From lacking in motivation to shining in her glory to secure promotion
When she joined the Ignite team, Lucy had no motivation whatsoever. She was underperforming and had no sense of direction. She realised that there were opportunities, but they always seemed to be filled by the same people every time.
The Ignite Programme enabled her to spend time away from her team.
The opportunity moved her out of her comfort zone and gave her the chance to stand out from the crowd. Lucy felt scared about being away from her team. She was lively and often increased the energy and morale when she was there. She had just started getting involved with her colleagues and was beginning to enjoy being at work, so she didn’t want to be away from the people with whom she was most comfortable. Lucy thought she had been placed on the Ignite team as a last-ditch attempt to get her where she needed to be before starting performance management procedures. It’s fair to say she was very apprehensive. Lucy decided to share her thoughts and feelings with her manager, and this conversation showed her that the situation wasn’t as bad as she imagined. In fact, the Ignite programme was an opportunity for her to shine.
This new perspective allowed her to embrace the challenge. It wasn’t long before Lucy realised being on the Ignite team was great because she got to spend her days with a new group of friendly people she enjoyed working with. She found there was no awkwardness because all the consultants were well-established despite being from different teams.
Through the team-building exercises, the team got to know each other on a new level, and she soon found that they were all genuinely interested in each other.
This is what Lucy had to say at the end of the programme.
“I was coached and managed very differently, and it gave me an insight as to why Claire was so successful with her own team. The experience inspired me to do well, and I wanted to be in a position to coach people, too. Since Ignite, I have consistently delivered in my role, and this has been recognised through bonus and appraisal ratings. I was also promoted to a Senior Consultant Supervisor role which resulted in an increased salary.”
“I have managed to secure a place on the next Steps Management Programme, which has helped to inspire my confidence and boost my self-esteem. What I find I do more now is to set myself goals to achieve because it gives me something to focus on. I then make sure I celebrate my successes when I achieve my goals.”
What Lucy is doing 18 months later
Lucy is still setting goals, achieving them and celebrating success. She has covered for teams in their manager’s absence and has also supported new starters in a work support role