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Beverly Flaxington is a practice management consultant. She answers questions from advisors facing human resource issues. To submit yours, email us here.
Dear Readers,
Our team at The Collaborative lost one of our long-time coaches this week to cancer. Cathy Manning was not only an amazing coach, she was a dear friend of mine from the time we worked at John Hancock together in Investment Marketing decades ago.
Cathy had a phenomenal career in the business working at Deutsche Bank, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and State Street Global Advisors, among others. After many years, she decided she wanted to become a coach. She was certified in a number of coaching areas and was also a professor at Babson College, where she co-developed programs for undergraduate students in the entrepreneurial department. Cathy also taught at Wheaton College. She was a dedicated teacher and coach — and an amazing professional.
This column is dedicated to some of the Cathy-isms I learned over the years watching her adeptly coach our clients. Many people have written to us saying how they will cherish these life lessons forever. I hope, on Cathy’s behalf, there is something here for you to think about this week. She would be so honored:
- One client wrote saying he will always remember how Cathy would say, “Ask how you can get in their way.” He said he was happy Cathy would get in his way to share her experiences and challenge him to be “the best version” he could possibly be. Sometimes we are hesitant to push another person, ask the hard questions, or reflect on what could be going on in their life. We don’t want to let our own ego get in the way.
However, many professionals can point to the time someone challenged them to think differently, or take action they might not have otherwise been willing to take. Getting in someone’s way — or asking them to get in yours — could be a game-changer when most needed.
- Many clients shared the “care and connection” they always felt from Cathy. A good leader and coach operates with empathy and listens in an active and reflective way. Detaching from what matters to you in order to be fully present with someone else takes tremendous focus and energy. Listening in its truest form means you enter someone else’s space in order to understand where they are coming from — and see the world from their vantage point. Cathy had a unique ability to connect with others and have them feel heard. This is the greatest gift you can give to your team members.
- Cathy was a big proponent of uncovering the Drama Triangle (the Karpman Drama Triangle) holding someone back. Human beings are complex, and often in coaching we assume once someone hears the right thing to do, they will just do it. This ignores the unproductive, emotional behavior patterns we cultivate during our lives that often hold us back. Helping someone learn how to be resilient and vulnerable at the same time takes great skill. (Cathy was masterful at overcoming significant obstacles in her own life. These experiences shaped her ability to be a resilient and vulnerable coach, as well.)
- Clients appreciated Cathy’s knowledge of the investment and financial business, but many of the notes we received resonated with her servant-leadership approach. A good coach doesn’t just focus on the behaviors and attitudes or beliefs of the person being coached, they focus on the person and what they are experiencing in the moment.
Putting ego aside and focusing on serving the client rather than assuming a role of authority can be challenging. Often as a coach, we might think we “know best.” Having the humility to put ego aside, know you are there to serve the client and allow them to reveal themselves in order to move forward is hard for most professionals.
- Ultimately, although Cathy was a kind and caring person who deeply loved her work and her clients, she was also a practitioner. The best coach gives action-oriented and goal-driven support for clients so they are able to implement those ideas in their careers and utilize them on a day-to-day basis. Every note we received commented on the skills developed, the lessons learned, and the practical application each person would use going forward. Anyone can be a good talker, but providing usable insights someone can take forward and use to change what they are doing is what coaching should be all about.
We are grateful to have had Cathy on our team for as many years as we did. I am personally grateful to have had her friendship for decades. Our clients benefitted from her insights, knowledge and willingness to share and support. We honor Cathy for all of who she was.
Samantha Reynolds, Cathy Manning and Beverly Flaxington at an offsite for a client
Beverly Flaxington co-founded The Collaborative, a consulting firm devoted to business building for the financial services industry, in 1995. The firm also founded and manages the Advisors Sales Academy. The firm has won the Wealthbriefing WealthTech award for Best Training Solution for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Beverly is currently an adjunct professor at Suffolk University teaching undergraduate and graduate students Entrepreneurship and Leading Teams. She is a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA) and Certified Professional Values Analyst (CPVA).
She has spent over 25 years in the investment industry and has been featured in Selling Power Magazine and quoted in hundreds of media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC.com, Investment News and Solutions Magazine for the FPA. She speaks frequently at investment industry conferences and is a speaker for the CFA Institute.
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Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
