Each coaching client, be they an individual, a team or an entire organization, is unique. The following client stories will give you an idea of the potential impact coaching and organizational development can have on both the individual and the organization.

Leading in Isolation

Do you ever find yourself saying, “I wish I had someone I could bounce ideas off  ?. Someone with an unbiased opinion who could help me see all the angles.”

Being the CEO looks good to outsiders but it can be a very lonely place when everyone is looking to you to make decisions. You’re supposed to be the one with the answers. But how can you be sure you’ve thought of every potential outcome or consequence? Especially in this age where a new and better technology can come out of nowhere and radically change the playing field.

You can’t go to the board of directors with problems. They expect you to come to them with solutions. They place a premium on appearing confident and capable at all times. There can also be times when the pressure comes from within the organization or from the board.

In times of changing business reality and changing roles, people depend on you to interpret the situation, create security and tell them what to do. But what if you don’t know what to do? You need to weigh all your options and at the same time need to be decisive and get results. At times, you may have to walk the line between telling it like it is and being politically correct.

Executive coaching not only gives you a discreet place to vent but a safe environment where you can slow down and focus on a strategic course designed to improve your chances of coming out with your career intact. Coaching will help to focus on both the strategic and tactical issues. Through that focus, you will make more methodical and mindful decisions. You will be able to bring all the pieces of your complex puzzle together. You will stretch and develop your own muscles of insight and intuition and learn how to apply them effectively.

Time and again we’ve had clients tell us that the aspect of coaching they get the most value from is having a trusted advisor on the outside of the organization who can and will give them straight feedback. In the coaching relationship, you get confidence, encouragement, validation, and an occasional nudge.

Making the Transition from "Manager" to “Leader"

Moving up the corporate ladder is rarely a smooth process. There are often points in our careers when we know we want to make a larger contribution and the invitation to do so comes in the form of a promotion, or as a response to our internal drive to make a bigger impact. We know we’re about to make a leap that takes us out of our comfort zone and requires that we shift our thinking and our priorities. These times can be both exciting and overwhelming. And our ability to successfully navigate uncharted waters will be the ultimate test of our readiness to play at a higher level.

Take the example of a client who wanted to transition from an operations role to a general management role. He knew how to manage production processes and understood the technical aspects of the business like the back of his hand. But he was anxious about wearing a more strategic hat and was particularly concerned about his ability to connect with and successfully lead those in the organization who were outside of the operations area. How would he set the tone with sales and marketing? And how would he create a fully collaborative atmosphere where all functional areas in the enterprise were working in total alignment?

This client used leadership coaching as a tool to gain a fuller perspective and understanding of the business. Our coaching allowed him to develop strategies to connect with key players in the business and establish himself as a coach, mentor and leader to each of them as individual contributors and to all of them as a team. As a result of his coaching partnership, he more fully understood his own strengths and capabilities and discovered new ways to apply those strengths in the business. He expanded his perspective and developed a high level of confidence.

He now leads from a position of strength and applies a blend of operational savvy, strategic thinking and leadership as he guides the business into the future. The business is on a solid growth trajectory and is now planning for a major expansion that will equip them for continued growth and position them as a larger player in their industry.

Leadership Team Coaching

An individual can positively influence the organization, but sustained organizational change requires that all members of the leadership team actively participate in the process. Many of our team coaching and consulting clients engaged our services because a team member who participated in individual coaching realized the advantages of leadership team coaching to the larger organization. They came to understand how organizational coaching can be a catalyst for shifting cultures.

In the organizational coaching process, team members identify shared values and goals which are the glue that hold the team together in times of conflict or uncertainty. Executive teams that participate in leadership team coaching report higher trust among team members, which leads to higher quality decision making. Team members are able talk about issues and engage in generative conflict rather than competitive debate -- thus avoiding a negative impact the organization.

