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Curated by: Jeff Hull

  • As we kick into high gear this fall and look forward to our annual gathering of coaches from around the world at the IOC-HMS coaching conference on October 18, I find myself reflecting back on last year’s conference and how impactful it was. One of the highlights for me was moderating for Alexander Caillet and his colleagues at Corentus, as they led an engaging track on team coaching — a hot and growing area.  This provocative session got me thinking about the impact that coaching might have beyond the one-on-one frame that we all generally think about — and raised a fundamental question: can coaching interventions be utilized to support an entire organization undergoing major change? 

    Enter Jan Rybeck, MCC, senior coach and Fellow with the IOC who argues eloquently, in the accompanying white paper, that coaching can be a “mission enabler” as organizations move through disruptive change: 

    “Personal development is hard. Organizational change is even harder. Both ask individuals and teams to think and act differently than what has led to previous success…What makes coaching uniquely impactful is its emphasis on engaging individuals and teams in creating their own solutions and actions steps. Done well, coaching engages intrinsic motivation, distills change into realistically doable chunks and drives shifts in mindset, one of the most critical factors in changing behavior.”    

    In our webinar on October 3rd, we will bring together coaching and change management experts for the first time, as Jan and former lead change management consultant at Booz Allen, Maria Darby, will review recent studies from ICF-HCI, share real-world case studies, and dialogue with our members on this timely and exciting topic.

    Research into the connection between coaching and change management is a relatively new frontier — yet some evidence-based studies have been done, including a 2014 study by Anthony Grant on the impact of coaching within a global strategic consulting firm undergoing substantial change. Also, with funding from an IOC Harnisch Grant, Sean O’connor conducted research into the “downstream” or network effects of coaching, concluding that coaching exerts substantial influence on organizational networks beyond the singular coach/coachee container. 

    In addition, coaching thought leaders David Clutterbuck and Paul Lawrence have written extensively about the systemic implications — and potential enterprise-wide impact—of coaching. Incorporating the theoretical frame of complex adaptive systems (CAS) and other perspectives on complexity, systemic coaching asks coaches to broaden their lens – and conscious awareness—of their position within the larger environment. In essence, this approach asks us to consider our role as enabler or potential disruptor (!)—of an organization system.  

    This theme of large scale system change — and its relationship with coaching — is ripe for further research, so if you are ready to “think big” – you might consider sharing a case study with us in a blog or white paper, detailing your own experience with enterprise-wide impact.  Or perhaps bring us a proposal for future research. 

    And in the spirit of thinking big, here are a few questions to ponder:

    • Are you aware of your potential to influence the broader organizational system as you engage in coaching?  How do you take that on?
    • What is your perspective — “insider” or “outsider” (or both)—as you engage with a leader or team?  
    • If your coaching targets issues of adaptability, resilience, wellness and/or engagement, are you broadening the inquiry to include organization culture and change?

    Look forward to seeing you in Boston in October!

    Warm regards,

    Jeff

  • Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research & Practice

    Executive coaching is often used in times of organisational change to help executives develop the psychological and behavioural skills needed to focus on reaching their work-related goals whilst simultaneously dealing with the turbulence associated with organisational change. Despite its widespread use, little research has explored the impact of executive coaching during periods of organisational change. This within-subject study used both quantitative and qualitative measures to explore the impact of executive coaching during a period of organisational change on 31 executives and managers from a global engineering consulting organisation. Participation in the coaching was associated with increased goal attainment, enhanced solution-focused thinking, a greater ability to deal with change, increased leadership self-efficacy and resilience,and decrease in depression. The positive impact of coaching generalised to non-work areas such as family life. Recommendations are made for the measurement and design of executive coaching programmes.

    Share
    /
  • Mission Enablement

    Today’s complex change asks organizations and their leaders to step up to the edge and into the unknown. Leaders, teams, and workers must think differently, expanding their capacities to adapt new ways of thinking, communicating, and working together.

    And, it’s only hard if you expect it to be easy.


    Modernization. Into the Unknown

    Modernization and constant change put demands on organizations and their leaders to step up to the edge and into the unknown. They must rebuild systems to do things that have never been done before, bust silos to establish untested structures, and deconstruct swim lanes to integrate across old lines in new ways. With complexity as the through line, today’s organization and their leaders long for easy answers. And it’s only hard if you expect it to be easy.

    Modernization efforts effect new ways of working. They call into question familiar definitions of success and known paths to get there. Leaders, teams, and workers must think differently, expanding their capacities to adapt new ways of thinking, communicating, and working together. In a recent study by NewVenture Partners 1 of 65 Fortune 1000 organizations executives accredited 95% of the challenges to successful Artificial Intelligence and Big Data adoption to people and their processes, with only 5% related to technology. And every time we mention this to organizations, heads nod in violent agreement. Modernization is too complex and consequential to be left to technologists alone.

