Developing Leadership in U.S. Government: Financial Institutions During Times of Crisis

An informal discussion with the coaching team indicated that at some point in the coaching relationship participants became more open to working on improving their ability to manage stress and balancing the demands of the job with demands from family. At first, this seemed to go against unspoken cultural expectations: be available 24/7, and make the personal sacrifices needed to get the job done, no matter what the cost. Coaches had to challenge these assumptions and discuss overall cost/benefits required to avoid burnout of the client and their staff. Managers’ ability to sustain productivity and meet increasing customer demands brought further interest in developing a more formal program for developing leaders and their ability to manage stress and change.

EVOLUTION OF THE COACHING PROGRAM DURING A PERIOD OF CHANGE

From 2005 through 2006 during the pilot coaching program, there were a number of significant changes affecting employees and leaders: a new emphasis on ensuring national banks had the necessary controls to detect and deter money laundering and terrorist financing, a reorganization to improve organizational efficiency, and the turn of the economy.During this period, coaches helped agency leaders set up new departments, manage new groups of people and activities, and respond to the variety of events that come during periods of rapid and broad change. These challenges required leaders to take on new assignments and to change the ways they were accustomed to doing business when old ways were no longer tenable. As one source reported:

In a recent testimonial to the value of the coaching experience, one regional district manager remarked that he felt overwhelmed and realized that he could no longer  manage the banks under his jurisdiction in the same way he had in the past, given the mandated consolidation of field offices within his district. (Hughes & Terrell, 2008, p. 170)

Download Article 1K Club