Case Studies

Jane Mohyuddin – Head of Marketing, Boutinot Wines

Ben Goodwin – Timber Agent at NHG Timber Ltd.

Ben sources and sells hardwood timber worldwide, specialising in the European and Far East markets.

Daphne has been coaching for Ben for two years now and they have a well established relationship. Ben started working with Daphne after taking part in a training session she ran. At that point he was at a difficult point in his career and reached out to Daphne to help him turn things around.

Impact

The impact of Daphne’s coaching has been tremendous. Ben reports  a very noticeable change in his performance at work, his relationships with colleagues and customers, and in his personal life.  In terms of quantifiable results, Ben’s sales in 2013 were double those in 2012 and surpassed his target by 20%. His 2014 target budget has gone up another 25%, which he concedes could be daunting, but with Daphne’s coaching, Ben feels confident that it is achievable.

“Every meeting is varied and enjoyable but also very focussed and beneficial.”

“Words can’t really describe what she has done for me and the impact she has had on my business life and I would also say that it extends into my personal life”.

Why Coaching?

Ben’s role within the company is complex and, as a son of the owner, he found himself having to find a balance between being a future owner of the business, a colleague and a trader. Unhappy with the situation at work and his performance, Ben was looking for support to focus his efforts. Specific objectives were to be more proactive, with a clearer forward plan; to set realistic targets; and to improve communication with colleagues and customers.

Coaching works for Ben, who confesses he is not a natural classroom learner. Working with Daphne has allowed him to talk through complex issues one-to-one and to develop a personalised response and to set realistic targets. Ben describes Daphne as very understanding, and notes that she will not accept a blame culture. “Her response is…well OK they’ve done that but what have you done? – you can only change yourself…”

“Daphne doesn’t put words into my mouth and she is making me do things that I know that I should do. She has a knack of focussing me and giving me the belief to move forward.”

Flexible Sessions

Ben and Daphne have developed a programme of sessions in blocks of four. Three are carried out over the phone, followed by a quarterly face-to-face meeting. This flexibility enables Ben to fit coaching round his busy diary and the extensive travel involved in his work. The phone sessions are focussed on sharing up-dates and progress against objectives discussed in previous sessions. The quarterly coaching meetings allow for a more detailed look at figures and targets for the quarter and work on future plans.

Future Plans

Ben plans to continue working with Daphne. Daphne is also now coaching other NHG Timber colleagues – who are very different personalities – and is working with them to improve their business performance. Reflecting on the impact Daphne has had for NHG Timber, Nick Goodwin (NHG Managing Director) remarked “Daphne has exorcised Ben’s demons and he is back to being his brilliant best and a pleasure to work with.”