Case Study

Every client we work with is unique. But it’s not unusual for individuals to struggle with similar career issues and share certain personality traits. This example illustrates Diamond Insight’s approach to addressing common career challenges we see in our work.

Rick: The Communication-Challenged Subject Matter Expert
Rick was the acknowledged expert on technical solutions. He had always been a high-performing employee and strong individual contributor. He knew his stuff—and others recognized that. But he didn’t have a lot of patience for people who didn’t see things the way he saw them. He considered tact and diplomacy a waste of time. If someone proposed an idea that wouldn’t work, he was merely pointed it out, bluntly and expediently. Wasn’t that his job?

Over time, though, people were seeking him out a bit less often, and when they did, it was getting more difficult to be heard. He was tired of his boss asking him to apologize, and of his peers excluding him from important meetings.

Rick was starting to realize his temper was a liability on the job. He honestly did not know how to say what he needed to say, without sparking such negative reactions. At a loss for what else to do, Rick decided to try a coach and called Diamond Insight. Together, Virginia and Rick:

Analyzed the scenarios that had caused Rick to “snap,” to understand both the triggers and the consequences of his outbursts
Learn how to manage his ‘fight’ response, so that he could truly hear what others had to say, and not spark their own fight-or-flight reaction
Discovered how Rick could see other’s questions not as challenges to his expertise, but as indications of things he needed to better explain, or of their insight about a situation that he needed to understand for his technical solutions to be implemented
Developed strategies for specific situations in which Rick needed to share his opinions more constructively

Rick practiced these strategies at work and reported back to Virginia when something worked or didn’t work. Eventually, he settled into a naturally collaborative style, hearing what others had to say, educating them on the technical aspects to build their understanding and confidence, all without sacrificing the analytical integrity of his recommendations. The reward: not only was he was able to see his technical solutions get implemented more often; but also others sought out his opinion, without bracing to deal with his attitude. He found them trusting his recommendations more often, more easily. At his next performance review, his supervisor increased his “team player” assessment from a three to a four and a half (on a five point scale), and saw Rick as more than just a technical guru.

Note: To protect client confidentiality, case studies are simplified snapshots, used for example only, to illustrate common client situations and solutions. We are happy to provide references upon request, with client permission.

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