Dear Regina,

On behalf of everyone at Fasold Global Consulting we'd like to wish you and your loved ones a warm and Happy Thanksgiving! We thank you for your continued support, for your referrals and for being a loyal client and a wonderful friend! As always we will continue to expand our minds (and hearts and souls) to be able to serve you well in all of your life-, career- and executive leadership coaching needs!

Since negative life and work experiences don’t always take time off for the holidays, please enjoy the following article about workplace bullying and the benefit of working with an executive coach.

IS A BULLY WORTH THE INVESTMENT OF AN EXECUTIVE COACH?

Author: Regina Fasold, MBA, Psychologist, Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Global Executive Coach

Who doesn’t know the typical scenario - You’re in a leading role and one of your direct reports has an overly aggressive work/leadership style, or even worse, you work under a bully who is leaving “dead bodies” along the way wherever he/she goes.

The other day I had an interesting conversation with the head of HR of a large company. He described the typical “bullying” behavior of one of their employees and mentioned that he asked the leader of the bully if she wants to give him a coach. To HR’s surprise the leader said:

“NO, I’d rather have an executive coach for myself to help me deal with the abrasive direct report!” BRAVO to this leader who is committed to face the situation and do the work that it takes to establish control and leadership respect!

Rather than investing more time, energy and money in a leader who doesn’t want to change bad behavior, why not empower the leader of the bully and give him/her the skills to stop bad behavior once and for all! It’s a win-win situation for both, the company and the leader in charge!

Let’s face it; abrasive leaders don’t change (easily)! The real problem is that bullies don’t see the need for change. It was their “forcefulness” that got them into a leading role in the first place, so why would they stop doing what got them into the seat? Bullies don’t just start bullying others overnight, they were born this way. It’s in their DNA to dominate and control everything and everyone. In most cases it is impossible to break these inborn patterns ~ unless ~ the bully buys into the idea of a “greater vision of themselves”! If the reward outweighs the risk and pain of change the bully may consider adapting to new ways of doing things… but don’t be mistaken… it may not last!

Only the introspective leader, the one who is seeking change and growth, is worth the investment of an executive coach!

It takes courage to move out of the comfort zone, and usually it is inconvenient and sometimes even painful! The leader who is willing to accept this challenge demonstrates strength, commitment and the kind of engagement that is needed to succeed!

Executive coaching is designed to expand a leader’s framework and executive presence. It is a treat – not a curse – to be working with an executive coach and it should therefore not be used to “whip” a bully into alignment!

The executive coach is the leader’s trusted advisor with whom to discuss a multitude of managerial challenges; to think out loud (unload the burden), clear the mind, bounce back, re-group, strategize and develop action plans! A good executive coach can also provide training in advanced leadership skills and help develop effective ways to prevent and/or resolve conflict and quickly seize control over difficult situations.

Being in a leading role doesn’t have to be so lonely and demanding! If you’re ready to move up the corporate ladder or could need a little assistance in establishing your leadership presence then consider hiring an Executive Coach. Feel free to contact us at any time, we'd be happy to schedule a free consultation to discuss your situation.

To your continued success!

Coach Regina

www.ReginaFasold.com


Regina Fasold
Fasold Global Consulting