Do you feel your blood pressure go up and your muscles start to tighten when what you thought was going to be delivered isn’t? You thought the path to the end goal was clear. Everyone seemed aligned. Everyone knew what your vision of ‘done’ looked like and was delivering on that.

Except they didn’t.

An observation from coaching executive leaders is that this happens frequently.

And it happens for a number of reasons, including:

  1. The leader isn’t clear about their expectations, i.e. they haven’t fully thought through what outcome they’re asking for;
  2. The leader assumes the team knows what their expectations are;
  3. The leader believes they should not have to spell out all their expectations;
  4. The leader thinks once they’ve delegated, their part of the job is done;
  5. The leader judges first, and then (maybe) asks questions later;
  6. The leader fails to take the perspective or feedback of their team members;
  7. The power imbalance intimidates team members to ask questions, give feedback or admit struggles;
  8. The team member has hit a competency edge;
  9. The leader dodges vulnerable conversations; and/or
  10. The leader sees their role as ‘power over‘ rather than ‘power with, power to, and power within‘.

In a recent executive coaching session with a daring leader, we identified point 8 (hitting a competency edge) and drew on Brené Brown’s ‘Let’s Paint Done‘ – 5Cs framework (Color, Context, Connective Tissue, Cost, and Consequence). The 5Cs is a good tool that can be used to help create clarity and alignment around expectations for all parties involved. You can use this framework to coach someone who has hit the edge of their competencies in a new role by guiding them toward understanding their challenges and defining what success looks like.

Color (What does success look like?)

  1. If you were thriving in this role, what would that look like in concrete terms?
  2. What does “done” look like for your key responsibilities?
  3. What strengths have you successfully applied in past roles that could help here?
  4. What would need to change for you to feel more confident and capable?

Context (Why does this role matter?)

  1. How does your role contribute to the bigger picture of the organisation?
  2. Why is this work important, and how does it align with your personal values?
  3. What expectations do you believe others have of you in this role?
  4. What’s one area where a clearer understanding of expectations would help you perform better?

Connective Tissue (What support and resources do you need?)

  1. Who are the key people you need to collaborate with to be successful?
  2. What relationships could you strengthen to help you navigate challenges?
  3. What support, training, or tools would make the biggest difference for you right now?
  4. How can you ask for help in a way that feels brave and productive?

Cost (What trade-offs are required?)

  1. What’s currently taking up time or energy that’s preventing you from excelling?
  2. Are there habits or mindsets you need to shift to succeed in this role?
  3. What would you need to say “no” to in order to prioritise learning and growth?
  4. How can you communicate any workload concerns with your leader or team?

Consequence (What happens if you stay stuck or move forward?)

  1. If nothing changes, what impact will that have on your confidence, career, and team?
  2. What’s the risk of playing it safe versus stepping into discomfort and growth?
  3. How will it feel six months from now if you take proactive steps to develop in this role?
  4. What’s one small, brave action you can take this week to shift toward success?

A favourite quote, which I learned from a Dare to Lead™ participant who worked in the education sector, is ‘Get curious before you get furious‘. Words to lead, live and learn by!