We were engaged to address a serious and long‑running conflict in a large organisation involving a senior manager - let’s call him Bert - and many of his peers and leaders. Communication had broken down almost entirely, trust was non‑existent, and Bert was widely regarded as a “rogue operator” whose behaviour posed significant risk. This was a stark contrast to his earlier reputation as a highly capable and respected senior manager.

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After months of disputes, performance issues, and personality clashes, Bert was on the brink of dismissal. As a final attempt to resolve the situation, his boss placed him on a Performance Improvement Plan and engaged us to analyse the issues, design a coaching intervention, and stabilise the deteriorating environment.

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The beginning of the coaching process was extremely high stakes. Bert had no trust in management, and that distrust initially extended to us as external coaches. Establishing rapport was critical - and because building trust is one of our core strengths, we were able to overcome this barrier quickly and begin meaningful work.

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We started by gathering evidence to understand the situation clearly. Using our coaching tools - including the Team Management Profile (TMP), Linking Skills, and the MSCEIT emotional intelligence assessment - we collected feedback on Bert’s performance, communication patterns, and interactions with peers and colleagues. These insights helped us understand both the external dynamics and Bert’s internal paradigm, giving us a grounded foundation for the coaching process.

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With trust established, we worked intensively with Bert to replace unhelpful habits with constructive ones. This included:

• rebuilding communication as a daily, non‑negotiable practice

• recognising and managing the emotional aspects of interaction and decision‑making

• developing greater self‑awareness and accountability

• strengthening relationships with colleagues and leaders

 

During this process, we also identified broader leadership and cultural issues within the organisation that were contributing to the conflict. While these were outside the scope of our engagement - and beyond what the organisation was willing to address at the time - acknowledging them helped contextualise the challenges and ensured our coaching approach remained realistic and grounded.

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Despite these constraints, the shift in Bert’s behaviour and relationships was profound. Once trust was established, he engaged positively with the coaching, rebuilt relationships with his peers and managers, and transformed from a high‑risk, isolated operator into a valued and collaborative member of the leadership team. His motivation increased, his behaviour stabilised, and he even began volunteering to support others across the organisation.

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Key outcomes included:

• significant improvement in communication and emotional regulation

• repaired and strengthened relationships across the leadership group

• a sustained shift from conflict and risk to trust and collaboration

• renewed confidence in Bert’s leadership capability

 

Today, Bert continues to perform at a high level and maintains strong, trusting relationships with his colleagues and managers. This case demonstrates the power of targeted, evidence‑based coaching, not only to change behaviour, but to restore confidence, capability, and connection even in complex organisational environments take it.

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