"Although we talk about the importance of a strong team culture emanating from the very top of an organisation - the reality is that when special circumstances dictate, those who lead the team often have to work in a vacuum. Just at the time when dialogue with colleagues is required, circumstances such as an acquisition, merger, restructuring and rationalisation often prohibit it. It is in these circumstances that a Senior Manager of an organisation can benefit and profit from the special relationship working with an experienced personal Coach. This article highlights the necessity for a 'Coaching' role and argues that to develop to become a Senior Manager requires a strong Coaching environment. We also contend that managers at other levels who experience ambiguity, complexity and rapid change would benefit radically from committing to using a Coach to secure growth often beyond their current comfort zones."
When working with the Chief Officer of a major Financial Institution, I soon understood that leading a company and a team of Senior Managers can be a very lonely job. This particular business had faced possible merger with another business but because of "confidentiality agreements" with the potential business partner, the CEO could not share the issues and his concerns with his team. At the initial stage, he was effectively forbidden to do so, because any information filtering to the market place could put the first steps of the merger at risk. He still had decisions to make, ideas to discuss, and strategies to formulate, but had no forum to test for coherence and understanding. Over time, he shared his thoughts and aspirations for the future with me - not specific business issues, but, rather, possible scenarios or strategies for bringing about the integration. Trust had to be established and when trust was truly "shared" a special relationship developed. Two years later this CEO moved to be the MD of another business, which he further successfully developed through organic growth and a series of acquisitions. During the time I worked with this very capable man, he was pleased to have someone else to "bounce ideas off" who was not directly involved in the day to day work of his business. The apparent detachment helped him work through the processes without having to disclose the specific issues to me or others.
In effect, this "process orientated" coaching approach helped him air his anxieties and test new ideas. It must be stated that the relationship was one where control resided 100% with the client only when 'special business circumstances' prohibited him from working and sharing specific issues with his team. At times he had to work in isolation and perhaps this sends us a message about how important it is to develop a nurturing, content free, approach to coaching.
Special Circumstances
The relationship formed is a learning curve. Over time I have come to understand that, under special circumstances, the role of and pressure on, Senior staff force the person occupying the leadership position to necessarily display uncharacteristic 'team exclusion' rather than 'team cohesion, behaviours and attitudes'. Circumstances sometimes go against management theory and demand this action as being appropriate for coping in current reality. It would be easy to be critical of those who display such independent action, claiming a requirement to share and defer to group but special business circumstances require otherwise.
Instances when this can be the case include:
- Acquisition of another business when disclosure could affect share prices of both companies. Disclosure of information at this crucial time can also force a hostile bid and reduce business confidence in the new entity.
- The coming together of partners in a Joint Venture when competitors can seek assistance to stop it.
- When Corporate performance is less than expected and a "profits warning" is imminent.
- When potential Customers are threatening to move business elsewhere.
- Any public disclosure that can put the future of the business and its people at risk.
- When organisational change is the only option, requiring restructuring or re-organising resources.
The reality of these situations is witnessed everyday. Change is accelerating at a rate at which many organisations can just not cope. Some argue that the strategies for dealing with the changes we are 'currently witnessing' have not yet been devised. In these circumstances, the demands on the 'top people' can be so intense that only a confidante outside the career progression, politics and dynamics of the organisation can provide the objective support necessary in times of severe change and transition.
Is it only Top Team Players that need Coaching?
Many organisations are now so flat that quite junior staff (in terms of status) have huge responsibilities. When we had substantial numbers of middle mangers they may have had time to adjust from the demands of an operational role to that of a more strategic focus. Those days are gone. Nowadays, huge responsibilities for specific operations reside on the shoulders of those who have not had the luxury of developing their experience. For these people, Coaching is a must activity to support them in their transition - and to help cope with the pressures and expectations of senior staff, whilst dealing with the operational difficulties and fire-fighting that flows up from others.
Coaching: Dialogue for clarification and reflection
The involvement of an external Coach may go against the focus upon 'managing change' being a responsibility for line managers rather than externals. But externals can add significant value. I once asked a group of managers attending a workshop the following questions:
Questions
- Had they ever experienced times in their careers when they did not know what to do next?
