Providing high challenge and high support to senior leaders in a time of uncertainty and continuous change for our world-renowned client
EXECUTIVE COACHING
Background
The Victoria and Albert Museum is not only one of the world’s leading museums, but also a keen supporter of workplace development and champion of coaching across their population. Motion Learning has been working with the V&A providing coaching services for the past 5 years across all leadership levels.
The V&A recognises the challenges people face in senior leadership roles. Where this is true at all times, it has been particularly heightened with extraordinary leadership pressures during Covid-19. Leaders have been helping their people through uncertainty and constant change, whilst experiencing the same themselves.
Our task
To support a key member of the executive team, Rachel Morris from Motion Learning was commissioned by the V&A to provide a series of coaching sessions enabling the individual to navigate their demanding but fulfilling role, and providing a sounding board and safe space to help them to think and to grow.
Rachel offered confidential support during this period, allowing fears and challenges to be shared and solutions to be found. Focus was placed on supporting energy levels, and motivation. Sometimes even the strongest leaders need a space to talk, where it’s OK not to be entirely OK.
Provide meaningful support
Drawing upon a personal style balancing high support alongside high challenge Rachel met regularly with the leader to provide robust and effective support.
Over a period of 2 years, Rachel provided more the 50 hours of coaching, shortening sessions when energy was low, picking up conversations when necessary between formal calls and maintaining a focus on progress and motivation. Weekly check ins were put in place to monitor agreed behaviours so progress could be seen and momentum grown.
Results
Success in challenging times is a very personal matter, and coaching supports individuals in a wide range of ways.
During the course of Rachel’s work with the executive, they:
Expanded their role and remit
Restructured, built and empowered a refocused team
Led from the front and provided clear objectives and focus
Maintained multiple productive teams in the face of considerable disruption and uncertainty
“Rachel is a proactive, focused and highly engaged coach. She manages to get to the bottom of underlying issues very quickly, creates a framework to work within and then pushes for achieving agreed objectives in a fun and engaging way.
Rachel is a highly motivating coach to work with. She balances a lovely friendly manner, with a steely delivery. She’s not a ‘keep quiet’ coach, and I really respect her skills and approach. Rachel has huge empathy and EQ. She has a great balance of personal interest and professional rigour. She was great fun to work with.”
