Coaching client Belinda received some very honest feedback in her E.I. 360. Areas identified for development included more willingness to listen, less tendency to micromanage and less urgency in jumping to solutions. Overall, Belinda was being asked to become more aware of when her impact on her directs was negative, adversely affecting trust and her working relationships.
She struggled with receiving this feedback and came to E.I. coaching quite defensive – in fact, closer to denial.
“Micromanaging? I don’t get that – I’m just trying to help people who need it. We’re at work to get things done and some people need to try a little harder to meet deadlines, so I make sure it happens.”
I spent the first part of our meeting letting Belinda share her thoughts about her feedback, adding some questions in order to understand but not to challenge. This gave her a chance to share her side of the story, which helped to calm her emotions. I was also modeling one of the key behaviours identified for her to develop – listening. When she stopped, I asked, “So, what was it like, being able to tell me how you feel about this feedback?”
