The federal public service is no exception. With the workforce getting older and a need to be agile in an ever-changing workplace, paramount is supporting senior executives to refine leadership strengths, to motivate and inspire staff, and to achieve individual and organizational success.

Diversity Advantage International (DAI) provides one-on-one coaching of federal public service senior executives, with an emphasis on strategic situational problem solving, career advancement, legacy planning, and work-life alignment. We employ a strength-based process encompassing neuroscience, mind states and mindfulness, and emotional intelligence.

One of our client leaders is a long-standing, well-established and experienced senior public servant with a deep commitment to the work, the organization and the community stakeholders. The leader has responsibility for a team in multiple locations in a large geographic region. The environment is fast-paced, with competing priorities, and deadline and output driven.

The leader’s primary challenge is change management excellence in a time of fiscal restraint and re-engineering within a major department of a large public sector organization. The implications encompass human resources, new or modified processes, data and reporting protocols and funding allocations.

Regular coaching sessions centre on the client’s agenda. The focus is change management in an environment of “a learning curve for all”. Through the executive coaching process, aspects addressed and positively impacted cover:

• Transparency and accountability: to all stakeholders
• Team dynamics: effective collaboration with peers
• Human resources: staff engagement, moral sustainability, and succession planning
• Strategic communications: “influential conversations”, meetings, presentations
• Relationship management: managing up, peers, external stakeholders, influencers
• Client’s own development and growth

Application of our client-empowered, outcomes-centred Professional Coaching System with certified coaches has led to positive results. Through a process to elevate and fine-tune executive skills, capabilities, business outcomes and impact, in balance with individual values and goals, the leader identified several achievements, including:

• Skillful navigation through budget and staffing constraints with positive resolutions;
• More effective time and talent management resulting in solid team, collaboration and accountability amidst staff attrition;
• Elevated performance scores with commensurate recognition;
• Career legacy clarity and mapping; and
• Improved work-family-life alignment.

The client today has developed a stronger authentic leadership direction, presence and voice.