    Though each organization will need to navigate this terrain for itself, patterns are emerging to help map the way.

    Share
    /
  • How the quality of the complex web of daily interactions effect the wellbeing of individuals and the broader wellbeing of an organisation is largely unknown. Often organisations embark on leadership development programs in an attempt to influence systemic level change of organisational culture or wellbeing. Most approaches assume a linear model that does not take the complexity of organisations seriously. Leadership development through Coaching has shown positive results for individual level measures of wellbeing and relationships exist between leadership style, employee stress and wellbeing (Skakon, Nielsen, Borg and Guzman, 2010). What is largely unknown is how change in leaders can impact these variables through influencing the experience of others in an organisation. Can this influence ripple through the broader complex dynamics of an organisation? Complex Adaptive Systems theory (CAS; Eidleson, 1997) provides a useful approach to thinking about organisational change and the wellbeing of individuals embedded in these systems (Cavanagh, 2006). The relatively new methodology of Social Network Analysis (SNA; Scott, 2000) provides researchers with processes that better account for relational components of systems, highlighted in CAS.

    Share
    /
  • Leading through complexity - IOC COACHx

    Nancy Glynn discusses the shifting world of the leader and the essential skills to lead wisely and effectively in complexity. For more, read Nancy's blog post Leading Through Complexity. 

    Share
    /
  • Essential Mindfulness Toolkit

    As coaches, we help clients develop the needed awareness, clarity, and choice to successfully achieve their goals. These are qualities that mindfulness helps us build. In this webinar, Gail Gazelle, MD, MCC, CMT will examine how coaches can help their clients cultivate mindfulness to not only bring calm but also to build focus, develop compassion for self and others, and shift limiting thoughts and patterns. Dr. Gazelle will provide an overview of various conceptualizations of mindfulness, research on its effectiveness, and discuss practical tools that can be readily added to your coaching toolkit. 

    Share
    /
  • Unique among team development modalities, team coaching involves making real-time interventions as a team performs real work—which helps to generate in-the-moment awareness, immediate shifts in behavior, and sustainable improvements in effectiveness and results. Based on our experience over the past 25 years, working with hundreds of teams across five continents.

    Share
    /
  • Mission Enablement

    Today’s complex change asks organizations and their leaders to step up to the edge and into the unknown. Leaders, teams, and workers must think differently, expanding their capacities to adapt new ways of thinking, communicating, and working together. And, it’s only hard if you expect it to be easy....

    Share
    /

Director's Corner

  • As we kick into high gear this fall and look forward to our annual gathering of coaches from around the world at the IOC-HMS coaching conference on October 18, I find myself reflecting back on last year’s conference and how impactful it was. One of the highlights for me was moderating for Alexander Caillet and his colleagues at Corentus, as they led an engaging track on team coaching — a hot and growing area.  This provocative session got me thinking about the impact that coaching might have beyond the one-on-one frame that we all generally think about — and raised a fundamental question: can coaching interventions be utilized to support an entire organization undergoing major change? 

    Enter Jan Rybeck, MCC, senior coach and Fellow with the IOC who argues eloquently, in the accompanying white paper, that coaching can be a “mission enabler” as organizations move through disruptive change: 

    “Personal development is hard. Organizational change is even harder. Both ask individuals and teams to think and act differently than what has led to previous success…What makes coaching uniquely impactful is its emphasis on engaging individuals and teams in creating their own solutions and actions steps. Done well, coaching engages intrinsic motivation, distills change into realistically doable chunks and drives shifts in mindset, one of the most critical factors in changing behavior.”    

    In our webinar on October 3rd, we will bring together coaching and change management experts for the first time, as Jan and former lead change management consultant at Booz Allen, Maria Darby, will review recent studies from ICF-HCI, share real-world case studies, and dialogue with our members on this timely and exciting topic.

    Research into the connection between coaching and change management is a relatively new frontier — yet some evidence-based studies have been done, including a 2014 study by Anthony Grant on the impact of coaching within a global strategic consulting firm undergoing substantial change. Also, with funding from an IOC Harnisch Grant, Sean O’connor conducted research into the “downstream” or network effects of coaching, concluding that coaching exerts substantial influence on organizational networks beyond the singular coach/coachee container. 

    In addition, coaching thought leaders David Clutterbuck and Paul Lawrence have written extensively about the systemic implications — and potential enterprise-wide impact—of coaching. Incorporating the theoretical frame of complex adaptive systems (CAS) and other perspectives on complexity, systemic coaching asks coaches to broaden their lens – and conscious awareness—of their position within the larger environment. In essence, this approach asks us to consider our role as enabler or potential disruptor (!)—of an organization system.  

    This theme of large scale system change — and its relationship with coaching — is ripe for further research, so if you are ready to “think big” – you might consider sharing a case study with us in a blog or white paper, detailing your own experience with enterprise-wide impact.  Or perhaps bring us a proposal for future research. 

