Executive Coaching – A Case Study

Situation
A 600-bed Catholic hospital was being acquired by a for-profit hospital system. The previously highly successful chief operating officer had private doubts about the acquisition. These private doubts were being translated into negative off-line remarks and less-than-enthusiastic involvement in the change.

Solution
As a sponsor, the Catholic order operating the hospital retained an Executive Solution Partners (ESP) partner to “remediate” the COO and save him from “burning all his bridges.” The ESP partner arranged to moderate a constructive feedback meeting between the sponsor and the executive. During the meeting, the executive acknowledged his actions but confessed he didn’t know how to deal with his own anxiety around change. The ESP partner worked with the executive to create a series of behavioral goals supported by specific, timed action steps. Once the goals were agreed to by the sponsor, the ESP partner coached the executive through the implementation of the action steps.

Outcome
Within 90 days of the commencement of the coaching, the executive was seen as incredibly supportive of the change – in fact, one of its major proponents. As a result, he was offered a position in the merged health system which he turned down to take a position with the sponsor’s national system.