Coaching

For our purpose, coaching is basically personal encouragement from a trusted source. It is definitely not programmed personal development as practiced by psychologists, academics, and other experienced hands. We are referring to non-invasively encouraging proper stakeholder behaviour in the moment. Proper behaviour will vary by stakeholder and the change being made.

Coaching changes

In all cases and with rare exception, coaching is best performed by one of two people: either (a) a designated expert coach with deep knowledge of the change or (b) the impacted stakeholder employee’s line supervisor, another line superior, or a peer. Research conducted by Prosci shows that communication and coaching by the immediate supervisor for information that will practically affect the user/stakeholder is infinitely more consequential than broad or executive communications.

Be a change coach

Coaching is supplemental. It is not usually a replacement for training. And, while key information may be carried by the coach, it is not an alternative to proper and full communication. Coaches’ words and actions should, at a minimum, reflect in word and deed the overall change message. The power of coaching comes from it being rendered at a “teachable moment” of heightened receptivity (we hope). Moreover, a colleague may be able to personalize and make information meaningful in a way general messages cannot.

This brings up two types of coaching within this same context. The coach’s playbook starts by recognizing that coaching can be proactive or reactive. Both are valuable and achieve much the same end.

1. Proactive coaching — A coach is prepared to intercede with impacted staff and provide unrequested assistance. The value is corrective action being taken when the affected person is unaware that (s)he should be doing something different. But such “interference” be less welcome, and the coach must be better prepared (trained)—if only to recognize when to offer help.
2. Reactive coaching — Like a Help Desk, a coach is available to assist when called upon by impacted staff. The virtues include getting away with less coach preparation and coaches interacting with people who are, by definition, more receptive to the instruction and correction. The shortcoming is that it does not actively intercede with correction when impacted personnel do not recognize or are actively ignoring their error.

Not every situation will require (intense) coaching. But the simple act of seeing opportunities to encourage or remind the employee is, in fact, coaching. Ideally, the coach will be vigilant to capitalize on such opportunities. The Playbook anticipates coaching of various sorts, from the most casual to much more intense one-on-one forms of support. It takes time but is highly effective. Because the Playbook cannot anticipate all possible needs, it focuses on common preparation elements for and execution for both proactive and reactive coaching.

A coach’s playbook

The key activities in these Plays are to:

1. Identify and prepare for possible coaching needs.
2. Develop coaching messages and method(s).
3. Identify and prepare coaches at a human level (i.e., specific individuals to provide coaching for specific individuals/groups of employees).
4. Schedule timing for coaching interventions (if proactive).
5. Execute at an individual level.