March 7, 2010 – Newark Star-Ledger – Newark, NJ, US
I was recently coaching a top level executive in a major insurance company, whose organization was about to be merged with another insurance company. The new management was looking to make some tough decisions as to who would stay and who would go. They were stressing the importance of the professionals being “excellent communicators” who “stand out.”
When I spoke to my client, Jim Smith, I asked him what his greatest strengths were as both a leader and communicator. He said, “I’m fair and I am a great team player. Oh yeah, and I can make tough decisions.” In our coaching session, I followed up by asking Jim if he had any concrete examples to demonstrate his point. There was a long pause and he finally said, “You know, Steve, that’s hard to do on the spot. I have to think about it.”
Why does this matter? There is a good chance that Jim is going to be a part of a very tough interview over the next few months, because there is only one person needed to perform his responsibilities. Simply put, Jim’s ability to communicate as well as to effectively “brand” himself is more critical than ever before. Yet, at 62 years old, and as strong as Jim is in his current job, he feels more anxiety and less confidence than ever.
Tweet This
Email to a friend
