My biggest challenge was around communication and learning to understand how I was coming across in my communication. Working with Exponential Results challenged me to look internally at what was creating those behaviors/mannerisms.
Like many leaders, I thought I was coming across one way, but was actually coming across to my team in an entirely different way. Coaching helped me to realize how I was showing up and change those behaviors to improve my communication and the way our team worked together.
My biggest realization occurred when I sat back and began to make a conscious effort to pay attention to how I was communicating. It was that ah-ha moment when one of my team members made a comment about transitioning to a new topic amidst our conversation. It was that moment when I realized what was clear in my head was not necessarily clear in the way I was communicating.
My coach challenged me to think about the root cause and to better understand the reason for the behavior. The assessments and dedicated coaching time allowed for conversations that led to a deeper understanding of who I am, and how I can better communicate with my team. Their promise to hold me accountable is something that translated throughout our team during the process.
Coaching has given me the tools to better understand how and why we react to one another in different settings and with different challenges/topics. This has empowered the team to assume ownership and give trust to one another. Because of this, the team is now functioning at a much higher level and finding solutions to problems that they own.