A little over a year after Nigar Baimova from the British Council completed MiDDLEGROUND’s Module B, Systemic Mentors course, she reflects on her leadership journey and how her interaction with MiDDLEGROUND has impacted her work.
In the whirlwind of current conditions in Azerbaijan with currency devaluation, a struggling economy and everyone worried about the unpredictability of things, Nigar has found calm in her work and with her team.
What has the journey been like?
When Nigar joined the Systemic Mentors course, she was overwhelmed, demotivated, and wanted to make a change. The course along with the added ingredient of coaching thereafter made all the difference.
“The course was great, and having someone walk alongside me, step by step, as I returned and took up my leadership for impact was enormously rewarding. I have noticed the change in my leadership style and how I lead and support my team”.
What was the change?
Nigar noticed that before going on the course she found it difficult to think about the team as a whole connected system and delegating was hard. She tended to focus on each result in isolation, rather than on the team and how to collectively get the results. She now notices that she spends more time communicating and really connecting with her team, delegating more and initiating new ways of working that really enrol them and invite them to be part of the creative process for achieving results. While the journey has been challenging, now, one year on, she feels very supported by the team which enjoys a shared responsibility. She feels her colleagues are motivated, more supportive and understanding of each other, and delivering high levels of performance with great enthusiasm and passion! She loves the open communication and the constructive feedback they give each other and to her.
How does this translate into bottom line results?
A lot of her work at the British Council involves business development which means meeting with prospective partners. She notices how she is now more confident and more able to share her passion and this encourages others to join her. She shares a concrete example of where she used the tools and mindset developed through her work with MiDDLEGROUND to close an important deal: she and her team had been nurturing a contract with BP, to support English language teachers and local communities with English Language courses. This not only would develop people’s language skills, but perhaps more importantly, empower and upskill the local community and community teachers. Nigar comments that by continuously applying an Appreciative Inquiry lens to her communication and engagement with BP, she was able to persevere and close the deal, when normally she and others in her team might have given up! She also speaks of how her growing confidence in her leadership and ability to leverage her passion for the programme culminated in being able to approach the BP vice-president at a cocktail party where she made it clear to him that “this is good for BP and good for Azerbaijan. We need your support for the project” – a clear ask which resulted in the contract being agreed upon.
“When we believe passionately, we can get others to believe too”.
What made the difference?
“Inspirational three days, yes, coupled with on-going coaching and support from MiDDLEGROUND team member Gail”. Nigar identifies that while companies sending their staff on great courses is a positive thing, what is even more impactful is following that on with an investment in coaching. “Good coaching helps keep you on track, and accountable. It questions and pushes you, keeps you committed and magnifies impact.
It’s a journey and a process, I am not “there” yet, and I know I need to keep remembering where we are, how far we have come, but also how much further we can go and the importance of not going back and always looking ahead.”
