Coaching Case Studies – Career Transition

(Note: Although based on a real case, the details of the situation have been changed to preserve confidentiality.)

Issue: Terminated after ten years at her company.

Client: Margaret was a senior vice-president for a media company.

Margaret was a successful professional who was laid off from her company largely due to a management reshuffle. The focus of the coaching was to help Margaret find her dream job.

Over a period of three months, we worked on the following:

* Restoring her battered self-esteem.
* Working out what she liked about her career and what she did not like.
* Creating a “winning” strategy.
* Partnering on a networking plan.
* Developing a new resume that reflected her new confidence.
* Supporting a positive and appealing interview style.
* Analyzing job offers.
* Advising about how to impress her new company.

Margaret ended up with a job she loves. It is much more suited to her skills and needs than her previous job and she is paid more money!

(Note: Although based on a real case, the details of the situation have been changed to preserve confidentiality.)

Issue: Closure of a local factory due to economic downturn in business.

Client: “Acme Incorporated” was a manufacturing company.

Acme due to economic pressure closed a plant of 200 people. Thirty supervisors, managers and office staff were laid off. They needed help finding new jobs in a difficult market. The company had a loyal workforce and wanted to make sure that they did everything they could to ensure that the transition to new employment was smooth.

A team of coaches did the following:

* Conducted foundation meetings discussing: job prospects, effective resumes, interviewing skills, and job-hunting traps.

* Held six to eight one-on-one coaching sessions with employees where the coach and the client:

• Ascertained career goals
• Developed strategy
• Created new “marketing-focus” resume
• Practiced interviewing skills
• Advised on current job market issues
• Supported negotiating job offers
• Gave support on success in the new job

100% of those employees who wanted new jobs – were not retiring etc. – found new jobs within three months.

Coaching Case Studies – Life Transition

(Note: Although based on a real case, the details of the situation have been changed to preserve confidentiality.)

Issue: Stagnation in current job.

Client: “Juan” was a mid-level engineer working for a small company.

Juan was a good engineer and had worked for his employer for twenty years. However, he was bored with his job and dreaded Mondays. He liked the security but he wanted more challenge.

Over a period of six months we worked on Juan’s career strategy and developed the following:

* A career plan where over a period of five years he transitioned into a new role as an engineering consultant following a series of steps that we agreed.

* As a result of our coaching, he now is happily working in his new and exciting own business.

Coaching Case Studies – Cultural Transition

(Note: Although based on a real case, the details of the situation have been changed to preserve confidentiality.)

Issue: Offer of overseas assignment.

Client: Alan was a mid-level manager working for a global company.

Alan and I worked together on whether he should take an offer of a new position in the Asian office of his company. This was an excellent opportunity but the client was not sure whether it made sense for him and for his family.

Over a period of three months, we surfaced the following issues:

* Great chance for career growth
* Opportunity for adventure and for new travel
* Possibility of faster progress in the Asian organization
* Ability to learn new global skills
* Chance to learn a new language

* Issues with the compensation package
* Lack of clarity on the role and responsibilities of the position
* No suitable local education facilities for his family
* Unrealistic expectations from the Asian management team
* Possibility of severe culture shock

Armed with this information, the client was able to make focused requests and negotiate a better deal. This discussion ended in Alan securing a much better position which would suit him and his family, and the corporation, much more effectively than the initial offer.

Without, the discussion process and without the input of the coach, Alan would have the have taken the initial opportunity with potentially devastating results.