Overwhelmed and Disconnected

Olivia, the CEO & President of a small service company, was feeling overwhelmed and disconnected when she decided to engage me as her coach.

She told me recently:  “Before I started working with you as my coach, I felt I didn’t know what to do or how to get out of the rut I was in.  I wasn’t seeing things clearly.  I hated my work and wanted to stop.  I was thinking about selling my house and closing my business.  I know now that taking that drastic action wouldn’t have solved the problem.  I wouldn’t have addressed the issues I was having.”

Through coaching Olivia became aware that she had stopped being a proactive manager and leader and had fallen into putting out fires and doing the front line work because she was short-staffed.

Together we identified proactive strategies for maintaining staffing levels, training and mentoring staff, delegating tasks, simplifying processes, and organizing her work.  Olivia also created stronger boundaries with her staff and involved them more in running the business.  The result was a higher level of staff satisfaction and more reasonable work hours for Olivia.

When we first started working together, Olivia made a goal of working at home one day a week.  After a few months, the office started running more smoothly and Olivia was able to achieve this goal.  Not having to commute reduced her stress so that she was more effective throughout the week.

After 6 months of coaching, Olivia rescored her “Satisfaction with Life Scale” and found that she was 40% more satisfied with her life.  This percentage reflected what she was feeling: she was happier, less stressed, and more focused.  She was also having more fun and was experiencing a stronger sense of meaning from her work.

No longer numb, Olivia was alive and energetic again. She said recently, “Now I’m much happier and content with my work and my personal life.  I plan to continue to work with Donna to maintain the gains I’ve made and grow as a leader and a person.”

Image Courtesy : Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalphotos.net