Coaching the leader: First step in successful change
Four activities help lay the groundwork
(Editor’s note: Mary V. Gelinas and Roger G. James are the founders and principals of Gelinas James Inc., an Oakland, CA-based consulting firm that helps client companies through the process of organizational change. The client list they have put together during their combined 20 years of experience includes Coca-Cola Co., Carondelet Healthcare, Duke University Medical Center, Intel, Kaiser-Permanente, Levi Strauss & Co., and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. They have worked with their health care clients in creating more efficient systems for patient flow and throughput, building a stronger patient and customer focus, and reducing costs and bureaucracy.
Gelinas and James are authors of a recently published book, Collaborative Change: Improving Organizational Performance. In it, they integrate models, theories, and practices to provide a step-by-step "blueprint" for launching effective, successful performance improvement initiatives within organizations. An important part of this kind of effort is called "coaching the leader." They answer some questions about this process below.)
Q. What does "coaching the leader" mean?
A. Coaching the leader is the first major step in laying the groundwork for a successful change initiative. It consists of four key activities:
• Conduct a preliminary assessment of the situation. This allows the change agent to understand, from the leader’s point of view, the key issues or problems in the organization and their impact on the organization’s performance, particularly as it relates to achieving the organization’s mission and vision.
Change agents are members of an organization chosen by the organization to develop recommendations to improve the organization’s performance, such as design teams, problem-solving teams, and QI teams. (See Healthcare Bench-marks, September 1999, p. 105, for more on change agents.)
• Define, from the leader’s perspective, the purpose, goals, boundaries, and guidelines for the change initiative. This involves helping the leader define what he or she hopes to accomplish through an initiative, the type of change needed, and the boundaries and guidelines for the project.
• Clarify the role of the leader and the change agent in the initiative. In this activity, the leader and the change agent develop clear agreements about what they will expect of one another and how they will work together.
• Develop a plan to align the rest of the leadership team in support of the initiative. The change agent works with the leader to determine the role of the leader’s direct reports in the initiative, and how to build their understanding and commitment. I want to underscore the importance of this activity. We believe very strongly that the most successful change initiatives are initiated, shaped, and sponsored by a cohesive leadership team.
Q. Why is this important for a successful change initiative?
A. Two of the primary reasons change efforts miss the mark are lack of focus for the initiative and spotty or nonexistent sponsorship. In this initial phase of the change initiative, the change agent helps the leader to define the purpose and goals of the initiative, and to make a direct link between the outcomes of the initiative and the organization’s goals and values. The change agent also works with the leader to determine his or her role (and that of the leadership team) in sponsoring the change effort.
Q. How does a change agent conduct a good preliminary assessment of the situation he or she is faced with? And why is this important?
A. First, the change agent needs to gather background information on the leader’s organization, in order to answer such questions as the following:
• What products or services does the organization deliver? To whom? What is the volume of its work?
• How successful is the organization?
• How many employees are in the organization?
• How long has the leader been in this role? What is his or her background?
• Has the leader had much experience with change initiatives and/or working with change agents?
Second, the change agent needs to conduct an interview with the leader to achieve the outcomes:
• Understand the leader’s perceptions of the issues and underlying causes.
• Clarify who the organization’s customers are and what they require.
• Understand the mission and vision of the organization.
• Identify the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges.
• Develop agreement with the leader on what the key issues are and what the focus of the change initiative should be.
It is critically important to conduct an effective preliminary assessment for a number of reasons. First, it minimizes the possibility that time, money, and energy will be wasted on a change initiative based on a flawed understanding of the real issues or needs.
Second, it allows the change agent to assess whether he or she has the skills and interest to serve this potential client. And, finally, it provides an opportunity for the leader and change agent to begin developing an authentic and effective working relationship.
Of course, this is only a preliminary assessment of the situation. The next steps would be to gather the perspectives of the other leadership team members, then develop agreements within the team about the purpose, goals, boundaries, and approach for the change initiative.
Q. Who needs to be involved in this preliminary assessment — and why?
A. Initially, this is a one-on-one session between the leader and the change agent. We have seen time and again that an inadequate connection between these two players early on results in serious problems as the change initiative develops. It is crucial that the leader and change agent have an opportunity to determine without an audience whether it makes sense for them to work together and what the nature of that work should be.
As mentioned earlier, however, this preliminary assessment needs to be tested against the perspectives of the other leadership team members. Only then can the leadership team be prepared to define the change initiative and successfully sponsor it.
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