Cathy Liska Bill is an executive in the c-suite (Chief Executive). He is known for being driven and pushing hard for results. Bill has been instrumental in growing the company and the bottom line. Then, to the surprise of his colleagues, Bill’s focus, efforts, and results declined substantially.
Knowing Bill is all about the job, the other executives gave him pep talks. When the trend continued, the company arranged a formal mentoring relationship. Bill leveled out; he continued to struggle. The Board of Directors started pressuring the executive team as a whole and Bill specifically.
The company hired an executive coach. The coach served as a sounding board for Bill to brainstorm ideas on how to get back on track. They strategized how Bill could increase engagement and productivity on his team. Bill’s performance improved – he did not achieve his previous level of performance.
Bill decided to hire his own coach because he was feeling completely overwhelmed. His new coach used the whole person approach. In their opening session, the coach asked Bill about all areas of his life. In the process, the coach learns what is happening. Bill’s wife had recently died after a long illness. His mom had been helping care for the kids. Unfortunately, she is terminally ill and increasingly less capable. She will need care herself soon. The stresses from his personal life were impacting Bill on the job.
The coach worked with Bill so he developed a strategy to take care of his family. Bill hired a live-in who could both provide care for his mom and be there for his children. With his family taken care of, he was able to again focus completely when in the office.
As a result, Bill’s performance at work steadily improved and he again achieved his previous levels of productivity.
