Cases
Composite, anonymised examples. Details changed; no individual is identifiable. Results vary.
IT team lead: everything ran through him
Situation: Tech lead in a growing team; reviews, hiring, firefighting — and growing cynicism. Role had blurred: responsible for everything, authority over little.
What we did: Role map (responsibility / authority / escalation, RACI), Rescuer pattern from the Drama Triangle, boundaries on availability, priorities checked against his own values.
Result: 20% of his time back on hands-on engineering; agreed exit plan from 2 projects.
Manager whose reports were always late
Situation: Competent manager, reports and decisions postponed until the last night. Driver: "Be perfect".
What we did: Contract for 12 sessions; "definition of done" for each report; project-container (scope, deadline, check-in rhythm); permission for "good enough" as a working standard.
Result: Deadlines met without last-minute rush.
Newcomer professional working below qualification
Situation: Second year in a new country, experienced specialist in an entry-level job, isolation, guilt toward family back home.
What we did: TA for roles in the family and at work, a 12-month career plan treated as a project (milestones, risks, contacts).
Result: Two stable professional contacts; moved into a role in his field.