Executive Coaching
A senior executive who had postponed the same conversation for a year
The situation
A senior executive in a growing organization had a direct report whose performance had been an open question for months. Peers had noticed. Nothing had been said clearly.
The executive described the issue as a timing problem. There was always a reason the conversation could wait.
What was actually happening
The delay was not about timing. Addressing the performance issue would have required the executive to acknowledge that the role itself had been poorly defined at the outset.
The same avoidance showed up elsewhere: unclear feedback, softened expectations, and a team that had begun routing around the individual rather than through them.
What changed
- We separated the role-design problem from the performance problem so each could be addressed honestly.
- The executive prepared for the conversation with a clear objective rather than a script.
- Following the conversation, responsibilities were redrawn and expectations documented.
- Coaching continued on the broader pattern of softened feedback across the team.
The result
The conversation happened within two weeks of the engagement beginning. The role was restructured and the individual moved into work better matched to their strengths.
The executive reported that subsequent difficult conversations took days rather than months to initiate.
"James asks the right questions so my decisions make themselves. He tells you what you need to hear."