Background

The Asia regional head of the research division of a major U.S. Multinational had already achieved a great deal in her career. Born in China, she had lived and worked in the U.S., before coming back to Asia. I met her when I was initially approached with a challenge to help build alignment in her senior management team. After an intensive three-month alignment process, her division went to a whole new level in terms of internal communication, alignment, and real measurable performance.

And then the work really began. Jill (not her real name) began to acknowledge that she could do greater things. At the same time, she had a strong sense that her thinking patterns and emotions were somehow getting in the way of her reaching the next level. We decided to go into a period of intense personal development.

The Process

The coaching process involved a series of two three-hour meetings over a period of several months, with phone calls and e-mails in the interim. At each meeting, Jill would explore her own thinking and reactions to things. Through this process we discovered the automatic programs that were running her life. We found out why she responded with fear to certain individuals. We found out why certain events caused anger or paralysis. And we changed these reactions to states that provide much more choice and flexibility.

The Results

Today, Jill is becoming a larger than life version of herself. Calm and confident, she has easily mastered what once looked to her like an incredibly difficult job. She has been so successful that she has now been offered her dream job - to set up and run an organization, under a corporate umbrella, that is making fundamental contributions to world health.

On the personal side things have changed as well. Previously Jill had a turbulent and uncomfortable relationship with her mother. Now by applying some of the self management and communication tools that she has learned, she has modified that relationship and is now happy and comfortable with the level and quality of communication with her mother. In a nutshell, she now feels that she has the chance to fulfill her dreams and is well on the way to doing so.