One of the major challenges for organisations is the retention of key staff globally, particularly those on the Executive Talent database. The Organisation will not only literally invest scores of thousands of dollars in each person on its Talent plan, they represent its future, and thus processes to safeguard this investment are vital.

It is this group that presumably is most marketable and often mobile, open to the call of “head-hunters”, and (to be frank) in the spirit of the “best people having most options”, most questioning about the career impact of being with that Organisation – particularly if it is facing testing times regarding its Board, reputation, profitability and direction.

There are a number of transition points and personal challenges that leaders, throughout their career, need to negotiate to achieve personal success and hence success for their organisation. Transition points include:
• The first 90 days;
• At the 2 year point, and each 2 years thereafter;
• Major leadership changes or concerns at the top;
• Major market changes.

Harvard Business School research indicates that senior outside appointments have just 90 days to prove themselves a success, and that more than 40% fail to achieve desired results. This is attributed to the absence of coaching in how to make transitions. “Promising managers are dumped in the deep end of the pool. The swimmers are deemed to have high potential and the sinkers…sink.” At Duet we provide data and processes that identify and address specific capacities, styles and needs, of equal value for those transitioning in their current organisations or moving to new organisations. Personal challenges might include:
• Career reassessment;
• Work-life balance;
• Mid-life crisis;
• Critical points in their family development (eg school age children).

Our work at Duet Consulting entails providing timely coaching and support to senior and middle managers as they negotiate these transitional points and personal challenges, in the context of their work roles and careers. Our goal is to provide a “safe”, confidential space in which they may smoothly work through their issues, thus also safeguarding the Organisation’s investment in these key staff.

We are particularly clear about the boundaries between Consulting, Coaching, Counselling and Psychological needs and approaches, as per our unique “Four C’s” model, so that when personal, non-work-related issues flow over and threaten their (eg career) well-being, we can refer them discretely to other qualified professionals.

In our experience, we have found that leaders prefer such development work to be provided by external people so that they can be free to tackle their work-life issues without fear of unnecessary exposure.