12 April 2024
At the start of this year nobody could have predicted just how different life would become, but change does not come naturally to most of us and some people would have preferred to simply stick to their same old routine and familiar comfort zone.
But, that was not an option when the global pandemic started and Managers needed their teams to quickly adapt to life in lockdown.
So how do we build this example of our natural ability to change into our coaching sessions with Managers, so they can provide their team with confidence they can adapt to unforeseen changes in future and drive innovation?
As a professional coach, we know it’s not always a busy lifestyles that stops people breaking old habits. It’s normally the fact that they don’t have to or need to, but many of us are now working in new ways that we may not have tried or considered. So this is a great opportunity for us to be coaching innovation with Managers. Especially as some organizations have even announced major changes to their working from home policy.
For some this is great news, however we know everybody reacts differently to this type of forced change and may have felt worried, anxious or stressed. We published a series of blogs on coping with the global pandemic and transitioning out of lockdown, but can already see the future is going to look quite different. And we will all need to learn how to be more agile, adaptable and resilient if we are going to thrive in this new world.
Managers in particular are already leading the change and supporting their teams in new ways. So they are looking for innovation to improve the way they do things. They will also need to rethink strategies, reinvent solutions and realign implementation plans.
You can help by coaching innovation with Managers by expertly guiding them through the process of change. This will enhance and enable them to reach their full potential, overcome roadblocks and accomplish sustainable success. Your coaching style and approach used can be adapted to help drive innovation, by encouraging a culture of idea generation. This maximizes creativity and turns the best ideas into action.
By guiding Managers to prepare, develop and implement a range of creative ideas, they will quickly mobilize their teams. This will help them respond to any changes and take advantage of new opportunities to innovate. You need to feel confident to offer suggestions and go beyond simply asking the right questions in the right order.
Coaching innovation with Managers may be new to you and will need to be built into your coaching style. One way is to reflect on the coaching session and review their answers to your questions. Then see if you would have done anything differently, but becoming a great coach is a journey not a destination. Use every session to identify opportunities that encourage growth, so you become a better coach and improve your coaching skills.
Some people will have a natural ability, so here are five things to look out for when coaching for innovation:
1 – Do they have good observational skills and are they naturally curious
2 – Are they constantly looking for opportunities?
3 – How big is their professional network and do they look for new ways to connect with others?
4 – Will they take risks and experiment?
5 – If they fail, do they learn from the experience and bounce back?
We have published a Coaching Change e-book that explains how a professional coach can support Managers to successfully deliver change within their organization. It has four key sections with an intro to change and change management, then gives example change management approaches. With valuable insight into securing a contract and working with a delivery team.
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Image: Thanks to Werner Du plessis for sharing their work on Unsplash.
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