Beverly coached Briana to help her step up to board level, leading marketing globally for the business. The goals being to boost executive presence and her ability to influence and make a positive personal impact. Briana also wanted flexible strategies to engage productively with many different stakeholders. Read her story below:
I had the privilege of having Beverly as a business coach and mentor for almost two years. During this time, I met with Beverly regularly where she supported my development as a senior business leader. Being coached by Beverly stretched and challenged me. However, I always felt fully supported as we tackled some complex issues and grappled with difficult situations. I still refer regularly to conversations we had, the articles and books she advised I read and her general advice. I am in the best place professionally and personally that I can ever remember being in, which is quite ironic given the world we are currently living in. The knock-on effect in my professional life has given me so much ability to juggle the peaks and troughs in a correct perspective and enjoy it all a lot more. The starting point on that journey was the coaching sessions with Beverly and the base she provided for exploring from all angles to fully understand what is happening in every situation. I highly recommend Beverly as a coach and forever grateful for the amazing foundations she gave me.
Julie hired Beverly as her coach at a time when she had reached a crossroads. Having spent many years working in demanding healthcare management roles, Julie sought changes that would improve her life and give her a clear sense of purpose and new direction for the future. In this case study, she talks about her experience of being coached and the positive impact this has had on her life:
Coaching helped me think through what I wanted from life, but like the lion in the Wizard of Oz, I needed the courage to act. Beverly helped me discover that courage.
Through coaching, Beverly reminded me of the importance of having a good work/life balance and that I deserved the same care and attention I give to others; she encouraged me to listen to my 'inner voice' when deciding what is right for me.
The coaching process was energising and enlightening, motivating me to deal with issues I had put on hold and helping me to make important decisions about my future. My life and wellbeing have improved through coaching, which has especially opened my eyes to the importance of not waiting for the ‘best time’ to make a change – there may never be a ‘best time’. I now make more time to relax, enjoy outside interests, and spend more time with people close to me. I consider my own needs on par with those of other people. I now feel empowered, and life is evolving all the time thanks to being coached by Beverly.
Mark worked with Beverly as his performance coach for over two years. She supported him as he stepped up to a senior role combining team management with business development. He talks about his experience in the case study below:
I have worked with Beverly Landais as my coach since the start of 2016, and also had coaching from her as part of a group of three other team leaders across the business since the start of 2015. My coaching has focused on two goals: business development and team management. Beverly is an excellent coach. I am happy to advocate her to anyone looking for a coach. In my experience, Beverly applies a challenging as well as a supportive approach. The business models we discuss are always practical and straightforward in their application. The benefits have been many and varied. I am more efficient in my role and more self-aware. I believe I have improved significantly in my role since my coaching began.
CW is a senior executive responsible for a successful business line in a medium-sized UK management consultancy. He came to coaching frustrated that he was unable to motivate his team to progress on an important new assignment. He saw them as not sharing his vision and drive. During the coaching, it became apparent that he struggled with expressing his authentic self in the workplace. We uncovered his ‘Impostor Syndrome’, stemming from the belief that he was academically and intellectually weaker than his team. This led him to catastrophise and anticipate poor results. His anxiety expressed itself in a confrontational and antagonistic leadership style. We worked on reframing his view of the role and responsibilities as a team leader/coach. This enabled him to develop a coaching mindset and cast himself as the talented conductor of a high-quality orchestra. He also created a ‘charter’ setting out what he can contribute to express the value he adds.
AS knew what she needed to do but lacked the conviction to do it. During coaching, we uncovered her driver to be perfect. She didn’t believe her work performance was ‘perfect’ and this undermined her confidence. This perfectionism stemmed from her relationship with her parents whose approval she sought through her achievements. Her biggest breakthrough was to understand this. Developing strategies that allowed her to harness her drive and to know when ‘good is enough’ enable her to relax and enjoy her work and get more from life.
RF struggled with the transition from being part of the team to leading the team. He wanted to be good manager but simply didn’t know how. He had worked hard for the promotion but was not sure he wanted it. We explored what ‘good management’ looked like to RF. Through coaching RF constructed a management model that included open communication, setting the goals, creating processes for quality control, giving and receiving feedback. Thus, RF could explore what he wanted rather than what he didn’t want. Reframing his situation had enabled a successful transition from dwelling on the past to exploring the future. Reflecting on this experience, the critical shift occurred when RF firstly realised that many newly promoted managers suffer the same crisis of confidence; and secondly, that by being authentic he gained the respect his team.
JL currently occupies a senior in-house position in a multinational security company. Prior to attaining this role, she benefited from face-to-face mentoring as well as structured coaching conversations. We worked on matters pertaining to her personal impact and communication as well as networking and career planning. During the year that we worked together, JL developed and executed a plan that enabled her to win a new role that fulfilled her career and personal development needs.
FT had recently taken voluntary redundancy. She defined her goal as finding a new role in brand management. However, she had not refreshed her CV or begun a job search. It was clear that FT missed her old job and company. She had profound feelings of loss and sadness. We discussed the nature of endings as honouring the past before starting new beginnings. We worked on strategies to achieve this. Over our sessions FT became brighter and more optimistic. She had arranged lunch with some of her closest former colleagues and had enjoyed it. Her sadness had lifted. Her goal was now refocused on finding a new job based on her strengths. She had moved forward and could now move into action planning.
