It’s challenging to determine the ROI executive coaching, except when it’s not. One of those exceptions involved a 5-minute coaching session that delivered an ego-free apology and a $5 million ROI.
ROI Executive Coaching – background and approach
Coaching helps people uncover and expand into their full capabilities. Coaches, like the sculptor Michelangelo, set inner potential free by removing what stands in the way.
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.
Offering solutions, addresses clients’ immediate problems, but it doesn’t resolve obstacles to becoming better problem solvers, because it doesn’t help people tap into their greater potential, by
Seeing the limitations of current assumptions, perceptions, thinking, and stories; so they can apprehend and grow into new and greater possibilities.
My colleague Marcia Reynolds differentiates coaching the problem from coaching the person. The latter is more powerful and expansive.
However, if a client is standing in the middle of on-coming traffic, I will get them out of the road. We’ll coach for the learning opportunity later.
On a Thursday morning, several years ago, I saw Michael standing in the middle of on-coming traffic.
Situation
Michael is founder and president of a startup. Towards the end of a coaching session, he lamented over just having lost a $5 million deal that promised to be a multi-year contract with the potential to deliver $20 million. That’s a lot to walk out any startup’s door.
Michael explained that a selling partner had blown the deal. The customer didn’t know Michael’s company was the service provider. Michael’s first step was to introduce himself and his company to the customer’s head honcho, via text, and offer a brief apology. His goal was to get Honcho on a 5-minute phone call, but Honcho was VERY ANGRY, according to his short ALL CAPS reply to Michael’s text. Michael had drafted a follow up email and asked me to read it.
We ended our call. I read the email. It was long and full of explanations about what happened, why and who was responsible. Someone’s ego had done a good chunk of the writing.
When customers are justifiably angry, a pure apology is called for. Explanations, justifications and finger pointing are impure and uncalled for, no matter how true. The angry customer wants his pain to be acknowledged. This is the curative salve (so very close to solve). You, as the company leader, are responsible for what your company does and doesn’t do. You chose your selling partner. Man up.
5-Point $5 Million Ego-free Apology
- APOLOGIZE
- EMPATHIZE
- TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
- COMMIT TO DO BETTER
- EXPLAIN HOW
I shared this list with Michael and recommended he omit any/all explanations. Michael sent the revised email. Honcho replied immediately.
One week later, Honcho and Michael signed the $5 million deal.
The following week, Michael and I spoke about what he learned.
“I wanted him to know the way our selling partner was mis-handling things doesn’t represent who we are or how we operate. Those were my needs. The customer needed to be heard, understood and validated. I guess you could say my ego got the best of me.”
Ego is not the best of us and it is not who we are. It’s how we defend ourselves. Our life’s work as human beings and leaders is to be aware of and manage our egos. This allows us to be more successful effective leaders. We also become happier more fulfilled human beings who create a better world.