How Coaching Questions can Support Change Management
It’s a tall task to find an organization that doesn’t regularly experience change. The change process doesn’t discriminate on scope of project, type of organization, industry or field — small or large, departmental or enterprise-wide, change happens.
My work experience over the past ten years is a blend of human resources, facilitation, speaking, mentorship and coaching. Through these experiences,, I’ve seen organizational change happen over and over. It can be a process to celebrate and be a catalyst for sparking amazing, productive engagement within organizations, and I’ve also seen it be a process that rubs a lot of people the wrong way, especially if they don’t know that it’s coming, don’t understand why it’s needed, don’t have engagement in the process, or (my favourite) aren’t provided the opportunity to grieve what they’re losing.
For some, major struggles with the change management process can include:
Employees who feel the impact of changes in their day-to-day work - and aren’t happy about it;
Folks who have an actionable part in leading the change and experience lack of buy-in;
Leaders (the ones leading the change, or not) who need to bring teams along with them, keeping both relationships, engagement and productivity top of mind;
Folks that have changes provided to them without the feeling of any meaningful engagement.
Essentially, people fear what they don’t know, and fear is typically a driver for folks to stay exactly where they are. Put fear and change together into any workplace and leaders have the perfect recipe for many unhappy employees — not only those who have invested their time and efforts to deliver you the most fabulous change management plan, but also those who see absolutely no need for getting behind the change because they’re quite happy with the status quo.
Metaphorically speaking, your upcoming change can look like one of two things: a fight, or a dance.
The fight is what’s described above – the unpleasant part of the change process and typically involves (figurative) blood, (but sometimes literal) sweat and/or tears – can turn the most thoughtful change plan into a massive change failure. Why? Because as wonderfully detailed and precise the plan is, if the people who are needed to define the success of the change (by adopting a new process, moving to a new software, adjusting a major practice in the organization, etc) aren’t on board, change leaders will forever hit a wall and it will be a very difficult wall to scale.
The other option – change can be more like a dance. Someone leads, someone follows and the exchange is fluid. Might someone accidentally step on their partners toes? Sure. Could there be a technical glitch with the music? Perhaps. Do either of these make the dance a failure? Not at all, and for one key reason: the dancers trained together with a mutually supported, shared vision in mind.
“I hope that what you experience with your change is more like a dance. Someone leads, someone follows and the exchange is fluid. It’s a partnership built on mutual understanding and respect.”
To make your change to feel less like a fight and more like a dance, there are some things you can reflect on and bring to the conversations you’re having with people.
1 - For Leaders: Vulnerability is the new core competency
Guaranteed: the number one question that flashes to the forefront of any person’s mind when presented with an upcoming change is: how is this going to impact me? Being transparent about the change right from the beginning is imperative, and doing this with vulnerability comes from a human-to-human perspective. Command and control isn’t the leadership game anymore; employees see right through those messages due to many changes we’ve seen in our labour market since 2020 and what employees are asking of their organizations. My invitation to you is to consider how you’re planning to communicate this change to people, why it matters, why people should care and how it will impact their day-to-day work. Remember, people fear the unknown. To show up with vulnerability as a leader means you know you will never have all the answers, that you acknowledge your imperfections, and that you are creating a workplace of trust. John P. Kotter reminds us, "the emotional reaction then provides the energy that propels people to push along the change process."
Key coaching questions for consideration:
How are you feeling about this change?
How can I (as you leader) best support you through this change process?
{For self reflection} What would it look like for me as a leader to show up with vulnerability and compassion?
2 - For Everyone: Don’t Shy Away from Feedback Conversations
Feedback is something that equates to a nightmare for many people - both giving and receiving. If this is you, I invite you to re-evaluate feedback conversations. They can be so powerful! In this context of change, there is immense value in engaging with the people to seek, and share, feedback. Create a safe space for a conversation, let them know in advance you have some feedback you’d like to share (or ask for) and actively listen. As a leader, an employee or a change practitioner, by having these conversations thoughtfully you’ll not only learn what the experiences has been for others, but you may also see a new perspective and even perhaps - create or deepen a new relationship by learning more about someone.
Key coaching questions for consideration:
I’d love to hear how your experience has been with this change so far.
What are you observing that we may be missing?
{Bonus} To support people who may identify as neurodivergent and/or have a disability - send them your feedback questions, or summary of your feedback, in advance. They will likely appreciate the space to consider them before your conversation.
3 - For Everyone: Help Others Accept Change
It’s difficult for people to accept a new beginning if they can’t let go of their current state – or it’s not clear why they have to. During a change, everyone involved can have a supportive role in assisting others to say goodbye to what they will be losing. This is not unlike any other grieving process – folks may experience anxiety, fear of loss (perceived or real) and even anger. People flourish inside routine and consistency. When they are being asked to disrupt all of that – it’s natural to expect these feelings. If you are next to someone who is struggling, how can you reach out to provide support? If you are leading the change, and you see an entire department lagging on deadlines as part of the project timeline,, how can you be thoughtful in a follow-up?
Key coaching questions for consideration:
What areas of resistance are coming up for you now?
I’m hearing that you’re feeling {enter their emotion, using their words}. How would you want to feel once we get through this change?
What other perspectives could be true? *I love this question for someone who may be stuck in a narrative that may not be serving them.
Summary:
As a leader, how can you show up with vulnerability? Communication that comes from a real place is meaningful, and it isn’t a “one and done” effort. Be visible to employees throughout the change. Recognize that no plan is ever perfect, and when mistakes happen best practice is to acknowledge.
Find your comfort level with asking for and sharing feedback. By doing this, you are involving those who are having direct impact with thoughtfulness and care, and demonstrating your growth mindset.
Supporting others through a change process requires us to acknowledge that we each will have different experiences. Seek out conversations with folks you think may be struggling, actively listen, and practice empathy.
Coaching conversions can greatly impact those going through change. If you are a leader, an employee or an organization who is going through a change process and it’s feeling like you’re not showing up how you want to, you’re craving clarity on how to gain a different perspective, as your coach, I can be of support. Reach me here.
Gratefully,
Jacquelin
*adapted from my article Change Should Be a Dance, Not a Fight originally published in People Talk Magazine, Summer 2020