Country Manager Faces Unique Challenges
Executive Coach | Coach Ania Lichota
Coaching Case Study | Justyna Waloch
Summary
Justyna Waloch was appointed country manager for Russia and CIS (including, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.) She didn’t have an engineering background in an engineering led company and was a woman in predominantly male oriented market and culture. She had 12 months to significantly improve profitability in the countries she was managing. At the end of the assignment, Justyna achieved in 12 months the results that would normally have taken 3 years.
Situation
Justyna had been brought in as Country Manager Russia and CIS for FlexLink – a seller of high value industrial equipment – in charge of business development. This involved building business relationships with customers and selling FlexLink products and solutions according to defined targets for order intake and margins.
Objective
Justyna had to establish leadership, build a motivated and effective team, and produce results within a 12 month period.
She wanted a coach that would give her the space and guidance to develop her leadership skills, explore and test new ideas, and question her thinking in a direct but positive way.
She was keen to have a coach that had senior managerial experience across a variety of cultures.
Actions
Ania took Justyna through a specially designed 12 month coaching programme. This involved an analysis of the initial situation including interviewing Justyna’s team and boss, emotional intelligence profiling and setting business, leadership and personal objectives. They both identified a number of focus areas including managing upwards, making and implementing ‘tough’ decisions in a appropriate way, listening, managing emotions, as well as basic team and leadership skills.
They set up a number of milestones to measure progress.
Ania and Justyna agreed a number of tasks for Justyna to complete between sessions. They then reviewed what happened and what could be improved.
Benefits
Justyna developed a new awareness and belief in herself, putting any fear of the new challenge behind her. She was able to tackle the challenges with enthusiasm and determination.
Within 12 months she doubled profitability, and improved her performance indicators by a factor of 10. She developed at least 3 people of her team as potential leaders.
In Justyna’s words the process enabled her to complete what would have normally been a 3 year project in 12 months.
Long Term Benefits
Justyna developed a series of leadership skills and mental approaches that would serve her throughout her future career. She now felt she could tackle anything! She noted: “My coach unlocked my potential.”
Justyna’s Learning
To benefit from the coaching programme it was key that the client chose the right coach for them and their context, be totally honest with themselves and the coach, and then trust and work with the processes suggested.
She felt that Ania had a calm but unique energy, asked the right questions, and could facilitate change using the minimum of words. She also had unique cross cultural experience at a senior level.
Ania inspired Justyna to be out of her comfort zones and be totally comfortable with it.
Justyna’s view is that to be successful in the modern world it’s critical to work with a high calibre coach outside the leader’s immediate environment. She commented: “It gives a different perspective on you, on the business you do and honest feedback from the coach is priceless.”
Justyna on Ania
Justyna Waloch on Ania Lichota
90 second video. Justyna describes working with Ania
Ania’s Learnings
Executive Coach | Ania Lichota
Ania thought that Justyna was the model of a great client. She was ambitious, open, willing to test approaches and then be open to learn and develop them further. She had a real ‘go for it’ attitude and took accountability for the coaching working.
The programme reminded Ania how important it was for the chemistry between client and coach to be absolutely right.
Ania’s Contact Details
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