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Coaching:
Take Control of the Ring
When You’re on the Ropes
By Carol Kallendorf, Ph.D. |
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“As a manager, you haven’t lost the
fight just because you’re up against the ropes getting
beaten senseless.”
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Carol Kallendorf,
Ph.D.
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It’s true that that many times in the
boxing ring, once your opponent has you against the ropes,
you’re tired, spent, and ready to take the punch that knocks
you down just to get it over with. But when you’re on the
ropes in the corner, you’re not even down, much less down
for the count.
The boxer with the advantage has defined the ring for his
opponent as a few square inches in the corner—up against the
ropes. His job is to keep the opponent in the corner,
delivering blow after disorienting blow—and not let him out.
When You’re on the Ropes You Must Have the Skill, Stamina
and Will to Escape
If you’re the boxer in the corner on the ropes, your job is
to get past the pummeling blows out of the corner into the
wide ring. It takes fancy footwork, huge skill, and greater
determination.
The reason I know that is that I’ve experienced the same
thing as a boxer. I have also seen hundreds of fights where
fighters who were on the ropes get out of the clutches of
their opponents. They achieve it by doing the only thing
that can save them. They redefine the ring. When you’re in
the corner, your time is almost gone. Once out in the ring
that you have redefined and now dominate, you can win.
A technically competent fighter is someone who might be
termed “an opponent”--a fighter with potential. But someone
who is acknowledged to be a “contender” is the fighter who
knows how to dominate the ring. The contender takes control
of the ring to make an opponent fight on his or her own
preferred terms.
Redefining The Business Ring of Life
As any business executive or executive coach can tell you,
boxing and management really have a lot in common.
That’s why I’m passionate about boxing. Growing up having to
defend myself against older brothers, I learned that boxing
can be a very useful skill in and out of the ring. Boxing,
like business, is a contact sport where people score blows,
win and lose points.
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“When I first came to GE, the only
person who thought I had a future here was me.”
Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman of the Board, General
Electric |
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| As an executive coach with a national
clientele, I’m often called on to |
Jeffrey R. Immelt |
work with a senior
manager who is “one the ropes.” I was reminded of what seems
like impossible management situations when I read a quote
from Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman of the Board of GE, who
experienced a dismal situation when he came to GE. “When I
first came to GE,” he said, “the only person who thought I
had a future here was me.”
Confidence can take an executive far. But when you’re up
against the ropes it’s sometimes a moment of great
self-doubt in the executive’s life. And why wouldn’t it be?
When you’re getting the crud beaten out of you by the whole
organization top to bottom, it might give you pause for
thought. The crowd around you may not be cheering for you at
this moment, and you’ll have to draw on some profound
resources.
Just as boxers win with good managers, we assure senior
managers that they are not broken fighters on the ropes.
With the right tools and strategies they can win.
Many of our clients have faced it when they struggled with
their backs against the ropes. They’re trying to lead
fragmented teams or direct sales against fierce competition
or regain profitability in the face of negative economic
forces and consumer trends.
When You’re Up Against the Ropes, You Need a Good Coach.
Good boxers need good coaches, and when you’re up
against the ropes you need a good coach, inside or outside
of your organization. When you find yourself up against the
ropes, even though you’re a highly talented manager, the
disorientation of what you’re experiencing makes it
difficult for you to see what’s happening to you. You’re
taking blow after blow and you may very well miss the
opportunities you have to land a blow, to turn things
around, and to redefine the ring.
You Need to Be “Saved by the Bell.” We’ve all heard
the old expression from boxing and we’ve all benefited from
putting a little time between us and our challenges. Even
though the fighter is injured, getting to the corner after
the round evens the odds a bit. The blows are suspended, the
cuts are tended to, and you cool down.
Your manager has the opportunity to coach you. I’ve seen it
play out in fights again and again. One fighter is against
the ropes, taking blow after blow. After the round, the
corner talk from that fighter’s trainer is never gentle:
“Wazza matter wid you? Forget you got a left hand? Use it!”
“Why you chasin’ him and wearin’ yourself out? Make him
chase you next round!” “Get inside! She can’t hit you
inside!” “Stay in the pocket, for God’s sake!”
You Need to Redefine the Ring. The next round then begins a
different story, and your “next round” can be different too.
Last round you were the punching bag and now you go on to
dominate the rest of the fight. So what has changed?
What has changed is all in the fighter’s mind and, as a
result, that fighter gains the ability to redefine and
reconceptualize the ring to suit his or her strengths. For
example, a smaller fighter might mentally redefine the ring
to take away his opponent’s size advantage, using aggressive
moves and footwork to carve several feet off the size of the
ring.
The same thing happens to us professionally—but we may be
less aware of it in real-time than the prizefighter is. Our
boss is telling us we’re failing and we can’t come back.
Team members are calling for a new leader who can unite the
team and take it forward—someone who isn’t you. That’s when
you must stand back and “redefine the ring” yourself.
Your Coach Needs to Show You the “Fight Tapes.” Often
when people get off track, nobody really sees what they’re
doing in terms of managing a team. A good coach can come in
with some assessments such as MBTI Step II, FIRO-B, the CPI
260 and create a real picture of where you are in your
leadership style and effectiveness. Just as in boxing, you
have to have a coach who is good at interpreting what’s
going on. An effective coach can change your life and
career. An ineffective coach can lead you right into a
knockout punch, with you lying on the canvas, and that’s not
a pretty sight. An effective coach can help you gain control
of the ring and regain your skill and poise.
Get the Team Involved. Boxers don’t win fights by
themselves. You need to get the whole team involved. A team
effort that defines the game by understanding how members
operate, how they’ll work together, and how they’ll win
helps everyone deliver knockout blows and go on to be
champions
If you’re on the ropes, don’t stay there. Redefine the ring.
In addition to her work as an executive coach and
leadership consultant, Carol Kallendorf, PhD, trains as a
boxer in the women’s flyweight division.
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