A new senior executive was hired with a mandate to upgrade the capabilities and competitiveness of the company's North American marketing division. Although the division had been successful in the past and was performing at an acceptable level, the new executive could see that marketplace pressures and rapidly changing marketing techniques would require the division to make substantive changes in its approach. His challenge was to get the company to understand the urgency for the required changes and then to take the steps necessary to set off on a new course.
At first, the executive tried to direct the division and his team through needed changes by pointing out what competitors were doing and by calling on his own experience in prior management roles. He met with heavy resistance from several of his new team members as they had enjoyed a solid and steady performance in recent years and were skeptical about trying new methodologies. To compound the problem, the CEO and other members of the company's executive team seemed only mildly supportive of his initiatives and suggested that he be careful not to "rock the boat" too severely. This was frustrating to the executive and he was wondering whether he had made the right decision in taking the new job.
Recognizing that the executive could use some help, a senior human resources executive suggested that he work with a Camden consultant to develop and implement a game plan to deal with the situation. Among the initiatives worked on:
The Camden consultant surveyed several people in the division to get feedback on what was holding the team back. Together with the executive, the consultant worked out a plan that required the executive to alter his approach to the team by being less directive and more participative in his management style. This was more in keeping with the company's culture and resulted in an immediate change in responsiveness on the part of his direct reports.
The executive, the Camden consultant and the team spent time at an off-site meeting collectively identifying the challenges facing the marketing division. Subsequently, each of the direct reports was assigned a primary role to help come up with specific strategies that would enable the team to meet its challenges.
Senior executives from other disciplines were brought in to the team's monthly meetings to share their perspectives of what was happening in the industry and why it was important for the marketing division to adapt to the changing conditions.
Within a timeframe of several months, the executive was able to get his team members to recognize the need for change and for each of them to share mutual accountability for the improvements that would be required in the marketing division. Several new marketing initiatives were implemented that resulted in significant cost savings and more efficient service delivery. Furthermore, the new executive was able to leverage the talents of his team members by assigning them to broader corporate responsibilities and worldwide marketing initiatives.
Executive coaching is an essential way for an organization's key talent to optimize their abilities in the context of meeting organizational goals.
