Grey Area Coaching Services
First-time CEOs, C-Level, MDs or General Managers in any industry who can all benefit from an independent coach providing support, challenge and occasionally advice
Promotion to the top level can make for a lonely existence in the workplace: your peers think that they should have got the job, and your boss wants results day one, as well as re-assurance that they made the right decision in appointing you. Independent support enabling you to ask the simple questions and talk through issues that you are facing – often involving key personnel that you are now either reporting to, working alongside, or in charge of – is invaluable. Most people experience some level of Imposter Syndrome when they reach this level, and this is quite normal and something that is relatively easy to work through. General Managers often worry that they are not specialists in any area, not realising that being a good generalist is a specialist skill in its own right. Getting the right independent help at this crucial stage can make the difference between your career stalling and achieving the success that will take you on to even greater achievements.
I benefitted massively from executive coaching when I became CEO at Borders and Books etc, with bosses in the USA who wanted an instant turnaround in performance and profit. Being able to discuss these issues with a professional coach, who also had experienced similar issues at the same level, was a real eye-opener and proved to be vital help that I needed at that time. I still benefit enormously from being coached and learn something new about myself every session – often things I knew, but wouldn’t admit to.
I coach those with high potential talent and the will to succeed. Often these are in new roles or stepping up but career coaching benefits from 3-5 year objective planning too. Those in the role for some time can also benefit from a new perspective, and an independent review of what they are trying to achieve and what is stopping them. Being surrounded every day by the same faces of your board colleagues can result in the business following the same tramlines rather than changing course as markets and opportunities develop. Grey Area Coaching and mentoring can help you re-asses, re-align and react.