- Had they ever confronted times when they felt they lacked the experience and the confidence to take the right action to resolve a major problem for their business?
- During these times, did the ambiguity between 'expected performance' and 'ability to deliver' create any tensions for them personally and did this affect their performance?
- When experiencing all these things did they share their concerns and fears with staff senior to themselves - the people who were probably most able to lend a hand?
Answer
- Fewer than 10% of managers attending that Workshop agreed that they had purposely sought out help from the "hierarchy". Most sought advice from colleagues or just muddled through. It would seem that there is a strong case for Coaching staff at all levels - especially when they are dealing with managing transition states.
External Coaching in times of severe Organisational Change
The inclusion of external Coaches is not always welcome - but one advantage is that Coaches are not part of the politics, career dynamics and the culture of the organisation, and therefore will provide more objective advice - be it content free or focused upon applying techniques to support improved organisational performance. This may indicate behaviour that flies in the face of 'current organisational theory' of creating an open, internal team based and empowered culture - but this neglects the constraints and demands of how the real business world operates. For instance, when driving significant corporate change such as restructuring, re-engineering, merging or acquiring a business or in times of severe threat to the future of the business, the real barriers to speedy implementation of change for senior players can be the rest of her or his own team. In these circumstances, the senior player, even the CEO, may be the sole person battling against unknown odds and requires the support of others, external to the main business, to help her or him think through and implement what is required - objectively.
Often this 'coaching' role is only temporary, but our experience is that its importance is underplayed. It is precisely in times of radical organisational change, stress and conflict that the top players need support. This does not necessary mean specialist technical or business advice - she or he knows precisely where to locate such information. Talking with the partner of a senior manager - she stated "thank goodness he has someone to bounce his ideas off. He asks me for my opinion all the time - but at least you know the right questions to ask him so that he can work out things for himself". Two points arise from this discussion. The first is, this was not asking his partner for specialist advice - he was seeking opinions to do with implementation. The second point was that answers to questions are not important, it is asking empowering questions that elicit imaginative solutions in the mind of the senior manager. (This is where mastery and application of NLP techniques is critical to the effectiveness of the Coach.)
Ask empowering questions that yield imaginative solution states
Answers in many cases imply providing solutions to technical or business issues - that is the province of the top team or external business experts. The reference here is to coaching for defining scenarios, looking at "what if" situations, defining problem boundaries, asking who else has conquered a similar problem, exploring positive strategies for change and working through a whole host of issues with successfully implementing solutions and sustaining continuous learning and improvement. The Coach should be asking questions which have never been asked and thinking deeply in areas where there are no right and wrong answers. Coaching is about stimulating others to expand their horizons, question assumptions and cause-effect relations, and examine beliefs and values which impact upon the whole business, share holders, customers or consumers and staff at every level.
Coaching for improved performance - not selling solutions
Any coaching which results in 'selling solutions' lacks credibility. The coach is there to challenge, to question, to elicit, to explore, to amplify, to confront self-limiting beliefs, which at the same time rigidly maintaining confidences. The coach may require to act as the conscience of the top players - and debate issues with him/or her that which others may think about but avoid voicing.
Coaches - Chairmen, Non Executives, Middle Managers, Team Leaders
Everyone needs a coach. This 'Coach' can work with people at operational to strategic level - however, you may need a variety of Coaching styles to deal with the particular context of the role and the demands and constraints on that role.
Operational people may require a Coach with particular expertise to enable them to look at alternative techniques and methods to improve performance, - alternatively the top team player may require someone with a more strategic focus.
Some 'top players' needs someone to ask her or him the right "open ended" questions to explore opportunities, to look at a problem from different perspectives. Often they require to be stretched beyond their specialist area and beyond their personal zones of most comfort. The areas where they need the most help are frequently the sensitive issues that seriously impact upon the long term prosperity, growth or continuation of the business.
Teambusting - what is in the best interests of the business?
