CEO National Coaching Register  - Case Histories - Relationships

 These are abbreviated conversations to illustrate key decision moments. Based on real cases with changed detail to preserve confidentiality.

1. My board wanted us to be like fcuk – they overachieved!.

The non-executive director needed advice. “My board said they wanted to be like fcuk.  They wanted high profile, high drive, high success, and took on a high flyer MD.  He is an arrogant, ruthless, hirer firer, who gets results, but at what a price.  He wants his own way in the boardroom and has terrified everyone in the executive team, who are frightened to say anything now.  Forgive me saying so, but the whole company is fcuk’d up.  He was getting profit up but he has been getting increasingly over ambitious and has now put us at great risk. We recently discovered that he has committed £8m for a national advertising campaign. But we don't sell to the public! Our products go to manufacturers who install them in their products. That will actually take us into trading loss for this year.  There is not a director who supports the idea. We are a quoted plc and no-one including the chairman dares to raise it with him and tell him that his actions are not approved of by the board.  I think I should resign and want your comments.

The coach uses carefully sculptured words here in a format that is known as an 'intervention'  Frequently it is just a one sentence question

NXD:  I can just resign and go or I could raise the matter of the £8m in the boardroom and also of the staff discontent.  That will cause an absolute outburst and the MD will accuse me of scaremongering and petty thinking.  He will provoke the board by saying their sales and profits are up and I am a typical softee left-winger who is scared of the price of success.  The executives on the board will back him if there is a vote and the chairman is just completely in his power.  Those are my two choices I suppose and I don’t like either of them.

Coach intervention

The NXD's face show abrupt realisation. 'Now I think about it, I don’t have any choice.  I have to raise the matter in the boardroom and have it minuted and tender my resignation. That might protect me but I am now sure what I have to do.  I had better see a solicitor. 

Coach:  Is that your decision then and do you need any more from me?

NXD:  “No, that has cleared my mind.  In talking about it I realise I have no choice

3 weeks later the NXD called the Coach. 'I tendered my resignation and told the board it was over the £8m but also that I did not believe the CEO's bullying tactics were acceptable. Then I waited for the outburst! Instead, a female executive piped up that she was resigning over the 'CEO's atmospherics'.  I had spoken to the Chairman before the meeting and I think he might have had a quiet word with the other non execs because they then said they agreed with me. The Chairman stopped the CEO in mid sentence and proposed his departure. When the other execs saw there was a majority they voted to support it too. Since then I think I have become something of a hero!'

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