The Tale of Wonder Widget, Part Four

by Mark S. Fulton

At two o’clock on Wednesday afternoon, Walter Wonder picked up his phone and called Chuck Chartmaker of Chartmaker Business Coaching. Of all the actions he had taken to pull Wonder Widget out of its financial tailspin, this was the one Walter was least sure about.

He had hired a business consultant who had really helped his management team improve their relationships with the people around them by teaching them the DISC behavior style system and taking each of them through a 360-degree evaluation. Vice presidents, directors and managers were now using a new language—saying things like “He’s a real D, so he needs choices rather than a direct order” and “Give her a compliment and her S will shine.” Almost immediately, communication and productivity improved at every level within the company.

The other consultant Walter had hired had begun working with his managers on developing teams in each department. Walter was surprised at how quickly his employees in key areas accepted the change to a team-based work model. They liked the empowerment and responsibility that teaming up gave them. Although some managers were struggling a bit in their new roles as team facilitators, they were quickly learning decision-making and dispute resolution skills that would help their team accomplish its mission.

Despite Walter’s gratification over the changing work environment at Wonder Widget, he still felt uncertain about the final recommendation from his consultant: hire a business coach.

“Hello, Walter,” said Chuck Chartmaker at the other end of the phone. “You’re right on time. Let’s spend this first session answering any questions you have about business coaching and talking about your role as ‘head coach’ of Wonder Widget.”

“My business consultant said I should do this because you can help me be more effective as a leader,” Walter said. “But I gotta tell you, I’m not exactly sure what you do.”

“I like to say that a business coach plays a combination of three roles—mentor, motivator and manager,” Chuck replied. “As a mentor, my job is to serve as a resource for information about managing your company. I can teach you some techniques that will help you support and encourage your people to be their best. As a motivator, it’s my job to hold you accountable to your commitments to personal improvement. As a manager, I will focus on helping you set clear goals for yourself and your company, organize your time more efficiently and change habits that might be getting in your way.”

“And you’re going to coach me on how to be a coach?” Walter asked.

“Yes. Your company’s success clearly indicates that you’ve done a good job of directing your employees and delegating tasks,” said Chuck. “But modern corporate leaders are realizing that they need to do more to stay competitive. They need to know how to set goals, motivate people, give clear instructions, listen effectively and provide helpful feedback. They must become role models who lead the way to a new corporate culture.”

“Sounds like a lot,” Walter groaned. “Where do we start?”

“We start by talking about your vision for Wonder Widget—where you want to take it,” said Chuck. “We’ll identify the individual goals you’ll need to reach in order to make that vision a reality. I use an evaluation tool that will help me identify needs in five key areas: quality, communication, productivity, innovation and leadership.”

Chuck took a moment to fax Walter the evaluation form and a couple of other pieces of information, including a list of recommended reading and a handout titled “Ten Skills for Powerful Coaching.”

Chartmaker Recommend Reading

"The E-myth Manager" by Michael Gerber
"Leadership Effectiveness Training" by Thomas Gordon
"Executive EQ" by Robert Cooper
"Principle-centered Leadership" by Stephen Covey

Ten Skills for Powerful Coaching

• Active Listening
• Emotional Intelligence
• Empowerment
• Motivational Mentoring
• Change Management
• Team Development
• Performance Valuation
• Reinforcement
• Problem Solving
• Principled Leadership

“Each one of the ten skills for powerful coaching will take time to develop,” Chuck said. “We’ll use information from various sources to put it all together. A lot of your development as the head coach of Wonder Widget will simply come from trying new skills and learning from your experience using them. You can do this, Walter.”

Walter was silent for a moment. As he looked at the list of coaching skills, he acknowledged to himself that there was something he could learn about each one. He thought about the excitement he had felt in the early years of Wonder Widget, when the world believed the company motto: “If your widget wobbles, it’s no Wonder.” He was determined to make that true again.

“Okay, Chuck,” said Walter. “Everyone needs accountability—including the boss. I expect you to push me if I drag my feet. I know that I need to be a better listener and I don’t know anything about emotional intelligence, so let’s start there.”

Walter Wonder was about to embark on a journey that would take him and Wonder Widget on a new course. He thought of an old German proverb: “To change and to improve are two different things.” Walter intended to see Wonder Widget and himself do both.

Copyright 2000 © Mark S. Fulton