We do not generally approve of team-busting. Sometimes, however, independent thought is required. It can be in the best interests of colleagues of a particular senior staff member not to share real concerns and issues with them. At that point in time, business pressures may be so intense, and risk of failure so severe, that their input would only complicate the issues and generate a less than optimum solution. When confronted with a problem considered too big for a 'top player' is not always a good time to share concerns with colleagues. Perhaps, if occasion merits it, that is time to take the Leadership role and go it alone - even if only for a short time. When a solution is not apparent, sharing concerns with colleagues who do not have the answers may result in a lack of confidence in the ability of the leader, just when the opposite perspective is what is required to get them over a difficult time.
What is important is that the 'top player' adopts the appropriate behaviour in the best interests of the business, and that is contingent upon a wide variety of circumstances to which only the top players may be privy. Other commentators on the scene never have the full picture. Any significant organisational change is like a 'late breaking news story' the pictures, actors and events unroll at an unsteady and illogical pace. At times like this the senior players have to be trusted - period!
Never shy away from exploring the unpleasant and tough questions
The role of coach should be that of listener and inquisitor - requiring the client to reconsider the unpleasant as well as pleasing outcomes. The effective Coach should probe to test for understanding of key issues. They require to conduct a review of 'current and proposed action', assessing potential strategies for change compared against identified threats and opportunities. With significant business experience at senior level and relevant expertise, the seasoned Coach knows precisely where dialogue and discussion will have most impact. Daring to ask the questions which other senior colleagues may want to ask, but shy away from, (perhaps because of perceived risk to personal career), the Coach can add real value and be totally objective.
A Coach can add tremendous value to the personal development of the team players at all levels. Although an astute business person, the manager or executive may not always portray the required charisma, personal presence or ability to project, communicate and market their ideas to great effect. The Coach should also be able to demonstrate in his or her actions, that they have mastered the process of communication and can work together with the client as a seamless team, aiding her or him in the presentation and implementation of proposals.
Svengali & Spin Doctors
We have met many Coaches, the good, the bad and the ugly! The good ones explore the tough and the sensitive questions, taking people through key issues and working on delicate areas without fear of the consequences. The poor Coaches are those who are selective in their discussions and consider their own interests rather than those of the organisation. We also reject the Svengali or Spin-Doctor approach. Political manouveurings will always be a fear especially in a small team and can tarnish what could be a very powerful relationship. Too much collusion, rather than effective coaching, between coach and senior players, exposes the relationship to abuse. On the other hand, little commitment to coaching will result in ideas remaining in the head of the 'senior manager' with little exposure to keen discussion, dialogue and debate. At worst, without due debate and reflection, and in the absence of Coaching, senior people can present their ideas poorly, without prior full analysis, leading to dire consequences.
Summary
I trust the Coaching issue has been debated fully. In conclusion, I focus upon the real need for 'top players' to take Coaching seriously. This article also suggests that Coaching should be applicable to any manager or team leader who is responsible for driving significant change and does not possess all the information, solutions, the techniques for implementing changes and the confidence to implement successfully. However, the main thrust of this piece is focusing upon Senior Managers. People who occupy senior positions need to be able to share their thoughts for testing. They need a mode of expression where they encourage others to challenge, to criticise, to build upon, to analyse their thoughts and plans. There are many times when thoughts and ideas have to be honed and tested. In these instances, it is time to consider the benefits of key players and leaders in the business developing a special relationship with others who are not afraid to ask the obvious and the obtuse. Unfortunately, there is no specialist training for such a role - in all contexts. There are no 'help lines' to call. The trust that is developed and is displayed matures as the relationship evolves. This happens after working with clients when the two parties experience a 'critical incident' that demonstrates the requirements for a high degree of mutual trust. Other characteristics of an evolving 'Coaching relationship' exist when there is a critical exploration of critical incidents, and the senior person feels sufficiently comfortable to reflect on her or his behaviour with others by taking a good look in the mirror.
Research tells us that the top ten personal traits identified with credible Leaders are, Honesty, Forward Looking, Inspiring, Competent, Fair Minded, Supportive, Broad Minded, Intelligent, Straight-Forward and Courageous. Our view is that these traits are also fundamental in establishing the trust, rapport and credibility required to enable the leader, CEO, Managing Director, Senior Executive or whatever job title, to stretch beyond their comfort zone and achieve results in a climate of turbulent change.
Philip Atkinson.com
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