We need more Wendy Rhodes

If you've watched the drama Billions, you might be familiar with Wendy Rhodes, the residential Psychiatrist at Axe Capital. Her job is to help people get out of their own way and become the best version of themselves – which usually means they are excelling in the workplace too.

What does Wendy do? She knows everyone in the organisation personally. What makes them tick, what lights them up, what shuts them down. She challenges them to be better, inspires them to go further and reminds them continuously, who they are at their core and what they stand for.

Throughout my career, I've been fortunate to have received remarkable support and direction from a variety of individuals, including mentors, sponsors, supervisors, executive coaches, and most recently, a high-performance coach. I fondly refer to this group of individuals as my own ‘personal Board of Directors’.

Each member of this Board of Directors brings something quite different.

• Mentor - an individual who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise, someone who has walked a well-trodden path who’s experience and insights are helpful when at a crossroads in your career.
• Sponsor – (usually) someone within the same organisation, who advocates for your professional development and who speaks on your behalf behind closed doors. They can be instrumental in connecting and introducing you to others in the organisation. They are also more likely to provide you candid feedback after seeing you in action (positive and constructive).
• Manager – the person who has the greatest ability to impact your day-to-day experience of work. They are the individual who allocates out what needs to be done and determines who’s best to complete it. The changing world of work is demanding more of managers in supporting individual career development opportunities – heading more towards the role of ‘coach’. So watch this space!
• Executive coach – someone external to the organisation who works with individuals in leadership positions to help them enhance their personal and professional skills. They offer an external perspective, provide honest and constructive feedback and assist individuals in understanding and processing situations and experiences. Frequency varies, depending on the executive coach and what you are wanting to achieve, but typically its once-a-month session.
• High-performance coach – Engaging with a high-performance coach is an elevated experience. They become your trusted advisor, cheerleader, keeper of secrets. They possess an intimate understanding of your behaviours that propel or hinder your progress. They also have access to others within your organisation to ensure they are getting a multi-faceted perspective - like a real time 360. This interaction, occurring at least once a week, if not more frequently, ranges from quick idea discussions to in-depth sessions.

The addition of a high-performance coach to my personal board of directors has had a profound and transformative impact on my life and career. I'll admit, when I first began working with one a little over 2 years ago, I may have had initial doubts - but it didn't take long to understand how incredibly powerful working with a high-performance coach is.

High-performance coaches are relatively 'new' in the world of corporate organisations, although as Deloitte explains in their article, Coaching employees to reach optimal performance, this level of engaged and ongoing coaching has been a base expectation of sports coaches for ages.

When top athletes (and employees) receive personalised, continual coaching from effective coaches, they can adjust their performance and improve almost daily (Deloitte).

Wendy Rhodes is a ‘residential’ high-performance coach, embedded within the fabric of Axe Capital, an integral part of their business model. People pop by for a quick chat and problem solve; they book in for a regular session to stay on top of their game; or stop by when they are stuck, creating space to facilitate a mindset shift.

How helpful would it be to have a 'Wendy Rhodes' in real life, embedded in our organisations? Someone who can help each person to overcome their own obstacles, limiting mindsets and behaviours, so that they can be on their game every day?

It won't be for everyone - but for those who genuinely engage - they'll be the ones to thrive and make an exponential positive impact within their organisations and lives.

A few years ago, a colleague and I were joking about bringing in ‘Wendy Rhodes’ to the organisation we both worked at.

Today I think it’s a really good idea.