Coaching Tools for Change

In the life cycle of every career and every health care organization there will be periods of change and transition. From the organizational perspective, change is about getting different results. From the perspective of the individual, change may result in loss or gain. Whether voluntary or imposed, change requires a well crafted transition plan to be successful. People must modify behavior and experience new ways of thinking. An approach that can ensure a successful transition is professional coaching. In its various forms, coaching is one of the emerging tools employed during individual and organizational transitions. We will identify models of coaching that have proven to be effective, have led organizations through turbulent times, and have resulted in new opportunities for the individual.

Consultative Coaching (Organization’s Perspective)

Organizational transitions tend to fall in three categories 1) changes in executive leadership or governance structure 2) major initiatives like a new program, IT installation, profitability realignment etc. and 3) merger’s, acquisitions, and closures. Each of these transitions stresses the operation and the team. Resilience is the trademark of organizations that can adapt and respond.

It is important to differentiate between coaching and consulting. Traditionally, coaching was used as a development program designed to give an underperformer the ability to improve or as a tool to validate non performance. Hospital turnaround efforts employed slash and burn consulting methodologies as the norm. It is our view that such engagements are often destructive and prohibitively expensive to the organization both in terms of cash and loss of talent. A new approach currently emerging is the model for “Consultative Coaching”. This model seeks to build the teams’ accountability for results, cohesiveness, and effectiveness. Through the development of skills and by providing external operations experts, this new approach focuses on change management techniques and knowledge transfer that stabilizes the organization. Consultative Coaching employs a methodology that optimizes the talent within the organization to attain the desired result. It goes beyond “development” of individuals and teams to emphasize organizational competencies and infrastructure required to achieve desired business results.

Consultative coaching goals are determined by the priorities of the organization and the functional role of the coachee in the company. The focus is on effectiveness in role; skill enhancement, teamwork, and strategies to manage complex initiatives. Increasingly savvy executives are employing executive coaches to add further depth to an evolving team, to add value during the on-boarding period of a new executive, or to simply keep an executive team stimulated.

The consultative coach needs to have experienced the level of accountability that comes with an executive role and know the demands faced by managing multiple constituencies. When selecting a coach, communications, the ability to engage with the client(s), and certification as a coach are important considerations.

Consultative coaching is primarily issues based and is employed in the following circumstances:

• Organizational transition periods (Leadership, Ownership, Labor Relations, etc.)
• Targeted profitability improvement efforts
• Trustee alignment with management is required
• Physician alignment with management and leadership is desired
• Support for new approaches to quality improvement efforts
• Organizations need to decompress complex political environments, re-establish a strategic focus, and better integrate priorities into the operation

The coaches develop strong relationships and a deep understanding of the capabilities of the team as well as insights into the opportunities and barriers each organization is facing. A properly executed consultative coaching engagement empowers the team to:

• Refine skills, approaches, and management techniques
• Prioritize business issues
• Balance the resources available
• Manage talent
• Achieve results

Outplacement, Career and Life Coaching (Individual’s Perspective)

Outplacement:

Historically, outplacement firms have provided support and guidance through the period of transition after a job loss. The job loss could have been performance related but very often was part of an organizational restructuring and/or a new boss building a new team. Best practice includes immediate face-to-face support when the individual is informed of the severance, face-to-face and telephonic support of the individual in the immediate period following the severance, and counseling as to ways to optimize use of network, skill set assessments, etc. to find new employment. Outplacement is sometimes included as an executive’s contractual benefit and sometimes must be negotiated

Career Coaching:

The typical career path in hospitals was one of upward mobility and certainty, a structured path within an organization. As organizations have become flatter, executives and managers have had to increase their mobility to maintain a career trajectory. Whether choosing a career, maintaining a career or changing careers special challenges are posed to the individual. The most significant paradigm shift is that previously organizations assumed a certain social responsibility for stable employment. Now the individual is responsible for keeping pace with changing expectations, defining career options and moving within and between organizations. Increasingly, the guidance of a career coach can assist in the development of a plan, the skills index, and targeted career opportunities. Those who have the best fit with a hospital executive have had experience in the industry, understand local and national markets, have a large network of contacts, and are articulate communicators.

Life Skills Coaching:

Life skills coaching was the predecessor of business and executive coaching. Life skills coaching is advantageous in the context of business when it addresses personal behaviors that become barriers to job performance and focuses on specifics such as: retirement coaching, partnership coaching, quality of life, i.e. balancing work and personal life, spiritual development, servant leadership, etc. Life skills coaching can be very valuable to the individual in transition who is struggling with change on many fronts, career, family, life style, etc. Establishing a relationship with a life coach is personal and is most successful when the coach operates within clear parameters. Personal chemistry and the ability to communicate is essential for success.