4. From stability to uncertainty: dealing with an unexpected restructure
Background
* Clients’ names have been changed to respect our confidential relationship.
Steve was an operations manager whose company was going through a restructure. This meant Steve’s current job would dissolve and he would need to apply for a role in the new structure. There were 20 roles available, and Steve could apply for up to 3.
Steve hadn’t applied for a new job in 10 years and felt uncertain about which roles he was best suited for. After many years of stability and familiarity with the company culture and ethos, it was an unsettling time.
From being a confident and assured individual working at a senior level, Steve started to experience a lack of confidence, low self-esteem and sleep disruption. Feeling unsupported by his line manager, Steve approached me for external career coaching support.
Solution
Steve needed clarity on which role would best help his next career move within the company. I mapped out his Unique Career Footprint, considering all aspects of his knowledge, skills and experience and where he felt he would like to develop his career. This led to asking searching questions and stretching his horizons.
Once Steve had selected his roles and applied for them, I supported him through his interview preparation and presentation, and helped improve his confidence. At each stage, Steve felt he’d performed at his best.
Results
After learning he’d been unsuccessful at the internal interviews, Steve decided to seek alternative roles externally. He started to take a more objective view of his own achievements, skills and experiences and see that his self-talk was stopping him from realising his true potential and worth.
Steve now felt empowered, relieved of burden and saw a significant shift in his confidence levels. He also started sleeping well again. This led to him securing interviews for senior manager opportunities with strong feedback from the interviewers. After going through a well-structured interview and selection process, Steve was offered a role as a company director which he is enjoying settling into.
‘Nina coached me from September '18 when I was informed that a restructure at my company could result in me re-applying for my role. Nina helped me through the process of identifying which roles I should apply for through her skilful coaching techniques that enabled me to select the roles that fitted my career goals. When I decided to leave the company, Nina was able to help me re-evaluate what I was looking for in a new challenge. She helped me identify my personal and professional goals including the values that I would want in a new company. As I secured interviews, Nina helped me prepare for the selection process by holding mock interviews and providing feedback when appropriate. I am pleased to say that with Nina’s help I was able to secure a senior manager position in a new company in May '19 which I am enjoying.’