An Interview with Sujata Banerjee
The following quotes were shared for this article by Sujata:
How do you define your role as a coach?
„I have to bring big ears along, rather than a big mouth! Contributing a fresh take on my coachee’s visions, ideas, aims and objectives is one of the key reasons why I am hired. We evolve together, step by step, rather than having a classroom situation, or my showcasing what I think is best…“.
How does coaching impact clients/ coachees in observable ways?
„Coachees tend to be less risk-averse and more confident…A Coach can identify needs; objectify; be a sounding board; emote; tweak an issue from an entirely new angle; ask ‚why‘ questions when you are in the middle of a ‚when‘ and ‚how‘ delivery stage; help turn mistakes into valuable takeaways—and all of this on an all-gain, no-risk basis.“
Might you share an anecdote related to your coaching work?
„My first ever coaching experience was with an individual from Western Europe from a really aggressive sales background who was supposed to assume a new strategic function in his organization in South Asia…We were discussing various aspects of Leadership applicable in this novel cultural environment, and I mentioned the concept of humility. He thought that this was a really bizarre approach, and there was no way that he—in his new top-down role—would ever have the need to experience or display it. Unfortunately, for budgetary reasons, we couldn’t follow up once he was posted abroad. Years later, he told me at a conference that if he hadn’t proactively displayed an eagerness to learn, as well as gratitude and humility towards the person [whose role] he had come to succeed, this person would have never shared his valuable experiences or existing customer relationships with him, and he would have been totally ineffective within the organization. He is still out there!“
