAM Team report will provide this information. The result? A motivated team, targets met (and exceeded), improved staff retention, better working environment, greater use of individual staff skills, etc.

 

In Development, iWAM will help senior management to identify specific areas for employee improvement. It helps management decide on the promotion potential of supervisors, team leaders, etc. If your organisation is multinational, you may want to promote one of your managers to a role in a foreign division. It is time to unveil another  of iWAM’s powers; regional comparison. Unlike many other EQ tests which are run against global comparisons, the iWAM test is run against a geographical ‘Standard Group’. So, how does this help? Let’s imagine that you are recruiting for a management role in a division in the Asia. You want to select someone who will successfully fulfill the role as well as fit into their new working environment. The iWAM test can be run against the ‘Standard Group’ of the area/country that they will be working in. The report will quickly highlight any potential cultural issues that might be encountered. This will give the new manager time to address the issues or, give the company time to select someone who will better fit into the new culture.

 

iWAM is the new way to manage your business. It is an extermely powerful tool that will result in:

  • Greater efficiency,
  • Improved management effecitveness,
  • Reduced costs,
  • Greater Staff Retention

 

You can’t afford not to use iWAM.

 

As the ONLY company in Ireland licensed to train iWAM test administrators, InnoChan Solutions can administer the iWAM EQ test for your entire company from the most senior managers to floor staff. We can also train you and/or your HR department to take over the administration of the test so that you can do it yourself.

 

Contact us today at info@innochansol.com to arrange a no obligation discussion on how iWAM can work for you.

Fraser, Cork

The course was delivered by the facilitator, Denis Coleman, at a pace and style that accommodated everyone in the class. In Denis’s own words “nobody will be left behind” and that proved to be the case, as the level of encouragement and motivation provided by Denis inspired us all to work hard and fully understand the course content. Denis is a great communicator and, his ability to hold the class’s attention with the use of relevant and interesting real-life examples of topics covered in the core modules helped greatly in both the enjoyment and learning of the topics covered. All the class modules were interspersed with humour which put the class at ease and again made the learning process easier for everyone. Denis, throughout the facilitation of the course, was always open to feedback and at all times welcomed participation from the class. The course content was, at times, intensive and there was a lot to get through in a relatively short period of time but Denis was always available to give support and guidance throughout. Denis provided a great deal of genuine encouragement and inspiration which I appreciated greatly.