Win Over a Resistant VP of Engineering

Situation Briefing

You are rolling out a new manager coaching program across the organization. Most leaders are on board, but Marcus, the VP of Engineering (120 reports), has been openly skeptical. He told his team "we don't need outsiders telling our managers how to manage." His engineering org has the highest attrition rate in the company (28% annually), and exit interviews cite "poor management" as the #1 reason. He does not know you have this data.

Your Objectives

• 1

  Get Marcus to agree to a pilot program in his org

• 2

  Surface the attrition problem without making him defensive

• 3

  Position coaching as a strategic tool, not remedial intervention

• 4

  Find common ground on what good engineering management looks like