    And in the spirit of thinking big, here are a few questions to ponder:

    • Are you aware of your potential to influence the broader organizational system as you engage in coaching?  How do you take that on?
    • What is your perspective — “insider” or “outsider” (or both)—as you engage with a leader or team?  
    • If your coaching targets issues of adaptability, resilience, wellness and/or engagement, are you broadening the inquiry to include organization culture and change?

    Look forward to seeing you in Boston in October!

    Warm regards,

    Jeff

Featured Research

  • Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research & Practice

    Executive coaching is often used in times of organisational change to help executives develop the psychological and behavioural skills needed to focus on reaching their work-related goals whilst simultaneously dealing with the turbulence associated with organisational change. Despite its widespread use, little research has explored the impact of executive coaching during periods of organisational change. This within-subject study used both quantitative and qualitative measures to explore the impact of executive coaching during a period of organisational change on 31 executives and managers from a global engineering consulting organisation. Participation in the coaching was associated with increased goal attainment, enhanced solution-focused thinking, a greater ability to deal with change, increased leadership self-efficacy and resilience,and decrease in depression. The positive impact of coaching generalised to non-work areas such as family life. Recommendations are made for the measurement and design of executive coaching programmes.

    Share
    /
  • Mission Enablement

    Today’s complex change asks organizations and their leaders to step up to the edge and into the unknown. Leaders, teams, and workers must think differently, expanding their capacities to adapt new ways of thinking, communicating, and working together.

    And, it’s only hard if you expect it to be easy.


    Modernization. Into the Unknown

    Modernization and constant change put demands on organizations and their leaders to step up to the edge and into the unknown. They must rebuild systems to do things that have never been done before, bust silos to establish untested structures, and deconstruct swim lanes to integrate across old lines in new ways. With complexity as the through line, today’s organization and their leaders long for easy answers. And it’s only hard if you expect it to be easy.

    Modernization efforts effect new ways of working. They call into question familiar definitions of success and known paths to get there. Leaders, teams, and workers must think differently, expanding their capacities to adapt new ways of thinking, communicating, and working together. In a recent study by NewVenture Partners 1 of 65 Fortune 1000 organizations executives accredited 95% of the challenges to successful Artificial Intelligence and Big Data adoption to people and their processes, with only 5% related to technology. And every time we mention this to organizations, heads nod in violent agreement. Modernization is too complex and consequential to be left to technologists alone.

    Though each organization will need to navigate this terrain for itself, patterns are emerging to help map the way.

    Share
    /
  • How the quality of the complex web of daily interactions effect the wellbeing of individuals and the broader wellbeing of an organisation is largely unknown. Often organisations embark on leadership development programs in an attempt to influence systemic level change of organisational culture or wellbeing. Most approaches assume a linear model that does not take the complexity of organisations seriously. Leadership development through Coaching has shown positive results for individual level measures of wellbeing and relationships exist between leadership style, employee stress and wellbeing (Skakon, Nielsen, Borg and Guzman, 2010). What is largely unknown is how change in leaders can impact these variables through influencing the experience of others in an organisation. Can this influence ripple through the broader complex dynamics of an organisation? Complex Adaptive Systems theory (CAS; Eidleson, 1997) provides a useful approach to thinking about organisational change and the wellbeing of individuals embedded in these systems (Cavanagh, 2006). The relatively new methodology of Social Network Analysis (SNA; Scott, 2000) provides researchers with processes that better account for relational components of systems, highlighted in CAS.

    Share
    /

Videos

  • Leading through complexity - IOC COACHx

    Nancy Glynn discusses the shifting world of the leader and the essential skills to lead wisely and effectively in complexity. For more, read Nancy's blog post Leading Through Complexity. 

    Share
    /
  • Essential Mindfulness Toolkit

    As coaches, we help clients develop the needed awareness, clarity, and choice to successfully achieve their goals. These are qualities that mindfulness helps us build. In this webinar, Gail Gazelle, MD, MCC, CMT will examine how coaches can help their clients cultivate mindfulness to not only bring calm but also to build focus, develop compassion for self and others, and shift limiting thoughts and patterns. Dr. Gazelle will provide an overview of various conceptualizations of mindfulness, research on its effectiveness, and discuss practical tools that can be readily added to your coaching toolkit. 

    Share
    /
  • Unique among team development modalities, team coaching involves making real-time interventions as a team performs real work—which helps to generate in-the-moment awareness, immediate shifts in behavior, and sustainable improvements in effectiveness and results. Based on our experience over the past 25 years, working with hundreds of teams across five continents.

    Share
    /

Articles

  • Mission Enablement

    Today’s complex change asks organizations and their leaders to step up to the edge and into the unknown. Leaders, teams, and workers must think differently, expanding their capacities to adapt new ways of thinking, communicating, and working together. And, it’s only hard if you expect it to be easy....

    Share
    /

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