As the director and leader of the non-profit Sunshine Organisation, Melinda Cupido often felt isolated. She identified a strong need for peer support and for opportunities to discuss business issues in an objective forum. Without a deputy director, Melinda was keenly aware of the ‘it’s lonely at the top’ phenomenon. She had explored various professional interventions to help her resolve the leadership issues she faced and develop in her role. Although somewhat foreign to her, executive coaching resonated strongly. The question was: would it meet her expectations, enhance her performance and inculcate sustainable growth?

Coaching was a new experience for Cupido and initially she displayed a mix of ambivalence and anxiety. She thought of coaching in terms of sport and could not fully appreciate how such a process would benefit a leader in a business environment. She was uncertain about how it worked, what it involved and what the gains would be.

“From the outset, Lovelle Henderson, my executive coach from Change Partners, displayed sensitivity regarding my concerns, communicating a keen understanding about my apprehension and addressing my fears,” says Cupido. “An ambience of open discussion was evident from the beginning. This set the tone and would allow to me comfortably raise issues throughout the coaching process.”

To establish the relationship Henderson sought to gain insight into Cupido’s background. Slightly skeptical at first about this line of enquiry and somewhat uncomfortable at disclosing personal details, Cupido gradually identified with the coach’s need to appreciate her history in terms of its influence on the context in which she currently found herself.

Henderson also displayed a genuine interest in understanding the mechanics of the organisation, constantly seeking to uncover information about its business and governance processes, its strategic objectives, its product offering and its market positioning. She attended an internal management meeting to become familiar with the culture and to see how Cupido was leading the organisation, how her management team responded to her position of authority and who she interacted with on a daily basis.

“As she did this, she also shared,” says Cupido. “Initially I regarded this ‘sharing’ as unimportant. However, with time I realised it formed a crucial foundation for the coaching rapport.”

Cupido’s goals for development related to her leadership style and her interactions with her team regarding ongoing management. “In terms of the identified goals, each coaching session had an order and a purpose,” explains Henderson. “There was also a debriefing regarding events that had occurred between sessions.”

“The sessions did not merely comprise informal listening and feedback,” says Cupido. “They constituted a structured learning environment where I established achievable objectives, thought about issues and discussed how I would overcome potential challenges and create solutions. I never felt pressured to accept advice and was always left to decide on the best course of action, despite the possible risks.”

“Throughout the coaching intervention, my coach challenged my thinking about how I viewed myself as the leader,” she says. “I started to see myself as part of the brand and consequently questioned how this affected the organisation’s operations. The coaching relationship was inherently challenging: my coach encouraged me to question, scrutinise and gain a deeper understanding of myself and my role.”

Henderson assisted Cupido to maintain a considered thought process and always offered innovative methods to address goals and issues. They engaged in discussions about creative ways to generate thinking and structure the thought process. The coach displayed honesty and a willingness to share her business experience, often imparting lessons learned and resources used to resolve issues under similar circumstances.

Cupido benefited from the resources and infrastructure of the coach’s firm, including the opportunity for a Perception Inventory (PI). In terms of the PI, which facilitates self-awareness and provides a chance for clients to increase their levels of self knowledge regarding how others view them, a psychologist interviewed several of Cupido’s coworkers. The psychologist, Cupido and the coach then had an in-depth feedback session. Cupido also shared the results with her colleagues. The tool constituted another way to uncover leadership issues and discuss solutions.

Growing through changee

“Through the coaching process I learned to become more decisive regarding organisational issues,” admits Cupido. “The PI report highlighted decisiveness as a leadership aspect people sought and appreciated. Followers need leaders to take decisions, despite possible risks.”

She also learned to carry herself in an assertive confident manner and to believe in herself as a leader and in the product the organisation needs to deliver to the market. “I gained self-awareness in terms of how I presented myself, managed others and delegated responsibilities,” she says.

“Cupido began to view herself as a role model for others,” says Henderson. “Prior to coaching she was uninformed about how others perceived her behaviour. She was the brand and didn’t know it. The organisation has also benefited from the coaching intervention as it has enabled Cupido to elevate her leadership capabilities. As a leader she is aware of balancing the imperatives of business operations with those of a non-profit entity.”

As the coaching process nears an end, Cupido and Henderson will consolidate what has occurred and define the resources and opportunities available should Cupido require support in future.

Source: Short version Coaching case study- by Melinda Cupido; Director of the Sunshine Organisation of Business Coachess


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