My story with a coach

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Justyna Waloch, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.

Why did I decide to work with an executive coach?

I had just been appointed the Country Manager for Russia at an engineering company selling industrial equipment. The objective put in front of me was to improve profitability. My goal of establishing leadership and building an effective, and motivated, team was further challenged by the fact that in Russia, at the time, the industry was predominantly a male one, featuring a rather tough culture. I had a limiting belief at that time – “how will I run a technical business unit without any technical background?”

Choosing the right coach for me

I knew I needed a coach who had senior managerial experience and a good understanding of my objective. I wanted someone who would guide me to grow my leadership skills and unleash the potential my employers saw in me when entrusting me with the project. The key factor for me then was that the coach had experience with working in Russia and spoke Polish, as well as English.

And so I turned to Google! After a quick session focused on checking whether the chemistry would work well between my new coach and me – we decided to work together.

Working with a coach

After the second session, the coach interviewed my team and managers (mostly on how do they perceive me) and debriefed with me the results of the emotional intelligence profile. My executive coach guided me through setting the business, leadership and personal objectives, like:

- making and implementing tough decisions

- listening effectively

- managing my emotions

- fundamental team and leadership skills

Here are a few key facts to give you an idea of the overall success rate of the time that
I worked on the project:

- the profitability of the team had doubled in just 12 short months

- the KPIs improved by a factor of 10

- the business unit in question grew from a total of -$0.7m loss to $5.6m new intake order

Working with my coach transformed my leadership style, which in turn got me to where I am today. Her guidance was important in the journey to my success. Working with an executive coach has allowed me to explore and test new ideas and question my thinking in a direct and positive way. Still today, I feel empowered to continue my rewarding and prosperous journey, both within my professional life, as well as outside of it. The same person is still my coach today – she’s my mentor and supervisor and a great inspiration for me.

Thank you, my coach!