When Katherine Mulhall joined GA Valves six years ago, stepping into the family business brought a completely new challenge. Although the company had already been successfully operating for more than 35 years, Katherine’s own background was in banking, not business leadership, KPI management or operational processes.
“I thought I need to get some training so that I know what I’m doing, or at least learn to know what I’m doing and how to effectively run a business,”
Once Katherine began working with ActionCOACH White Rose, one of the first major breakthroughs was gaining clarity around what she actually wanted the business to become, not just commercially, but personally too.
“It became really clear quite quickly that I wanted the business to be able to run itself. That the team are set up to take ownership and help drive the business forward successfully.”
Working with ActionCOACH White Rose helped Katherine to begin building stronger structures, clearer accountability and long-term planning into the business. The weekly coaching sessions and regular check-ins created a level of accountability that helped Katherine stay focused on actions, priorities and goals.
“Coaching helped give me that accountability because when you’re doing it yourself, you’re not really answerable to anybody.”
The process hasn’t always been easy. Like many growing businesses going through operational change, there have been periods of pressure, uncertainty and challenge along the way.
“What’s also good is learning how you come out of a painful situation. When you’re changing a lot, it can be painful for everybody.”
But rather than simply reacting to problems, Katherine now feels there is far greater clarity, structure and direction within the business.
“There’s more of a goal and a vision. We know what we want. We know how to bite-size chunk that into one, two and three years, and then focus on what we need to do today to achieve it.”
The coaching has also helped Katherine develop stronger communication and leadership skills, particularly while navigating the unique challenges that come with leading a family business.
“There’s a personal tie to it as well, which can be challenging at times, but I’m learning to communicate more effectively too.”
Today, GA Valves continues moving through its growth journey with a much clearer long-term vision, stronger accountability across the business and greater confidence in the future. And for Katherine, one lesson stands above all else.
“I think you can never stop learning. Once you think you stop learning, that’s when you’ll start failing.”
