CASE STUDY #2

The Client: Andy Johnson, President of Gerrish Bearing

The Problem

"I felt as though I wasn't managing my time well, not managing functions well. I was fixing $50 mistakes instead of working on the big picture and doing what an executive should be doing. I was wasting my time by reacting to small mistakes.

I had trouble staying focused. I'd drop whatever I was doing to help someone. If I saw a mistake, I fixed it because I could do it more quickly, but didn't discuss it, or educate the employee. I allowed employees to walk in all day long and interrupt me. I let them waste my time.

I have some employees with strong personalities that were unmanageable for me and was in relationships that were hard to back out of. I allowed loyal employees to be under performers and disruptive. I wasn't holding them accountable and wasn't giving them direction.

I don't like to be told what to do, and don't like to tell others either. I didn't ever give feedback.

I spent most of my time putting fires."

The Solution

"I've changed by giving employees daily or weekly feedback so they can be accountable. I talk more often and offer guidance to employees rather than being a “nice guy” most of the time and then saying something once a year that leads to an employee freak out.

I can talk to my employees and say what is not acceptable. I question why they didn't follow the quality controls that were put in place. I educate or train employees on how to fix things or not make certain mistakes again. I ask them to try other things first, not to just walk into my office.

I learned to organize my time so I could be more effective and to refocus strategically for my company so I can do what's best for it over the long term."

The Benefits

• "I used to brag about having no turnover. Now I realize a little turnover is good.
• I feel in my work with Barbara that I took back some relationships that I'd lost control of and changed how I manage my employees.
• I now focus on one, five and ten year plans for the company rather than $50 mistakes. I've learned that my role is to be forward thinking and make sure we're successful 5-10 years from now.
• I allowed myself to shed small mistakes and work on big stuff, the big picture of developing a potentially lucrative import business.
• Now I have the potential to double the sales of our company in the next two years because I've had the time to work on these projects.
• My relationships with my employees have changed and are stronger. This has made me a more effective leader. 
• It's very easy now to give my employees direction or talk to them about what needs to be done.
• I'm more focused now on what I should and shouldn't be working on. Barbara's attention to executive development helped me get clearer on what an executive should and shouldn't be doing."

Barbara's Impact

"On a Scale of 1-10 with 10 highest, I'd rate the value of Barbara's coaching as a 10!

We worked together 8-9 months. Within a few months I felt I'd made great strides. I started to think 'I'm where I need to be.'

The results I achieved were exactly what I was looking for. Because of Barbara's expertise and experience in counseling, she was able to help me identify my issues and help me figure out the root of where the issues came from so I could ultimately learn to turn this around to be much more effective.

Barbara has a scientific mind and a unique understanding of human behavior that helped me figure out the solutions to problems. Because I understand myself better, the changes are solid.

I make plenty of money. I work a ton. I was looking to streamline my life and be more efficient. Time is money. I wanted to learn to be more productive. Barbara helped me get to where I needed to be faster. I'm now a more effective leader."

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