The Boss Blames Others

Case Study Project Description

A mid size professional service company had a senior manager who was not trusted by co-workers or her direct reports. While she had been there for many years, her performance was difficult to assess and appeared to be on the decline. The owner requested that we discover what was at the root of the mistrust and collect information from all parties.

Project Problem

Employees and peers suggested her tendency was to obfuscate requests for status reports on her work. She regularly missed deadlines and assigned fault to others. It emerged that she had withheld critical information from people to appear “in the know”. In discussions, she tended to embellish stories about other people or ascribe motivation to others that was not present.

Solution

The owner initially retained us to work with this individual.  We worked with her to quickly move beyond seeing herself as “the problem”. Her progress was swift, and the other management team members saw the changes and wanted to know what she was learning that they didn’t know. The process was expanded to include the rest of the management team.

We used our challenging form of one-on-one coaching to discover what was behind the adversarial approach. Her style over the years had been to assume control was needed and that if certain jobs weren’t done, the company fortunes would decline. She had the owners interests at heart, she said. As the years went by and new people came into the company as it grew, in her mind her role and therefore her sphere of authority appeared to be diminishing. In the beginning, when the company was small she had to wear many hats and received a lot of acknowledgement and gratefulness from the boss.

Now, with so many more people to take on the roles, her power and control had to be shared. This perceptual decline in value to her boss led her to be resentful of others. In an attempt to regain this control, she devised ways of working that to others appeared unproductive and mean-spirited.

We helped her to understand the dilemma she had set up for herself in not acknowledging her own contributions for herself. She soon began to see that the naturally evolving state of the company was the reason she had less power and control, rather than any one being against her.

Results

As she let go of these perceptions, she was able to become productive and conciliatory again to the staff. It took time for others to change their approach to her as lack of trust is not eliminated over night. In time, as she continues to apply her Smart Team tools, the office will see her as an important part of the company’s growth.

Spirit West Management Launches Seminar Aimed at Baby Boomer Business Owners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Spirit West Management Launches Seminar Aimed at Baby Boomer Business Owners -

Will they get what they think the company is worth when its time to cash out?

July 14th, 2008–

There are 17 million businesses in the US and 1.7 million in Canada according to Dun and Bradstreet. 50% of them are owned by Baby Boomers. 7 out of 10 of these owners will want to sell their business over the next 10 years, according to the Association for Mergers and Acquisitions Advisors. The supply of offerings will continue to grow substantially.

According to anecdotal evidence from investment bankers and private equity investors, business owners are unaware of the work that must be done to prepare to sell their company. They have unrealistic expectations and have not done the preparation necessary to reorganize the company so it can operate and grow under professional management.

To help baby boomers adequately prepare for the day they do want to sell to investors, employees or other companies, Spirit West Management is offering a one day workshop on how to restructure a company so that it is exactly what investors look for. “How to Maximize Your Company’s Worth: The CEO’s Guide to Becoming Prepared for Investment” will teach owners how to see their company through the eyes of investors and lenders.

“A company might be operating just fine under owner management, but will it continue to operate successfully when the owner leaves?” says Lorraine Rieger McGregor, CEO of Spirit West Management. “There are many hidden issues that an investor sees and for every one that doesn’t have a solution, the value of that company is reduced. It can be a very humbling experience for business owners to come to this time in their life and think that they can sell in the next six months. It just doesn’t happen like that. Restructuring can take 2 or 3 years depending on the issues we are dealing with. Owners need to take the time to get the right advisors and consultants to help them get prepared for this investment transition.”

The one day seminar, open to company owners that did at least $7 million in revenue last year, will be held March 19, 2009 at the EagleQuest Coyote Creek Golf Club in Surrey, BC. Owners will have the opportunity to get a reality check on the state of their business, hear from other owners who are selling or who have sold, meet private equity investors and strategic buyers as well as learn the ins and outs of the mergers and acquisitions process.

Read More Information on the seminar

For Contact:

Lorraine Rieger McGregor

Spirit West Management, Ltd
events@spiritwest.com or Tel: 604-306-7707