Coaching for Transformational Change
Rick Warren said it best: “ There is no growth without change…”
Do you desire to have growth in your organisation?
Every organisation that desires to grow must undergo transformational change. This change may be either repetitive and slow, or revolutionary and turnaround, or somewhere in-between. In any case, an organisation which does not have strategic leaders to promote this change, will eventually stagnate and die.
Change may be defined as the process of undergoing transformation, transition, or substitution. Transformational change is the type of change that impacts one’s behaviour and relationships as it brings about breakthroughs in one’s limiting beliefs and negative attitudes, reframing them into positives.
The aim of transformational change is to increase both economic value and organisational capability. To implement transformational change within a strategic framework, leaders set the direction from the top and engage the people under them. Transformational change in an organisation strengthens internal capabilities and creates an environment of innovation, creativity, and productivity in the workplace.
However, despite its importance, studies show that 70% of all change initiatives such as restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, changing organisational culture, and installing new systems, fail. Susanne Knowles, in her book Positive Psychology Coaching states, that the reason for this is that “they are not fully supported at the top by the CEO, senior management and Board, or they are not clearly focused on achieving key strategic objectives, or they do not develop or ‘buy-in’ the core capabilities required in the new organisation. Hence, organisational change initiatives can take up time, effort and resources, and unfortunately result in dispirited managers and an immobilised workforce.”
For an organisation to be successful in their transformational change endeavours, it must possess and practice the following:
1.) Strong and committed leadership
2.) Communicating the strategic direction and performance expectation
3.) Strengthening the organisation’s core capabilities.
Coaching individuals and teams enables the transformation process to occur more smoothly. Why? Because coaching has many benefits to individuals, teams and the organisation itself. Studies show that 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence, and over 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills. 86% of companies report that they recouped their investment on coaching and more (source: ICF 2009). In addition, coaching promotes organisational learning, adaptability to change and encourages collaborative learning through developing others.
Having you and your leaders coached will help you identify your limiting beliefs and reframe them into positives. Coaching will enable you to point out the problems and the things that need to be changed in your own personal life and in your organisation as well. Furthermore, coaching will help you come up with the best solutions for these problems, create goals and develop action plans for the betterment of yourself and your organisation. Once your intentions and actions are aligned, change can smoothly and quickly happen in your organisation.
And as a bonus to that, when you and the leaders of your organisation are coached and undertake coach-training, you will all be able to coach your direct reports as well as others in the organisation, leading to a culture of openness, support and accountability that results to growth and increased productivity.
Indeed, coaching is one of the best investments you can make for yourself, your team and your organisation if you desire transformational change to happen not only in your organisation but in your life, and the lives of your team as well.
If you want to be coached and become a professional coach yourself, you can contact the Australian Institute of Professional Coaches 1 300 309 306 or email us at [email protected] . We look forward to speaking with you soon.