Consider the following from a client who credits Link Resource Group with their recent recognition as “The Best Place to Work in Wichita”:
“We didn’t really understand what coaching was at first. We thought, ‘We’re a team and we’re working well together so why do we need coaching? We’re not broken, so what are you going to fix? The team members caught onto the idea when they realized it’s not about fixing something that’s broken, but making a good team even better, more comfortable with each other, and more honest. We know now that if we’re not honest with each other, the problem will never get better. We know we’re loyal and progress takes work over the years and each of us needs to grow to develop as a team.”

Coaching an aerospace industry giant:

Over a two-year period, we trained 45 managers, directors and VP’s of a major aerospace industry manufacturer as coaches through a program that involved 1.5 days of training and nine hours of one-on-one coaching per person.  Over the same period, the following metrics were achieved, and much credit was given to the coaching program.

• Employee engagement scores increased by 19%
• Built and delivered 36% more product
• Experienced 56% fewer shortages
• Decreased overtime hours by 27%
• Reported higher work life balance scores

Coaching  Caterpillar

Tim was part of a four-person coaching team that worked with the leadership team of the North American Commercial Division of leading equipment and engine manufacturer Caterpillar.  This division was responsible for $44 billion in sales.  The head of the division decided that business as usual was no longer acceptable and set out on a path to transform the culture.  At the end of the year long engagement, during which Tim coached three of the nine leadership team members, the employee engagement scores for this division increased by 90%.  This was the highest recorded increase by any unit within the enterprise.

Rose America Corporation (Randy Woods)

This individual utilized Tim as his coach as he transitioned from COO to CEO of this company that designs, manufactures and markets products for the companion animal industry (pet leashes, collars, toys, etc.).  While coaching with us, Randy led the company through a period of approximately 15% revenue growth and expense reduction (cutting employee head count by 30%), streamlined production by moving most of the manufacturing offshore, and realized bottom line profit growth of 20% or more.  

Construction Industry

Link Resource Group has supported this company’s growth for the last five years.  We’ve coached the president/CEO, COO and leadership team, two of whom were promoted into key leadership roles while coaching with us (COO and VP Admin).The company increased revenue and profit by approximately 40%(conservatively) in the first four years of our work with them.  We’re in process of implementing a major change initiative, using Link Resource Group’s full range of services including leadership training, organizational coaching and executive coaching.  

Software Company

This fast growing start up high tech service company provides workforce management solutions for major companies worldwide (e.g. Virgin Media, Cox Cable, Dish Network),any company that deploys multiple service people in the field on a regular basis). Link Resource Group is continuing to coach the CEO and CTO as a partnership.    The company grew 18% from 2008 to 2009 despite the slow economy while building the company’s management/leadership infrastructure.

Client Testimonials

We value our client's feedback and appreciate their referrals as the highest praise we can receive.

"The 360 Degree Feedback really got my attention. Having specific feedback from my team enabled us to create a coaching plan I knew would work. My team has noticed the change in my leadership style and is now raising the bar in terms of their own performance. Coaching gave me the confidence to improve as a leader and also help improve my team’s performance."

- CEO, Manufacturing

"We brought Tim in to help our management team learn to collaborate better. As a result, our leadership team created an open culture where we are seen as a resource to our employees. Our company was recently voted the best place to work in Wichita and we think that is a direct result of our team leadership work with Tim."

- Sr. VP, COO, Health Care

"Tim works very well with women executives and leaders. He brings a male perspective to the coaching relationship but understands how women work and the issues they face in the workplace."

- President, Regional Center for Training & Education

"Tim helped me learn to focus more time and energy on building my business instead of getting stuck working in it. My company is growing quickly and Tim helped us learn to make decisions based in strategy, not chaos."

- CEO, Construction

"I came into an organization not maximizing its potential due to functional silos, poor communication and resistance to change. As a result of coaching and team building with Tim, our management team communicates better and we have more fun at work. We have collectively designed and agreed upon a strategic agenda which everyone endorses. We make better quality decisions and are starting to see bottom line results."

- Vice President, Manufacturing

If you're wondering how Link Resource Group would custom tailor a solution for you or your organization, please email or call us.