Ring, Ding, Knock and Slap: A Unique Experience with Executive Coaching

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Not long ago I was hired to provide executive coaching for the CEO of a medium-size company. The Board of Directors hired me because they were concerned about the CEOs "ability to get things done." There had been complaints and even some hard evidence that important responsibilities remained incomplete. Before my first meeting with the CEO I was told that he had the education, experience and desire to be highly successful. Nonetheless, too many projects, tasks, assignments, problems and opportunities somehow didn't get his attention, thus remained incomplete. The company had tried its best internally through the HR department to improve his behavior, but little had been
accomplished. I was, so it seemed, the CEO's last chance.

The point of the CEO's problem was clearly illustrated in the first thirty minutes of our first meeting. These are direct quotes from the notes I took in that meeting, "Claims he can't get things done." Here's another quote, "Claims his direct reports can't think for themselves. They have no initiative." And another quote from my notes, "Claims he
is too busy because too many people bother him." And a final quote, "Claims most of his staff are under qualified—thus causing him to spend too much time fixing things."

I listened to the CEO make these comments and took notes that documented his perspective of what was going on. During this time I observed a critical part of the problem. That first executive coaching meeting was held in his spacious, modern office in a corner on the top floor of the company's corporate headquarters. In those first thirty minutes my notes also said, "CEO seems unusually bothered by, ring, ding, knock
and slap."

Within the first couple of minutes of our first meeting his phone rang. Even though he had a highly competent administrative assistant just outside the door, he leaped up and answered the phone. After a brief conversation he said, "Sorry about that, I like to get my own calls."

A few minutes later I heard a "ding" from the computer on the CEO's desk. The ding signaled that an email had been received. Instantly the CEO began glancing toward the computer. He appeared to have difficulty focusing on our conversation, as evidenced by his glances at the computer. Finally, he said, "Excuse me I need to see if this is something I need to take care of." He then moved to his desk and after pushing a couple of keys read an email. Coming back to the conference table where I was seated he said, "It's nothing important." I asked, "Exactly how important was that email?" He responded, "To be truthful, advertising spam sometimes gets through our firewall and that's what it was."

It wasn't long before we heard a "knock" on his office door. He said, "Come in." It was an employee who felt some compelling need to deliver a message to the CEO in person, rather than put it in written form. And during that first thirty minutes his administrative assistant entered the room, excused herself, and put a pile of mail on the CEO's desk. It hit the desk with a "slap." As she left she said, "Sorry to interrupt, but you told me to bring the mail in the minute it arrived."

Ring, Ding, Knock and Slap: the sounds of impending leadership failure!

After observing about ninety minutes of the tactical circus, I asked four questions, "Why is it necessary for you to personally view every email message within seconds of it arriving?" (He had excused himself several times in the first hour and a half to do that; I didn't keep track of how many.) I asked, "Why is it necessary for you to personally
answer every telephone call, even when you are in a meeting?" I asked, "Why do so many of your employees believe it is necessary to ask for your permission to do simple things?" (One employee interrupted us to ask if he could go home.) And I asked him, "Why is it necessary for your mail to be placed on your desk immediately after arriving, even when you are in a meeting?"

His answers to the four questions were at best vague. He tried to explain that any message to the CEO could be important and he believed in taking care of important things first. And the only way he could know if an important message had arrived that deserved his immediate attention would be for him to stop whatever he was doing, regardless of how important it may be, and screen the incoming message.

Perhaps by this time you are wondering if this story could possibly be true. Yes, it is absolutely true, every single fact. Near the conclusion of my first executive coaching session with the CEO I began to piece together the facts and impressions I had collected.

1.