Self-Referral

Paula,

I want to properly thank you for your service and genuine concern for my personal and professional development over the past more than one year.

Your counsel with me has been invaluable as I made the transition from "in-house" to "global" manager. I needed to develop a whole new sensitivity to the importance of relationships with direct reports especially in the field (having always worked mainly face-to-face with people in my managerial experience). In fact, I had not spent much time thinking about relationships...even considering that on many associate feedback surveys over the years, I had been given the information that individuals had difficulty working with me and I had known that the "relationship aspect" was the key to resolving those difficulties. I had not chosen to work on my own behavior in these relationships.

You have played a key role in my developing this sensitivity and have given me the tools to deploy in behaving differently and more effectively. I must tell you that I am much more comfortable in knowing what I know now and understanding that I can nurture relationships that help to build my own potential as a leader while helping direct reports to grow with less constraint, confusion and overall stress.

The business is the winner in this whole experience. I was able to provide leadership and counseling and also to "let go" where appropriate. I learned to coach individual managers to do things that I otherwise would have assumed they knew how to do...or would have done for them had they failed...I had assumed that everyone else was just like me, knew what I know, and could do what I could do. I've learned a lot about all this as not just a series of events but more as an ongoing process. The good news is that I've had some great practice and results under your coaching and I feel that I will continue to grow.

I am very thankful that we have worked together. My work with you has been most fulfilling.

Sincerely,
(PW2003)