Case Studies – Executive Coaching

The Organisation

The Department of Industry – Lands is responsible for approximately half of NSW land valued at over $6.1 billion.

The Department is responsible for managing some of the most iconic and diverse public land through the Crown reserve system. Hyde Park and Bondi Beach in Sydney are two famous examples of the NSW Crown reserve system at work.

The Department’s professional management of some 64,000 leases and licences enables the use of Crown land across the state for a range of commercial, agricultural, industrial, community, residential and private uses. CLD also manages the development, marketing and sale of Crown lands not required for public purposes. The Department also investigates and assesses Aboriginal land claims across the state under the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983.

The Coachee

Jamie Murray, Manager Business Centres, is responsible for managing more than 100 staff state wide in the business centres that undertake 45,000 client interactions per annum to achieve government priorities in the management of Crown land. She has been working on a large-scale state wide project to centralise administrative functions to improve consistency, transparency of decision-making, compliance of decisions with legislative, policy and administrative law frameworks and reduction in resource required.

The Challenge

“With regard to business development, I was able to introduce a disciplined approach to my activities in a manner that produced significant tangible results. All this was done in the context which facilitated an increased level of enthusiasm and energy.”
Jamie Murray, Manager Business Centres

In a 360-degree survey, Jamie received the following feedback:

• She could react to frustrating situations emotionally, stop listening authentically and come across as intimidating and/or highly judgmental.
• She was highly self-critical causing self-doubt/lack of confidence.
• She should delegate more and trust others to get things done.
• She should learn to say NO to fixing breakdowns that others have caused.
• She was working too hard.

The Solution

“Unlike other programs I looked into, I found the coaching was very easily applied to the Public Sector working environment where relevant.”

Jamie is a highly responsible person with a high degree of integrity – she always wants to do the right thing. She also never wants to let people down and leave them disappointed in her. This discomfort zone was the source of many of her problems.

For example:

• not delegating and trusting people because if they didn’t perform, it would lead to others being let down.
• not having straight conversations over lack of performance with staff members because she didn’t want them to think badly of her.
• Saying yes to almost every request made of her which added to an already heavy work load.

Becoming aware of this dynamic and the way it shaped her job (and life), allowed her to take responsibility for all the ways that it was playing out and how it was the source of the feedback that she received in the 360-degree survey. Jamie then made a choice to be more authentic in her management and dealings with people and intentionally went to work on changing her behaviour using the coaching to support her in making these changes.

The Benefits

“Through my coaching, I have been able to develop a much clearer self-awareness, identify blind spots I had about my own behaviour whilst becoming a much more accountable and authentic leader to my staff.

The coaching I have had with Joe has delivered tangible and measurable outcomes for myself and my organisation. I have been able to work the strategies that Joe has taught me into our planning processes, meetings, relationship building across other agencies and managing high level contentious stakeholder issues.”

“Executive coaching with Joe through Hewsons has ensured that I am developing into the best, most effective version of myself possible, contributing to cultural change across my staff and the other managers around me.

I highly recommend the Hewson’s executive coaching programs for individuals looking to develop themselves into authentic and accountable leaders, as well as organisations/agencies that require real change or the development of cohesive and effective leadership teams.

I have been able to utilise the tools that Joe has coached me in not only in my professional life but also in my personal life. You could say that working with Joe has changed my life.”