How to Coach Leaders to Ace Their Change Roles

An organization's culture can be defined as the leadership behaviour that determines how things get done. People emulate their leaders' behaviours regardless of how the organization chooses to describe its culture on its website or its walls; what leaders do defines culture. 

The leader's role is to set a destination, marshal resources to get there and lead the way, confident that it will achieve greater performance. Any new destination requires making changes in how work gets done. By modeling new behaviours, a leader demonstrates that others can do the same; if he or she can do it, so can everyone. 

One of the biggest challenges of change is when leaders don't demonstrate the new behaviours that are required to make a change successful. Either they keep doing old behaviours or do not take on the new ones.

An IBM study reported that 92 percent of survey participants cited top management sponsorship as the most important factor in successful change programs. Another study by Oxford University recorded that 33 percent of change programs fail because management behaviour does not support the change. 

I remember one leader who said at a town hall meeting that cost cutting was essential for the organization's future. After he got off the stage, someone overheard him crowing about the new furniture he had ordered for his newly-expanded office. Expense reduction was slow and painful. Another leader shared a video that caught him not demonstrating new behaviours. He asked everyone for their help in building his skills. After he got off the stage, he was embraced by many people who eagerly offered their support. His country ranked number two in the world for success with that change.

Often, leaders are unclear of the sponsorship roles they are required to play. Also, they don't realize that what they do and say is being scrutinized by those around them. Coaching leaders on how to demonstrate new ways of working and providing candid feedback on their ability to do so is essential for changes to be supported and stick.

Here are some tips on how to coach leaders on their change roles.

• Help leaders understand that everything they do and say related to the change impacts people's perceptions of it
• Review leadership roles in person, either one on one or with the full leadership team
• Create a one-page leader role summary. It can be reviewed in coaching sessions to acknowledge aligned behaviours and pinpoint gaps
• Discuss how the new behaviours manifest themselves in real-life situations
• Book weekly meetings with each leader for the duration of the change 
• Track his or her behaviours and point out when they are and are not appropriate
• Provide feedback immediately after a leader has presented at an employee meeting

Preparing leaders before a change will help them demonstrate what they need from their employees. Awareness, skill building, feedback and coaching throughout the change will build them into the role-models needed for change and greater performance.

Phil 

Change Begins When Someone Does Something Differently

Have you noticed that change doesn't start until someone changes his or her behaviour? There can be many pronouncements about the need for change and how things will be better when they do, but if no one does anything differently, nothing will change. 

This is why leaders' behaviour is so important. They need to demonstrate the new ways of working. People are watching to assess their personal commitment to the change. They must prove their words by their actions. If the organization must be more fiscally responsible, so must they. If a culture of collaboration is needed then they must be collaborative. Leaders set direction.

Although leaders' behaviour is a 'must-have' success factor, they don't have to be the first people to do things differently to start a change.  It is best if they do, but change can begin by the behaviours of others.

This recently happened in our family. Our son Sam announced that he was no longer eating junk food. I know, what? He also started working out daily. Barb and I were supportive of his good habits. We complimented his good eating choices and his ever growing muscular physique. We are proud parents.


Almost immediately, Sam's behaviour affected ours. We cut down on buying sweets and sugary drinks - Charlie was still enjoying them ("Thanks Sam, more for me.") but was eating less. We were also upping our protein intake (a muscle builder's friend) and eating more fresh food. Sam's behaviour was changing what we ate. 

Daily Arm Dips

Sam's fitness regimen was also affecting mine. My daily exercises became easier to start after I heard his weights hit the floor over my office. It has become a trigger for my work out.

Fitness has become a family activity too. Sam and I have started a daily arm dip exercise in our kitchen. We can't go to sleep without doing our set, which is fun to do and talk about. In fact, every change our family has made has been fun to talk about. Change doesn't have to be miserable.

This experience has reinforced that although leader support and behaviour modeling is essential to successful change, it doesn't have to come first. Others' examples may even help them to learn what they need to do. Just like Sam did for us.

Phil