A director of a public sector organisation has been offered coaching to help with his ‘short fuse’, as he navigates the disruption caused by the pandemic
The issue
Dimitri is a director in a public sector organisation, which like many others is currently navigating a challenging period of uncertainty and disruption. Staff are under lots of pressure, morale is low generally, and people’s fuses are shorter than usual.
Dimitri is very intelligent, passionate about getting the right outcome for service users and the organisation, and highly protective of his team members, not wanting them to have to take on anything he doesn’t see as necessary or appropriate.
He struggles when others make suggestions for large-scale changes that he sees as “ill-thought-out”. He’s seen many changes come and go, and is “fed up” with people “playing politics” and “not thinking about the consequences”. He tries not to react in the moment, and to wait before firing off emails, but in meetings he doesn’t always manage to stay calm. He recognises that he does sometimes use “colourful language”, and that he can “lose his cool”.
His boss has suggested that he can come across as aggressive while speaking out of turn, and has suggested he might benefit from some coaching support.
Dimitri has never had coaching before, although he does try to use a coaching style of leadership with his team members. He is willing to give coaching a go, however, wondering whether it would help him communicate better, avoid conflict with his boss and help him stay out of overwhelm.
The interventions
Lynn Scott
Founder, Lynn Scott Coaching
Dimitri, it seems, has a strong desire to do the right thing for everyone (except those ‘playing politics’? – more exploration needed!) in challenging circumstances. I see an opportunity to help Dimitri make connections – more deeply with himself and in different ways with others.
I would start off with a three-way conversation with Dimitri and his manager to understand their perspectives and to see how they interact together – this might provide some useful ‘data’ about the relationship dynamics between the two of them – and any disconnect in values/priorities.
Overwhelm would be a good place to start the coaching conversation. I’d ask him to describe and build on that word, overwhelm – what is the impact on all aspects of his life? What does he think is causing it? What can he influence and change? I’d give him plenty of space to voice and notice what he is feeling.
Has his behaviour in meetings always been as it is now, or has the current work situation/overwhelm caused or exacerbated it? Is this behaviour evident in all meetings? Are there particular individuals that cause him to feel triggered – and what are the triggers – and how can he recognise those emotional triggers in the moment and respond from a place of choice and awareness? What else might be going on that we need to explore?
My hunch is that Dimitri might have valid points to make in meetings but people don’t ‘hear’ them because of the way they are delivered. How might he understand others’ perspectives and pressures? How might he explain if he thinks things are ‘ill-thought-out’ in a way that opens up a dialogue? How can he challenge groupthink with curiosity and compassion?
Understanding ‘what is’ and helping Dimitri to make changes one step at a time seems like the work to be done here.
Sasi Panchal
Executive leadership coach
Dimitri’s situation is an all-too-familiar one facing leaders in organisations under extremes of pressure, reduced workforce capacity and change fatigue.
It would be important to reassure Dimitri that he isn’t alone and that coaching can offer many benefits including time and space to create a sense of psychological safety for himself (and eventually others he interacts with). This would create firm foundations upon which Dimitri can make meaningful behavioural change that support him, his boss and his team.
Dimitri’s intentions are honourable and protective of his team yet suggest a lack of inclusive leadership based on his own views of how things should be done. His behaviours appear to be censoring his team and shutting them out. I’d question Dimitri to pinpoint what were the specific triggers that created such reactions and his outbursts, using colourful language and losing his cool in meetings. What could be a more inclusive way of engaging with his team? How might he be getting in his own way? I’d challenge where the feelings of overwhelm come from in all areas of life in order to develop solutions that would afford him the opportunity to choose a proactive response.
I’d flip perspectives and probe into how his behaviours and actions impact his team and how they might feel excluded or prevent them from contributing, because he perceives this as ‘playing politics’. This could uncover values and cultural differences that may unconsciously be driving his interactions when feeling overwhelmed.
I’d encourage Dimitri’s boss and his team to provide 360-degree feedback as a psychometric tool to help him evaluate his leadership style though the eyes of others. This would offer the chance to reflect critically and develop greater self-awareness as an inclusive leader.
It would be a pleasure to coach Dimitri to create meaningful change at a critical time in his career.