case study
A Project Manager Fast-tracked His Career and Received 35% Raise Amid Economic Slowdown
Summary
An aspirational Project Manager was about to give up on his career progression after trying his best and doing the latest courses on technology and project management. During the coaching he discovered the factors disfavoring him in his career growth were poor executive presence, lack of delegation and low personal brand. As he was guided to work on these, he was offered a promotion with 35 percent raise after declining an offer from a competing firm.
Situation
RK was a loyal and committed manager in a leading MNC based in Bangalore. He received a promotion after 3 years of joining and was frustrated because he had been repeatedly assured by his line manager for the next promotion that he considered nothing but lip service. He tried looking for a job outside the company but would get stuck beyond the initial rounds of interview.
While he was assigned greater responsibilities and had to extend his workdays and sacrifice the weekends and holidays, his efforts were neither recognized nor rewarded. This lack of acknowledgment left him feeling hopeless, doubting his skills and leadership potential.
Disappointed with his stagnation both within and outside the organization, RK’s confidence continued to dwindle. Consequently, he withdrew from participating in critical projects, avoided confrontation on high-stake matters and had nearly given up on his career growth as the management did not view him as leadership material.
Problem
When RK approached us, we identified that his self-esteem was low, and he lacked the ability to objectively evaluate workplace situations.
RK was unable to hold his team members or superiors accountable. Though he worked hard on critical projects, he avoided taking complete ownership and feared delegating tasks to his colleagues, believing they were not competent enough. This limited his visibility and recognition within the organization. Furthermore, he failed to effectively communicate his value to stakeholders, including potential employers.
Intervention
We began by conducting a psychometric assessment, which revealed areas of development in RK’s executive presence and strategic communication. To address these gaps, we implemented a multi-faceted intervention plan that included:
- Mental fitness training
- Support group sessions
- One-on-one coaching
- Communication skills development
- Daily Progress Tracking
Through mental fitness training, we helped Raman identify and intercept disempowering thoughts, replacing them with an empowering mindset. A safe group environment allowed him to candidly discuss his challenges and receive ongoing support from a coach.
We monitored Raman mental fitness journey closely, providing additional assistance whenever he faced setbacks. During authority communication assessments, Raman realized his weak executive presence stemmed from lower self esteem caused by childhood experiences. He was guided to develop self compassion using a range of techniques including Shadow Voicing and Healing.
Considering Listening is the cornerstone of executive communication, he was missing out hugely on interpreting visual and non-verbal cues. We guided him to improve his listening by using our authentic listening modules, which included techniques like clarifying, paraphrasing, and challenging others effectively.
Next, we focused on empowering RK to ask impactful questions—those that set leaders apart. With rigorous practice, he learned to challenge his colleagues constructively, create clarity around assigned work, and hold his team accountable. As his team became more effective, Raman freed up time to focus on high-priority projects and collaborate more closely with his superiors. RK also became pro-active and started supporting and guiding his line manager on important matters. As a result, his Manager’s trust in him amplified and he started routing critical projects to RK.
He was given the responsibility of a project that many leaders had failed to deliver. RK equipped with high confidence and strategic communication and collaboration skills, demonstrated exceptional precision and delivered outstanding results, gaining the attention from the Board of Directors and the CEO. Simultaneously, we guided him to work on improving his body language and vocal delivery, which significantly enhanced his executive presence. He soon became the go-to person for high-stakes projects.
Breakthrough
During his annual appraisal, RK was assured a promotion and received a one-time payout for his extraordinary performance. Although company-wide compensation adjustments were frozen due to an economic slowdown, he attracted an external job offer with a 30% salary hike. When he shared this with his management, they fast-tracked his promotion and offered a 35% raise on his current package.
Today, RK leads a much larger team with confidence and commitment. He is on a fast track toward becoming a director, feeling that his career has been accelerated by 7 to 10 years.