Did David need a coach or mentor?

Posted by stephencowburn on September 27, 2010 under SME News, Training | Comments are off for this article

The Sunday Times (26th Sept. 2010 Bottler David knows his final chance for the crown has gone) asked whether David Miliband had the killer instinct and courage a leader needs, suggesting that there were three occasions when he might have gone for the leadership [of the Labour Party] but didn’t. In his memoirs, Blair said of Miliband that “he seemed hesitant, and uncertain whether he wanted it” [the leadership].

MD’s might reflect on whether they wanted something enough in the past and let an opportunity (or three) go by. Or took an opportunity and it was at best a powerful piece of learning.

What sort of support might an MD find to assess an opportunity and not let it go by?

Mentors are one such source of support. A mentor has been through similar situations and can bring his/her experience to bear. How does this fit with the business plan? What are the opportunities? What are the risks? What would be the impact on cash flow? Sales? Suppliers? These are all essentially rational questions. The mentor can be the sounding board as the MD examines the logic, weighing in as devil’s advocate if the thinking becomes flawed.

Coaching is a different source of support, which through different questions, taps into motivations to enable the MD to seek clarity on what the opportunity means to them as a person. What will this opportunity mean for you? How does it fit into your personal plan? What if you don’t do it? What is stopping you? The emphasis is on learning and understanding to face cialis onlineopportunities in the future more “instinctively and courageously.”

It’s not a question of either/or, but a very high profile example of the need for objective support, without an axe to grind, to assess whether the opportunity is right for both the business and the MD.

Stephen Cowburn

stephen.cowburn@ukba.co.uk