Senior Executive – Finance

For many years my career was a catalogue of one successful promotion after another.  None sought but due to a proven track record, a great reputation and support from numerous managers, sponsors and mentors, they just seemed to come my way. I’d dive into each new appointment with relish and through hard work, tenacity and great team work always managed to get the job done, routinely exceeding expectations in the process.

In late 2018 I was asked to take on a new, more senior role. The business area was troubled; there’d been huge investment without ROI and consequently it’d become subject to close and constant scrutiny of the CEO and his executive team. The stakes were high, so too were expectations and getting it wrong was simply not an option. I was flattered and applied myself with usual gusto but quickly realized the winning tactics from old weren’t working.  The new resources I’d been promised never materialized and successful execution was, in part, dependent on my ability to influence a range of senior managers to support the business plan I was crafting, when the cost of doing so would deplete the funding available for their own.

I had an increasing sense of bewilderment and terror. I felt overwhelmed; I was working all hours and at weekends and started to feel a failure. Paranoia set in. My confidence was at an all-time low. It started to affect my personal life and relationships. I couldn’t disclose how I felt to my new manager for fear of being ousted (classic imposter syndrome) and my long-term partner, family and friends felt ignored. I wasn’t making anyone happy, least of all myself.  Then I chanced upon a random online article extolling the benefits of executive coaching. At first, I dismissed it – why add more work when I was already over-burdened? But I soon realized that something had to give and it couldn’t be me so I swallowed my pride, took a leap of faith and persuaded my manager to invest in me.

Introductory meetings were quickly lined-up with a selection of coaches to confirm the chemistry was right. I only met with Oona. We immediately gelled so I didn’t expend further valuable time and effort seeking alternatives. The sessions began. With almost narcissistic fascination I started gain more insight into my own behaviors, how I appeared to others – the sessions held a mirror to my professional and personal lives and I didn’t like what I saw.

My 1-1’s with Oona quickly became some of the most important items in my diary. My values and aspirations became clearer – funny that I’d never consciously pondered them before. The reflections started to morph into something I was eminently happier to see. Much of the change was within me – I’d always had the tooling to effect the transformation but it took Oona’s support for me to recognize it and take the necessary actions.

Ten months on and many aspects of my life have been transformed. I am happier, have a better work-life balance, the business is turning around and I feel far more in control and enjoy what I do. I will be forever grateful to Oona for helping to empower me; she was a lifeline at the time I needed it most. I won’t disclose her secret sauce – that’s for you to discover yourself – but the coaching experience for me was liberating and I can’t recommend it – or Oona – more highly.