CASE STUDIES 

Case Study 1 - Finance Director

“Insufficient time” is an issue that we frequently encounter with our clients. But so often it is not a question of how much time we have as what we do with the time available.

David is the Finance Director of the London Division of a Major international service business. Time management came up early on in the programme and was a big issue for him. Helping him to delegate properly produced many benefits for David, but the saved time was inevitably swallowed up by new priorities.

His young family were causing David major concerns and he felt unhappy and unfulfilled, convinced that he was letting them down. At one point we started debating how we use time and as part of the Pharos philosophy we debated the statement ‘whatever you are doing give 100% of your energy to it’

It was a watershed moment for David who, at our next session, announced that he had cancelled his Sky Subscription. Already his relationship with his children had improved beyond recognition; reading and games had replaced television. And despite initial outrage from his children, they rapidly settled down to this new adult-involved life

Although the Pharos programme is designed for leadership and management development, inevitably the learning affects all aspects of our clients’ lives, sometimes dramatically.

Case Study 2

The situation

Gordon is the MD of a  subsidiary of a US-based multi-national group.  A major decision on the positioning and autonomy of the company within the group was under consideration and Gordon was due to present his case before the Divisional President in the States.  

How coaching helped

As part of a coaching programme we had been covering various influencing styles and how different people favour different styles – both in being influenced and influencing others.   Gordon’s style worked well within his company but, in particular, seemed much less effective whenever he needed to convince his boss,  the President. 
In preparation for going to USA to present his case, we assessed how his natural style differed from the President’s.  They seemed to be “chalk and cheese.”  It wasn’t that they had different aims or opinions about the broad future, just that their favoured communications (and hence influencing) styles were quite different, and uncomfortable for each other.   

Recognising that the circumstances were really important and that the President wasn’t going to change, Gordon determined to change his own approach.  Putting himself “in the President’s shoes” and seeing himself presenting from that perspective, lead to a key revision in the approach he adopted in his presentation.  

The outcome

Admittedly with some trepidation, Gordon flew across the Atlantic to the meeting and gave his presentation in a style that was not his usual one.  However, the President was engaged with the argument he was making from the start and the result was both agreement to Gordon’s case and a compliment on the way he’d presented it.     

Case Study 3 – Major international telecoms plc

This company is a major provider of telecommunications services throughout the UK and the world. A major employer comprising a complex structure of many divisions, the management task is not enhanced by the system whereby managers control teams of direct reports that are geographically stretched across the country, so that face to face interaction is rare; most communication between line management and their teams being conducted by way of teleconferencing.

Situation

John, who with a team of 120 headed up a division of Customer Service. John had received ‘rave reports’ from his line manager, for whom John acted almost as a P.A., giving 24/7 access to his senior. Because of his dedication and availability, John had a ‘job for life’ – or at least until his senior retired, which was destined to happen three years later.

Solution

John had a medium to long term problem. Clearly he was irreplaceable at present, such was his loyalty to his ‘master’. The issue was: what would happen to John once his ‘master’ had retired from the organisation? Make no mistake, John was ambitious and he aspired to achieving board level before he, himself reached retirement age. The trouble was that John was labelled – he was an ‘operational deliverer’ and, unfortunately, such deliverers don’t usually make it to board level!

The task for the coach was not a straightforward one. It was important that John didn’t let go of what had brought him success to date and it was obvious that even to survive he needed to maintain the level of service he had previously provided to his ‘master’.

Nonetheless he also needed to be aware that, if he were to stand a chance of being appointed a director, he had to demonstrate far more strategic thinking. With the help of his coach, John started to examine his current ‘self’ as well as aspects of his performance. Central to the plan was to put into everyday use, an effective Time Management System that took full cognisance of the need to prioritise the tasks that he performed each day. The new system would free up time which he would use to focus on his future; what was needed, where he could get it and how he could use it.

John and his coach worked through a couple of models which demonstrated that total compliance, with little else, rarely produced outstanding results. Once John started to consider the impact of his own job on the organisation, and more particularly the organisation in 5, 10 or 20 years time, there resulted far higher gains from his labours.

Results

By the end of the coaching programme, John was happy that he had gained all the tools he needed to be a more strategic thinker, evidenced by the advanced quality of his, and his team’s output.

John was working more efficiently giving priority to matters that gave greater bearing on the future, rather than spending all his hours putting out fires.

He has been able to ‘manage’ his boss! Calls upon his time are no longer made at unreasonable hours and the level of support he is giving his boss has not diminished.

John looks to the future much more positively now, knowing that his world will not end when his boss retires; he has the confidence to define his own future and the tools to ensure that his dreams turn into reality.