After my last webinar ‘How to deal with AWKWARD people’, quite a few attendees contacted me to ask if I do 1:1 coaching. I haven’t traditionally done that other than when I’m working with a team.

I would naturally spend 1:1 time with the team leader, manager or owner as part of the whole process.

HOWEVER, with ZOOM meeting technology, it’s something I can now offer. Coaching over Zoom means no massive and time-consuming travelling for any of us.

I wondered how best to put something useful together and came up with the following:

• The recording of the one hour ‘Awkward’ webinar (value $47 + gst)
• A one hour Zoom coaching session (value $135.00 + gst)
• A free ‘performance’ profile. I’ve attached an example below (value $47 + gst)
• My ‘Shift Your But’ book, which tells the story of how I began the journey of turning difficult groups into high performing teams. (value $30))

Total investment $197 + gst.

What came out of the webinar is that ‘awkward’ takes many shapes and sizes. Some attendees said:

• I have one employee who does her job well, but is so vile to her workmates the atmosphere in the office is awful
• My awkward person is very average at his job yet thinks he’s a star, if I try to point out where improvements are required he goes off on one!
• I’ve had so many conversations with my person, he agrees with everything I say then does exactly what he has been doing all along.

EXTRACT from a  profile (someone who thinks they’re a star and are absolutely NOT!!) and how to have the performance discussion.

‘Understand what aspect of X’s personality would cause this performance issue.

X is a person who needs positive feedback on an ongoing basis. Although he/she comes across as the most positive person, he/she does constantly like reassurance, or at least his/her ego stroked.

Life is a stage for X and he/she needs to know that his/her audience appreciates his/her, therefore if he/she is rebuked for anything by his/her manager it comes across as his/her not being appreciated.

X gives his/her all to whatever he/she is doing which makes it very painful for his/her to not be appreciated. Even if something has gone wrong it would be wise for his/her manager to stroke his/her ego before explaining why things might just not be exactly as required.

X’s self-image is important and losing face in front of others could cause his/her to opt out, or he/she could become even flashier.

Chances are that something flash was what caused his/her manager to rebuke his/her in the first place.

If this was the case, it would be counterproductive for the manager to add coals to this fire. Consider alternative approaches.

X’s manager needs to find something to show appreciation for before ever thinking of raising the issue that is causing the problem.

To go directly to the heart of the matter will not work with X. He/she could be inclined to become stroppy and his/her attitude could become one of saying “OK if that’s what you want!” seeming to give in and then doing nothing to improve the situation.

X has to be fairly centre stage in all aspects of his/her life and if he/she feels that he/she is being sidelined in any way he/she could become disruptive and the results could be the very opposite of what his/her manager had hoped for.

A manager who wants to get the best from X needs to show that they are supporters and that any concern is for his/her well-being and success.

Any offer of assistance should be couched in very positive bolstering language, not framed as something to meet a need he/she has.

Reassurance every step of the way is vital for X.’