How do we effectively support others in maintaining momentum when a feeling of instability is telling them to stop? What approaches can we take that will reinforce the belief that the change they are seeking is worth it and they can do it? @Kathrin Kohlmann read and reviewed the book, Coaching for Change, by John L. Bennet & Mary Wayne Bush seeking answers to these questions and more. Katherine found that this book is an essential resource for those who are wanting to step into the field of change management coaching and want to learn how to effectively support others through change. Katherine highlights the authors' research and conclusions of how to support both individuals as well as organizations maneuver change. The book as noted by Kathrin, provides you theory coupled with a sound approach to managing change.
Reviewer: Kathrin Kohlmann , Certified Life Coach
Author: John L. Bennett & Mary Wayne Bush
Title: Coaching for Change
Key Points & Meaning:
Coaching for Change is an academic approach to both coaching and change management and tries to connect the two with ideas how to interlink and evaluate them.
• All coaching is about change – coaching by its nature is designed to elicit the motivation, action & integration to effect successful, sustainable change. If we wanted to remain in the status Quo, there would be no need for Coaching. Coaching is therefore an optimal tool to manage change – though not the only one.
• Coaching at an organizational level can always only be part of a larger change approached, it is not a standalone method. The success of coaching for change at an organization level depends on a lot of factors, for example the coach-coachee relation (has the coachee hired the coach or their Manager/ HR? Did they opt-in to be coach or where they “volunteered”) as well as the position of the coach (e.g. internal/ external, HR/ business side)
• Coaching for Change is research-based academic work & provides detailed insights of Change Management & coaching methodology and key principles (e.g. powerful questions or “stages of Change”). While this is interesting, helpful, and well-researched, only the 3rd part of the book focuses on the execution of actual coaching during a change process in a company/ organization. It strongly emphasizes the importance of measurement for the success of Coach & Change Management in general, especially in a corporate environment.
• The application comes in a 10-step Change Coaching Process including the following items:
1. Enter the system
2. Contract for coaching
3. Asses the current state of change mastery & change infrastructure
4. Develop recommendations & approach
5. Coach the client
6. Recognize and address risks, opportunities and successes
7. Assess progress
8. Develop recommendations for future development & sustainment
9. Review lessons learned
10. Conclude change coaching
The process is not necessarily as linear and might jump back and forth between several of the steps. Determining the right time and right person to coach is the crucial key point to successful change coaching.
How will you apply key messages within your coaching?
The book provides a profound theoretical & academic background to both Change Management & Coaching and connects the dot between those two with a strong focus on a corporate or organizational environment. Though the book is more theoretical than practical, it is very enriching especially for someone at the beginning of their Coaching journey. It is a great resource to start Change coaching at a business-level and provides an excellent foundation to build a unique, personal Coaching for Change methodology upon. It is a great door-opener to get started with professional & business coaching as it goes beyond the actual Coaching & Change process to the more practical details (e.g. contracts, HR involvement, etc.).
Favorite passage? & What made it your favorite passage?
The authors preface-claim that all Coaching is for Change really struck me. I knew I was passionate about Change management and Coaching, and though this is not complete news to me, seeing it written out like that kind of made the penny drop why I felt strongly about both – cause there`s no Coaching without change and Change can benefit so much from Coaching. That was quite an epiphany and is an exciting thought I will treasure. I will make it part of my elevator speech for my professional coaching career one day!