Creating Coaching Cultures

Authentic Influence

The role of the change agent is not an easy one. Often the people who see the possibilities for change are different in some ways from the culture in which they work. These differences are often what make them so valuable as change agents.

There is an old saying in consulting: “Watch out for the organization antibodies.” Just as in a physical body, there are antibodies in organizations that neutralize things that seem threatening or different. If you appear to be too different– particularly if you are threatening to create change – you too can be neutralized.

What to do? We want to be ourselves and we want to make a difference.  Do we hide the parts of ourselves we aren’t sure others will appreciate or can even handle, or do we dare to be different and risk the consequences?

The key is to use your authenticity to influence others, not alienate them.  It can be a fine line to walk that requires a certain level of self mastery. Authenticity is not a choice between “telling everyone how it is” or remaining silent. Influence comes from being relevant and real.  

Here are a few guidelines for igniting change through authentic influence:

The Fundamentals of a Coaching Culture

I just returned from a terrific conference for master coaches were we had the opportunity to be in dialogue with Brian Johnson, the creator of PhilosophersNotes. If you aren’t familiar with Philosopher’s Notes I highly recommend that you check it out.  Tag line:  More wisdom in less time.  Brian has summarized the “big ideas” from one hundred self-development books into six-page PDFs and 20-minute MP3s, where he shares his insights with a joyful and infectious enthusiasm.  

One of the “big ideas” Brian shared at the conference that particularly resonated for me was the reminder that its consistency around the fundamentals that separates great performance from the merely good.  Great performers in all areas give their attention and focus to mastering the foundational skills upon which their performance is based.  I know this from my experience as a dancer.  There’s a reason every dance class begins with bar exercises – whether you’re just starting out or are a professional dancer – you begin with the foundational skills. 

That got me thinking about the “fundamentals” for a coaching culture.  What are the foundational things that an organization needs to do consistently to create and maintain a culture where ongoing development, collaboration and creativity are part of the essential ethos of the experience?

Here’s my list:

Listen for meaning

The old adage that you will hear what you listen for is true.  Most organizations I’ve encountered have very poor listening habits.  Most are lucky if they listen well enough to accurately glean the information that is being conveyed, let alone the underlying meaning that is always present but rarely perceived.

Asking the Big Questions

Our lives are, in many ways, defined by the questions we are willing to ask and answer.  What’s possible?  What’s getting in my way?  What is truly meaningful?  It’s when we are willing to challenge some of the foundational assumptions that form the underpinnings of our lives that we discover new possibilities.  

The same is true with organizations.  Organizations can get locked in a stranglehold of their own assumptions about how things are and therefore must be.  They collectively say things like, “We are nice,” or “We are all about action.”  Often this way of being has become so familiar that they barely even notice the true impact of choosing to be this way, or the very fact that it’s a choice at all.  It’s “just the way things are.”